Backcountry camping can be interesting anywhere you go, but what about in a place where you will have your footsteps covered within hours of you entering and dunes constantly shifting to reveal new beauty?

If you are up for a challenge The White Sands National Monument is the place for just that. Of course this is a hike in camping experience so you can park your car along one of the numerous pull offs in the area and hike to your destination of choice. This trek will require a permit which is $3 for adults in addition to any entrance fees which are charged, of course if you have your park pass you can avoid an entrance fee.

You will need ALL your gear for this one and take into consideration a lower profile tent because winds will whip at taller ones. The official definition of backcountry camping here is a hike of a mile so that means you will need at least 1 liter of water per mile you are hiking and enough to sustain your needs during the evening as well.

I did notice that using my small camp burner was a little difficult here because of the wind. Though I was able to get it to work finally I had to turn it to the highest level and really make an effort to shelter it while it worked.

I really wanted to get some awesome night sky photography because of the brilliant sky you see above at this location, however I noticed that I had not come fully prepared to do so and so it turned into more of a quiet night than a night of activities.

I was very excited about this trip and I learned that for days and days I would continue to pull sand out of everything I owned, so it was one of those trips that keeps reminding you of your journey to say the least.

TIPS:

• Bring a facemask or bandana to cover your mouth when you are out here otherwise you will be miserable and your lips will be very chapped.
• Also try sledding while here, the white sands are slick like ice and almost have the same effect as snow sledding which can be very fun. If you choose to do this you can purchase a disk or rent one in the Visitor Center.