Backcountry Camping
32.8099, -106.2642 · Park boundary: National Park Service
Due to rehabilitation of camping sites, backcountry camping is closed.
Camping fees are in addition to the monument entrance fees. The per adult fee is for any persons 16 years of age and older.
Camping fees are in addition to the monument entrance fees. The per child fee is for any persons 15 years of age and younger.
Per the National Park Service, as of 2026-08-04
Permits are sold on a same day, first-come, first-served basis at the entrance station.
- Cell reception
- Yes - year round
- Trash & recycling
- Yes - year round
- Amphitheater
- No
- Camp store
- No
- Drinking water
- No water
- Dump station
- No
- Firewood for sale
- No
- Food storage lockers
- No
- Host on site
- No
- Ice for sale
- No
- Internet
- No
- Laundry
- No
- Showers
- None
- Toilets
- No Toilets
Per the National Park Service, as of 2026-08-04
- RVs
- Not allowed
- Trailers
- Not allowed
- Access roads
- No Roads
- Classification
- Designated Primitive Campsites
- Cell service
- Cell phone reception can be spotty at times. Please carry alternate forms of communication with you as well.
This area is inaccessible to wheelchairs.
As all of the primitive campsites are located along a moderate trail within the dunefield, there are no ADA campsites at White Sands National Park.
Camp stoves are permitted. Flame must be 12 inches above the surface of the ground. No fires are allowed.
Per the National Park Service, as of 2026-08-04
Backcountry camping sites are located along the Backcountry Camping Loop Trail, which is located about six miles north on Dunes Drive.
Temperatures at White Sands vary greatly throughout the year. Summer time temperatures can be very hot. Winters are mild with cool evenings. Spring time is the windy season. Fall is very enjoyable with mild daytime and night time temperatures.
You must vacate your site by 1 p.m. the following day. If you wish to renew your permit, you must do so in person at the entrance booth the following day. Quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Be respectful of other visitors to enjoy the solitude and quite of the dunes. No loud music or noises are allowed at any time of day. The park gates are locked every night approximately one hour after sunset. You cannot leave the park until the next morning when the park opens. Your camp should be set-up within five feet (1.52 m) of the site marker at your assigned site. Camping on top of a dune is not permitted. Hiking after dark is not recommended. Open campfires are NOT permitted in the dunes. Camp stoves are allowed, and they must be elevated at least six inches (15 cm) above the sand. All campers are expected to follow Leave No Trace principles and pack out all trash and waste.
The backcountry camping trail is located directly in the dunefield, surrounded by white sand dunes that can be as tall as 36 feet. Two separate mountain ranges are visible to the east and west. Ten campsites are spread out over the entirety of the two-mile loop trail, and are marked by brown wooden posts that emerge straight up from the ground. Fixed to these posts are small square signs with campsite numbers ranging from 1-10, arrows pointing in the direction of each site, and a small brown square showing two white silhouettes of gender-neutral hikers with walking sticks and backpacks. The sites themselves are located in the inner dune areas, which are the flat low points between dunes. The ground here is hard-packed, firmer, and often slightly darker than the soft white sand found in the dunes themselves. In some of the sites and along parts of the trail, you can find bushels of varying types of grasses, which tend to be around 1-2 feet tall and dark green and tan in color. There may also be other types of vegetation along the trail and in the campsites, including the soaptree yucca. Depending on the season, the yucca have two main components: their bayonet leaves, which are dark green, about an inch wide, and sharp enough at the tips to warrant their name; and the stem, which is a tall, woody feature that stands vertically from the base and is often over five feet tall. When a stem is present, many creamy white flowers rest on its tip. The flower petals harden after they bloom in late spring, and transform into firm capsules that house the yucca’s dark brown, round seeds. Each site is marked by a bright orange post that protrudes from the ground, with the site number on it.
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