The Alkali Flat Trail offers the biggest dunes with little to no vegetation in the park. Stan and I planned White Sands National Park as a quick stop. But when planning, we didn't know this park would surprise us the way it did. We had one morning there, which in hindsight wasn't enough. I would try to have at least a full day! After doing our research we decided on doing the Alkali Flat Trail. A 5-mile (about 7 km) loop that took us through the majestic white sand. This hike is full of unexpected views. At first, we thought it would be a walk through the dunes, just like you could do in the Netherland. But soon we realized that this environment has much more to offer.
The Alkali Flat Trail goes through the dunes in a loop, and as one might expect, a hike through the dunes offers no shade. This is why I would advise you to do this hike early morning. We entered the park right when it opened and drove all the way to the end, this is where the Alkali Flat Trail starts. Because we chose to drive right to the end of the park, we were the first car to park at the starting point of this hike. I would highly recommend you doing the same! Because of this we had the luxury of having all the amazing views to ourselves. Make sure you prepare for this hike, pack your backpack in advance, bring loads of water, so you can start walking as soon as you parked your car.
Because of safety reasons White Sands National Park closes quite early, so make sure you're there right on time! Here you can find a map of the park.
During this hike Stan and I were surrounded by total silence, something that is hard to find these days. When you're walking the trail, you can enjoy white dunes surrounded by walls made of mountains. You climb up and down and spot amazing patterns in the sand.
We choose to walk most of the trail barefoot, enjoying going of the grand sandhills and getting al sweaty by the burning sun.
In our opinion this hike is definitely a must see!
