Spend a night under the twinkling stars of the vast New Mexico skies, surrounded by the world's largest gypsum dunefield. White Sands National Monument offers backpackers the opportunity to enjoy a night camping on the white sands and listening to the nocturnal activities of the animals that make their home here in this unique ecosystem. The Backcountry Loop is used most frequently by backpackers who want to spend a night under the stars in the dunes. However, it is also open to visitors that want a shorter hike through the heart of the dunes than the Alkali Flat trail. The trail is approximately 2.2 miles (3.5 km) round-trip and is a moderately strenuous hike up and down over the dunes. The average completion time for the trail is roughly 1.5 hours. There are ten primitive backcountry camping sites available on a first-come-first-served basis. Because of the possibility of closure due to missile testing on the adjacent missile range, we cannot allow advanced reservations.