White Sands NP - Dune Life Nature Trail

State: New Mexico

Trailhead Location: Approximately 2.5 miles beyond the Visitor Center

Park: White Sands National Park

Length: 1 mile, out-and-back

Fee: Varies, see park details for discounts and passes

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As a hiker who loves the challenge of distances and the high gypsum dunes, I almost passed this trail up the first time I visited the park. There are several draws to this short 1 mile jaunt.

Firstly, it's family friendly and a short distance for those who aren't up for the challenges of the longer and more arduous Alkali Trail. Furthermore, the 14 informative signs about the park's critters and fauna are genuinely interesting, even for the adults on trail.

Katie the Kit Fox is your guide on these signs introducing one animal at a time and providing factoids that will leave you in awe of this area's inhabitants. If you've never learnt about the hunting strategies of a tarantula hawk, you're in for a treat.

Furthermore, from a scientific perspective, this trail takes you through an ecotone, or a transition between the scrub of the Chihuahuan Desert and the pristinely white gypsum dunes that lie beyond. As the NPS website mentions, this is where two communities integrate. This hiking experience is one you won't get further into the park.

And here too is where one of my favorite trees in the park lurks, rising with elevated roots and gnarled branches over the desert. As seen above, the Rio Grande Cottonwood is haunting. And for those who love photography, catching this tree against a White Sands sunset is a solid shot.

As always plan ahead and bring water. This may be a short trail, but the exposure and noon sun will still hit you hard in the dead of winter.

--Happy Hiking!