Just right for sledding

Picturesque White Sands National Monument offers unusual opportunities

At White Sands National Monument in south-central New Mexico, everything looks like it could be a on a postcard, photograph or painting. Blinding white sand dunes with cactus, trees and plants growing from them stretch out for miles in front of the Sacramento and San Andres mountain ranges.

Going sledding here stretches the imagination in this oasis in the Tularosa Basin of the Chihuahuan Desert. Yet the gypsum dunes are perfect for that.

Although just as much fun as sled riding in the snow, the experience is quite different. Trekking up a dune can be a challenge. Unlike snow, the sand is not slippery, but gritty and denser, especially if it recently has rained. But the hike up is worth it. After pausing at the top to take in the view of the area, it’s all downhill. One good shove in the sand to get the sled going, and it’s smooth coasting all the way down.

Sledding isn’t the only thing to do in White Sands.

The monument covers more than 270 miles. Dune Drive, an 8-mile roadway that that takes 45 minutes to drive, allows great viewing from a car, with places to pull off for a picnic, to take photos or go hiking.

There are five marked trails throughout the area for hikers to enjoy.

An approximately halfmile handicap-accessible boardwalk accommodates strollers, wheelchairs and other mobility devices to make it possible for everyone to enjoy the dunes. The boardwalk has a variety of exhibits detailing the history of the area and educates about the plant and animal life there.

Horseback riding is another way to explore the dunes. Riders, who bring their own horses, must obtain a day pass and register with a park ranger before riding.

Planning a backcountry camping trip is for those who don’t think one day is enough to spend at the monument. The 10 available

campsites are firstcome-first-serve for primitive tent camping. No trailers

or RVs are permitted. Campers must register with the park ranger and be prepared

to hike with their gear at least a mile to the campsite.

KRISTI GARABRANDT — THE NEWS-HERALD Matthew Bates of Canton coasts down a sand dune on a disc sled at White Sands National Monument in the northern Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico, where sand sledding is a popular activity.