Stabilizing dunes involves multiple actions. Planting vegetation reduces the impact of wind and water. Wooden sand fences can help retain sand and other material needed for a healthy sand dune ecosystem. Footpaths protect dunes from damage from foot traffic.

The upwind/upstream/upcurrent side of the dune is called the stoss side; the downflow side is called the lee side. Sand is pushed (creep) or bounces (saltation) up the stoss side, and slides down the lee side. A side of a dune that the sand has slid down is called a slip face (or slipface).

A dune is a mound of sand formed by the wind, usually along the beach or in a desert. Dunes form when wind blows sand into a sheltered area behind an obstacle. Every dune has a windward side and a slipface. A dunes windward side is the side where the wind is blowing and pushing material up.

Dunes are found wherever loose sand is windblown: in deserts, on beaches, and even on some eroded and abandoned farm fields in semiarid regions, such as northwest India and parts of the southwestern United States.

– Sand dunes are a low hill-like shape formed by means of the deposition of sand in the deserts. While the wind blows, it lifts and transports sand from one place to another. While it stops blowing, the sand falls and gets deposited in low hill-like systems. These are referred to as sand dunes.

Sand snakes and lizards also call sand dunes home. These reptiles burrow rapidly through the sand, an action known as sand swimming. Hundreds or even thousands of types of insects also make their habitats in sand dunes. Beetles, moths, wasps, flies, crickets and spiders all live in the sand.

While many assume that desert dunes must contain snakes, there are actually no snakes living in the dunes themselves, and no venomous snakes have never been found in the park or preserve. Relatively few reptiles live in this high-elevation park.

A black bear grazes within the Great Sand Dunes National Preserve. Black bears are usually black, but may also be cinnamon or blond. They are most often near riparian areas, where they find an abundance of plants and small animals to eat. Mosca Pass Trail hikers occasionally see bears foraging near Mosca Creek.

Black bears live in the foothills and mountains just above the dunes, but rarely visit the dunes. The most common safety problem is when campers or picnickers leave food out, inviting a bear into their site. Never leave scented items or coolers unattended.

Two remarkable dune residents, the fringe-toed lizard (Uma notata) and shovel-nosed sand snake (Chionactis occipitalis), are well adapted for rapid burrowing through sand, a phenomenon known as “sand swimming.” At depths of only 12 inches (30 cm), the temperature may be 50 Fahrenheit degrees cooler.

Many species of mammals make their home in White Sands National Park, including foxes, rodents, coyotes, bobcats, badgers, rabbits, and porcupines.

Sea snakes, or coral reef snakes, are a subfamily of venomous elapid snakes, the Hydrophiinae, that inhabit marine environments for most or all of their lives. They are found in warm coastal waters from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific and are closely related to venomous terrestrial snakes in Australia.

Western Coachwhip Harmless to humans, the coachwhip is a long, slender, tan or brown snake that can reach up to seven feet in length. Most of the coachwhips at White Sands have a pink color on the belly that becomes more pronounced under the tail. This snake shows a nasty temper when capture is attempted.

However, according to the National Park Service website, taking sand from the monument is against the law. “We allowed people to take little bags of it home and they were real appreciative of it,” Griffin said.

Starting Jan. 1, 2020, the entrance fees to the park will be $25 per vehicle, $15 per person, and $20 per motorcycle, officials said. This means a car with four people would only have to pay $25 to get in and not $60 for the four individual passengers.

On the roads, you can wear sandals or any kind of walking shoe. The sand is not really sand, it is gypsum . It is very soft and cool to,the touch. A full on hike would require socks and supportive hiking boots to your ankles from a sprain.

They rent for $10 used, but if you bring them back they will refund you $3 per sled. Make sure you bring your camera, I probably snapped about 200 photos of my children sledding, rolling, and making sand angels !

Probably the best time to visit is late October / early November when the Cottonwoods are changing color. By mid November most of the Cottonwoods have changed color.

About 3 Hours should cover the trip if you drive through the park and go to the visitors center. over a year ago. over a year ago.

White Sands National Monument is an extremely beautiful place and definitely worth the stop if you find yourself in that part of the United States. The white sand dunes are like nothing I’ve ever seen before, comprised predominantly of the mineral called gypsum.

Park operating hours vary by season, and is occasionally closed for periods of time due to missile tests on the adjacent White Sands Missile Range. Reservations are not needed to enter the park; however, some of our interpretive programs require advance reservations.

The park wasn’t everything I hoped and dreamed for, but it was still totally worth visiting. I think it would be so much better to camp here during a full moon. We spent a few hours in the park climbing the dunes, looking for the perfect yuccas and sand waves before heading back into the rainy town.