When I travel on business to attend Technical Committee meetings, speak at conferences, attend Board meetings - I always visit a National Park or State Aquarium. The national parks are soothing and help me get grounded. Some call it Earthing. Some refer to it as a way to get in touch with God or the energy of life. Whatever it is - it works. National Parks are a source of healing. I need them. I need to be able to get to one whever I am in the United States. Please keep them … create more … and ensure they stay as pristine as possible.
Sincerely,
White Sands National Park
They may look like mounds of snow, but the dunes in this park are made of a rare form of crystallized gypsum. Because gypsum dissolves easily in water, rain would normally wash it away and carry it to the sea. In this part of the Chihuahuan Desert, however, the land forms a basin, trapping the mineral; water evaporates, leaving the gypsum behind, and wind and weather erode it over time into an ocean of glittering sand. The entire dune field is a massive 275 square miles (by comparison, the second-largest gypsum dune field in the world, Cuatro Ciénegas in Mexico, is only 8 square miles). Hiking and sledding over this vast white expanse of powder is a singular, otherworldly experience.
State(s): New Mexico
Established: 1933
“They are essential to life!”
National parks represent the best of America. Why do you care about protecting and preserving them? Tell us why parks matter to you!
Success! Thanks for sharing your story with us.
You’ll be notified by email when your story is approved and added to the collection on the My Park Story homepage.
In the meantime, you can share your own story page with your family and friends — and help us spread the word about these priceless memories and priceless places!
Here’s your unique story page link:
{{ storyUrl }}-
Greetings from White Sands National Park
Will never forget our kids rolling down the sand hills - or the feeling of being on an alien planet!
-
Greetings from White Sands National Park
While making our way home to Illinois from Arizona we stopped at White Sands. What a delight. The soft sands of gypsum made the mounds a wonderful winter wonderland. Many had sleds. What a beautiful area.
-
Greetings from White Sands National Park
The Giving Tree Band is a rock n roll band that are comprised of five musicians that are working their way around the National Park System, playing acoustically arranged songs in park settings to promote unity, harmony, and the well-being off all people and the planet. Further they are sharing…
Preserve Our Parks
Make a tax-deductible gift today to provide a brighter future for our national parks and the millions of Americans who enjoy them.
Donate Now