The Great American Road Trip ChallengeOne trip, ~2.5 years, 48 states
← The Desert SouthwestCarlsbad Caverns & White Sands
Day443

Day 443 — White Sands — Carlsbad Caverns & White Sands

Full day3h 30m planned
1CARLSBAD CAVERNS & WHITE SANDS234567891011121314151617181920212223
442Carlsbad Caverns443White Sands444North to Roswell445Little Green Men446Free Day447North to Santa Fe448The Plaza & the Art449Meow Wolf & More450Taos, Pueblo to Ski Valley451Free Day452Down to Albuquerque453Old Town & the Tram454Pueblos & Petroglyphs455Free Day456West on Route 66457Painted Desert & a Crater458North to Navajo country459Canyon de Chelly & Four Corners460To Monument Valley461The Buttes462North into Utah463Arches464Canyonlands465River & Rimrock466Free Day467Northwest to Salt Lake468Temple Square & the Capitol469Park City470Free Day471Out to Great Basin472Caves, Pines & Stars473The Extraterrestrial Highway474West to Death Valley475Below Sea Level476East to the Strip477The Strip478Hoover Dam479Old Vegas480Free Day481Northeast to Zion482Zion Canyon483Angels Landing or the Narrows484Bryce Amphitheater485Free / Hoodoo Day486East to Capitol Reef487The Waterpocket Fold488South to Lake Powell489Slot Canyon & the Bend490To the Grand Canyon491The South Rim492Into the Canyon493Free Day494South to Flagstaff495Route 66 & the Stars496Free Day497South to Sedona498Red Rocks499Jeeps & Canyons500Free Day501Up to Jerome502The Ghost Town503Free Day504Down to the Valley of the Sun505Desert Gardens & Camelback506Wright & the Heard507Free Day508Southeast to the Old West509Gunfights & Copper510Free Day511Northwest to Tucson512Saguaro & the Desert Museum513The White Dove514Free Day515West to California

Sled the gypsum dunes.

  1. 11:00 AM – 2:30 PM· 3h 30m

    White Sands National ParkNational Parks & ForestsAnchor

    275 square miles of blinding-white gypsum dunes — hike them, and sled the slopes on a waxed disc.

    Bring: sled · sun protection · water

    19955 US-70, Alamogordo, NM

  2. from 2:30 PM(Late afternoon)· unscheduled

    Stay for sunset on the dunesFree / Rest Days

    This is the best hour at White Sands by a distance, and it is worth giving up the rest of the afternoon to be out on the gypsum for it. Bring a sled, bring dinner, and watch the whole basin go pink.

What the colours mean

On this day

  • National Parks & Forests1

And how much each one matters

  • AnchorAlways do — the reason this stop is on the map
  • Worth itDo most of these
  • BonusQuirky bonus, if it's happening while you're here