White Sands Dog Policy
White Sands National Park is Dog Friendly
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Located in the mountain-ringed Tularosa Basin, White Sands consists of the southern part of a 275-square-mile (710 km2) field of white sand dunes composed of gypsum crystals—the world's largest gypsum dunefield. The park is completely within the White Sands Missile Range and is subject to closure when tests are conducted.[1]
White Sands National Park is dog friendly, and a great, special place to bring dogs. The white sands are gypsum, and remain much cooler than more common sands (which dogs really appreciate). Dogs are allowed both on and off trails while on a leash no longer than 6'. There are many areas on the side of the road where you can pull over and just start walking over the dunes with your dog.
Make sure to pack plenty of water for your dog, because they can get very thirsty here. Do not leave dogs unattended because it can get very hot quickly here. White Sands also has two dedicated dog walking areas with poop bags near the visitor center.
- Website
- https://www.nps.gov/whsa/index.htm
- Pet Policy Details
- https://www.nps.gov/whsa/planyourvisit/pets.htm
- Area
- 229 mi2
- Annual Visitors
- 415,383
Location & Map
Have a photo of your dog here?
Note: Policies can change -- please make sure to check official dog/pet policies prior to making plans or booking travel.
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Credits
[1] Overview text from the Wikipedia article List of national parks of the United States, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.
All other text and images, except where noted, copyright ASR Concepts, LLC, all rights reserved.