Safety Corridor and Partial Trail Closure at White Sands National Park Remains in Effect

White Sands National Park open but a small safety corridor remains in effect with a closed sectionPhoto by2nd Life Media

The White Sands National Park is open and welcoming to visitors but a small and limited safety corridor starting at mile 3 and ending at mile 5.5 along Dunes Drive continues to be in place until further notice. Within the safety corridor stopping, parking or exiting a motor vehicle is prohibited unless given expressed written consent or directed by a law enforcement ranger. The area south of Dunes Drive within the safety corridor is closed to all foot, horse, and other traffic.

This safety corridor closure is for public safety and includes the closure of the Interdune Boardwalk trail. For alternatives to the Interdune Boardwalk trail and questions about how the safety corridor might impact your visit, please visit the parks visitor center. The visitor centers hours change throughout the year. Please visit our operating hours page to find the visitor center hours during your visit.

The partial park closure may be reimplemented at a later date to continue to support the recovery effort of the recent US Air Force mishap in the park. The partial closure is the result of the F-16 Fighting Falcon that had crashed at a location in the park that was just five miles west of the base in April. There were no serious injuries. The pilot safely ejected before impact and was quickly picked up by an Army Air transport helicopter and flew him to medical attention, where he was released the same day.

Please continue to check the park alerts for road closure updates at https://www.nps.gov/whsa/planyourvisit/safety-corridor-in-effect.htm