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| The Alkali Flat Field crosses the world's largest gypsum dunefield. |
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| Alkali Flat Trail map. Click for larger version. |
The 4.9-mile Alkali Flat Trail loops over the western portion of the New Mexico dunefield. It’s one of the few trails in the world that requires a different route every time you hike it – the route changes daily as blowing winds remold the dunes.
To reach the trailhead, from U.S. Hwy. 70, take Dunes Drive into the park. As Dunes Drive circles back on itself, look for the parking lot on the road’s west side. Do the trail counterclockwise.
The trail starts in a flat basin between dunes. After that, it’s up and down the Transverse-Barhan Dunes.
Red fiberglass stakes with black arrows mark the way. The stakes are a must, as blowing sand would quickly obscure any path. They are about 300 feet apart, with signs every half-mile note distances traveled, so the hike’s route largely is a matter of playing dot-to-dot with the stakes.
Part of the trail’s beauty is you get to decide how to best reach the next marker. A straight line usually isn’t the smartest. Instead, follow the dune crests. Your feet will not sink into the sand as much on the dune’s top as they would if going into a trough then back up the steep dune to the next crest. This turns the hike into a series of curves between markers.
275 square miles of white
Entering the dunes is a surreal experience, as pure white gypsum dunes and nothing else seemingly stretch forever before you. The only sight on the horizon are the hazy San Andres Mountains. You’re actually crossing the narrowest portion of the dune field.
The white sand dunes cover 275 square miles of desert in the Tularosa Basin. Winds blowing off the San Andres sweep particles of gypsum off the Alkali Flats ahead and Lake Lucero to the southwest, forming the dunes.
Virtually no vegetation can grow in the gypsum dunes. On occasion, you will spot sumac bush, soaptree yucca and clumps of grass, sitting on plant pedestals of hard, compacted sand that rises out the dune.
The dunefield’s starkness is disorienting. Nothing but whiteness spreads around you, like you are lost in a snowstorm.
Sights to behold
Still, as your eyes and mind get used to the dunes, you’ll be able to notice some features.
Look out for footprints of fox and kangaroo rats. Soon you’ll notice a lone beetle or lizard scampering about or a hawk soaring overhead.
Spotting the ground animals can be difficult. Mice, insects and lizards living on the gypsum dunes all use white coloration as camouflage. A product of evolution, the white versions of these creatures only appear in White Sands.
Stone ridges are another common feature. Thin, raised lines in the interdune flats, the gypsum here has solidified, marking the last spot the wind blew it. Gypsum is an ingredient in cement mix and used to make plaster and dry wall, so that it hardened in the natural world is not surprising. The stone ridges formed when heat removed water from the particles; when rain fell, the gypsum rehydrated and solidified.
A few gypsum pinnacles also can be found. The pinnacles formed in the same way as the ridges, but erosion has shaped them into fantastical shapes.
About a mile from the trailhead, the edge of the dunefield comes into sight. Beyond it is the trail’s namesake, a 20-mile wide alkali flat. To the northwest, you’ll also spot a few buildings and water tower at the White Sands Missile Base’s National Radar Cross Section Test Facility. On clear days, you also can see the hangars and buildings of White Sands Space Harbor, an alternate landing site for the defunct space shuttle.
Alkali flat
In 2 miles, the trail reaches the last dune. Just 0.2 miles beyond it the trail enters the dry lake bed, a remnant of ancient Lake Otero. A sign at the trail’s western tip warns against going further because of unexploded ordnance. Part of the park is shared with the White Sands Missile Base, and sometimes the park and Hwy. 70 are closed for missile tests.
By this time, you’ve probably got a good amount of gypsum in your shoes and shoes. You may want to quick take them off and shake it all out.
Don’t think of going barefoot on the way back, though. Gypsum is dry and abrasive, so walking barefoot across it for any length of time will leave your feet parched and cracked. On the plus side, unlike beach sand gypsum isn’t hot to touch and doesn’t stick to you, so in those respects it’s quite pleasant compared.
The trail soon circles back into the dunes. You’re roughly a half-mile south of the route you walked in on.
The distant Sacramento Range looms ahead. These are much taller mountains than the San Andres, and snow can be on some of their caps even during summer.
Desert safety
If wind-blown sand proves too much for you, watch for "bowls" between the dunes. Here the dunes have left ground uncovered, and some desert scrub grows in them. The dune walls also provide some relief from the sand.
Sunscreen and sunglasses are a must on this trail, as the sand reflects the light in every direction. Sunglasses provide additional protection against blowing sand. Bring a lot of water, as well, at least 1.25 quarts per person. If you can’t see the next red marker, turn back; getting lost on the dunes is easy.
Avoid the trail during the summer day, hiking it only very early in the morning or before dusk. Winter days are best for hiking this trail as highs reach the sixties. Spring usually means heavy winds as heat rises off the desert floor and cold descends from the San Andres. Regardless of the season, temps will drop in the evening by up to 30 degrees, which is a quite noticeable change in a dry climate.
