As we left White Sands National Park we saw a mountain range jutting up in the distance. I hoped that is where we were headed and sure enough, our planned destination for the next few days was right at the base of what turned out to be the Organ Mountains. What a pretty place to spend a couple of days.
Covering 3200 square miles of south central New Mexico, the White Sands Missile Range dwarfs and envelops the White Sands National Park and is the largest military installation in the United States. After walking the white dunes of the White Sands National Park we set up camp at the base of the Organ Mountains and it turned out we were just down the road from the museum at the White Sands Missile Range. The next day we went down to base headquarters, passed our security check and were granted access to walk to the free museum near the base entrance.
After our day at Guadalupe Mountains National Park we started moving in a westward direction for the remainder of our southwest tour, until it was time to turn north for home. As we started back west, the next stop on the list was White Sands National Park. White Sands only became a national park in 2019 but was designated as a national monument way back in 1933. The main feature of the park are the white sand dunes, the largest gypsum dune field in the world.
