Las Cruces/ Organ, NM and White Sands National Park

Ok, so after not being able to see Big Bend, get into Ft. Davis State Park or get passes into the McDonald Observatory, I thought I better start checking ahead to make sure the things we wanted to do we were going to be able to. The more I read about White Sands National Park, the more excited I was. Although it was busy, it was an absolutely PERFECT day - 68-70F, blue skies, soft breeze and just a lovely day to spend hiking and picnicking.

Park Map

Although there are only 5 trails, I wanted to do them all except for the Backcountry trail, which I knew we wouldn’t have time for.

Playa Trail

Dune Life Trail

Great picnic areas with

Cool shelters

The place was packed,

But easy to socially distance!

Ok, so maybe black shirts weren’t the best

Yes, we got pretty sunburned

Tiko loving the hike

Otherworldly

White sands as far as you can see!

What I really wanted to see, too, was the night sky. This is the reason I bought the new iPhone 12 Pro. Wanted to capture the low-level light images and boy does it!

Great Meal at the end of the day

Thai restaurant across the street from the Airbnb