Location: White Sands National Park, New Mexico
Distance: 5 Mile Lollipop Loop Time: 3 Hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation Gain: 700 Feet
Season: All seasons but Fall and Winter are best
Foot Traffic: Light to Moderate
Date Hiked: Tuesday, August 31, 2021
Overview
Located at the very end of the dunes drive road, inside of White Sands National Park, in New Mexico, the Alkali flats trail is a moderately rated five mile loop hike over giant sand dunes. The Alkali Flat is the dry lake bed of Lake Otero, which the trail will bring you to the edges of. The real highlight of the hike however is the undulating journey up and over the beautiful white dunes. Most people stick to the shorter hikes in the park, but if you are up for more of an adventure, this trail is a great choice. For those not wanting to hike the whole distance, a short jaunt to the nearest dunes is nice as well.
The difficulty level rating of this hike can and often does change due to mitigating factors such as heat, wind and the persons navigational skills. While there is not a definitive path per se, the trail is periodically marked with red stakes with black diamonds on them. After arriving at each marker, your best bet is to locate the next one before advancing further. If you are unable to find the next marker, the best bet is to turn around and retreat back the way you came, to the previous marker. Summer months can become unbearably hot, although the white sand finds a way to remain relatively cool. Spring can bring strong winds making the trail virtually unnavigable at times and creating a perfect recipe for hikers to become disoriented and lost. There is no shade anywhere in sight on this trail and sufficient water is an absolute must.
Trail Description and My Story
As my wife, our daughter Scout and I had now been on the road for nearly three months, we were starting to reluctantly see the light at the end of the tunnel of returning home. Our daughter was a week away from turning 4 months old. The amount of things that I had already been so blessed to have shared with her, had significantly changed me. At this point of our trip nothing was specifically planned anymore. It was pretty much head in whichever direction and rely on whatever past knowledge we had of the areas
White Sands
We knew we were within a few hours of White Sands National Park and had never been before. My wife agreed that we should head in that direction. We ended up entering the park around 1 pm and I was immediately blown away by the striking white sand and the blue of the horizon backing it. After making a quick stop at the visitors center, we continued down the dunes drive road. I was again blown away just as before. This was one of the most unique and beautiful drives I had been on. Images of Crater Lake or Tioga pass in Yosemite just after it had been plowed came to mind. It looked as if a huge wall of snow was on the side of the road and as if there was snow on the road. We followed the straightaway as we inched closer to the Alkali Flats trailhead.
Alkali Flats Trailhead
As we grew closer to the trailhead, the views of the surrounding dunes became more and more impressive. We parked on what looked like a white sheet of ice and made our way towards the trail. While it was August and it was hot, it didn’t feel unbearable. It did seem a little suspect to me though that there was no other cars in the parking lot. It was now nearing 2 pm and we wanted to make sure that we knew where we were going so we wouldn’t lose time.
My wife grabbed our daughter and wrapped her in her carrier around her chest. Almost immediately we spotted a red post or stake in the distance and made that our first landmark to reach. It didn’t take very long before we reached it and the goal from here on out was to spot each following post or stake before moving forward and then head towards it. We were heading in a counter clockwise direction and so far the trail seemed very easy to follow.
Continuing the Trail
After a bit we found ourselves wandering up and over surrounding dunes and no longer following the trail. At times I would be on one dune and meanwhile, I would spot my wife on another in the distance.
At no time did either of us ever lose site of a trail marker, originally.
Soon thereafter, it became mostly just exploring all the different side dunes and very little following the actual trail. We kept each other in site as we made our own routes. My wife was having fun playing with our daughter, as I was going from dune to dune.
I wouldn’t recommend this unless you are very confident with your route finding skills. However, it worked great for us on this day. Eventually, we decided to completely veer off and managed to intersect back with the trail on the far end of the loop. Again, I obviously wouldn’t suggest this option for most people.
Ending the Hike
At the end of the day I am not sure as to how much of the trail we completed but it was a good portion. Regardless, we had a great time and enjoyed the solitude. As we grew closer to the trailhead, we headed up a few more dunes and spotted our lonesome car in the distance. My wife sat and played in the sand while dipping our daughters feet in it.
The amazing thing about the sand here is that despite the heat of the day, it stays relatively cool. It was so cool in fact that we spent most of our time walking barefoot.
Now back on the trail and following the trail markers towards the end we reflected on our short time here. My wife insisted that we come back and backpack this trail one day and check out more of the park. As our daughter grows up, I can’t wait to bring her back to so many of these places that we have visited along our trip and to keep instilling in her the amazing impact that the outdoors can have on us.
Getting to the Alkali Flat Trail
White Sands National Park, New Mexico
Notes
Is this a fee area?
- Yes. This is a National Park fee area. A park pass must be displayed on your windshield. The various passes and prices are as follows.
- $25 Per Car, $20 Per Motorcycle or $15 if there is only one person in the car (Allows access for 7 days).
- White Sands National Park Annual Pass is $45 (Good for one year through the month purchased).
- The America the Beautiful Pass is $80 (Good for 1 year to all National Parks, Monuments and Recreation Areas). This is by far the best option if you are visiting multiple parks throughout the year and it has saved me thousands of dollars over the years. The following options are also offered by the National Park Service through the America the Beautiful Pass.
- Senior Annual: $20
- Senior Lifetime: $80
- Military Lifetime: Free
- Medically determined permanent disability: Free
- 4th Graders: Free. Yes, that is right. If you are a fourth grade student you can enter all the National Park entities for free for your entire 4th grade year along with all children under the age of 16 in the group and up to 3 accompanying adults or an entire car.
Are pets allowed?
- Yes, pets are allowed on the trail but must be leashed on a leash no longer than 6 feet in length and kept in control at all times. Please pick up after your animals and please follow the National Park Services B.A.R.K principles.
- Bag your pet’s waste
- Always leash your pet
- Respect wildlife
- Know where you can go
Are there toilets at the trailhead?
- Yes. Vault toilets are available just before the beginning of the trailhead.
Drones are strictly prohibited in all U.S. National Parks.
Please recreate responsibly. Respect hikers, and all visitors and wildlife. Help make everyone’s experience better by keeping the nature experience as authentic as possible. Leave no trace and pack out everything that you pack in. Please remember that we are visitors and stewards of these special places. Help keep these places as wild as possible while not diminishing the outdoor experience of others.
