White Sands National Park closes on 15 October for testing
Published on 09/27/2026 at 09:15 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
White Sands National Park in Alamogordo, also known as White Sands National Park, will close on 15 October 2026 during a scheduled military test. The National Park Service lists the closure from 7am to 9am and says US Highway 70 will also be blocked during the same period.
Military testing closes White Sands National Park on 15 October
The closure concerns the park and the highway linking it with Las Cruces. The official park notice identifies 15 October 2026 as an upcoming closure date, with both the park and the highway marked as closed. The notice was last updated on 22 September 2026.
The restriction is connected with testing at the adjacent White Sands Missile Range. During a test that requires a safety closure, Dunes Drive is closed to all traffic. The road is the route into the dunefield, so visitors will not be able to drive into the dunes during the listed two-hour period. The official closure notice also says activities along Dunes Drive are prohibited while the road is shut.
White Sands National Park links a closure to its desert setting
The restriction affects access to a landscape protected for its gypsum sand. The park service describes the dunefield as the world's largest and says it covers more than 275 square miles. The dunes are in the Tularosa Basin between the San Andres and Sacramento Mountains in southern New Mexico.
The site began as a national monument on 18 January 1933 and became the United States' 62nd national park on 20 December 2019. Its protected landscape includes gypsum dunes, plants and animals adapted to the basin, and a major fossilised track site containing Ice Age animal footprints. The change to national park status did not alter the military relationship that can occasionally interrupt access. A regional park profile gives the visitor address as 19955 U.S. 70, Alamogordo, New Mexico.
October access also depends on highway conditions
The October closure has a practical effect beyond the park boundary because the notice lists US Highway 70 as blocked. Travellers approaching from Las Cruces should therefore avoid planning a journey through the park corridor between 7am and 9am on 15 October 2026.
The National Park Service says the visitor centre and gift shop remain open during military test closures. That does not mean access to the dunefield is available: Dunes Drive and activities along it remain closed while the test is under way.
Visiting White Sands National Park: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The scheduled closure is on 15 October 2026 from 7am to 9am, and US Highway 70 is also listed as blocked during that period.
- Dunes Drive will be closed to all traffic during the military test, while the visitor centre and gift shop remain open.
- The park is at 19955 U.S. 70 in Alamogordo, New Mexico, in the Tularosa Basin between the San Andres and Sacramento Mountains.
- The terrain is a gypsum dunefield with moving sand, and access to the dunes depends on Dunes Drive. Visitors should check the park's closure information before travelling.
- The official language is English and the national currency is the United States dollar.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about White Sands National Park
What has changed at White Sands National Park?
A scheduled military test will close the park and US Highway 70 from 7am to 9am on 15 October 2026. Dunes Drive will be closed during that period.
Where is White Sands National Park and how do you get there?
The park is at 19955 U.S. 70 in Alamogordo, New Mexico, between the San Andres and Sacramento Mountains.
What is White Sands National Park?
It is a national park protecting the world's largest gypsum dunefield, with dunes, adapted wildlife and fossilised Ice Age track sites.
