NM · Southwest
White Sands National Park entry requirements
No timed-entry or vehicle reservation is needed to enter White Sands in 2026. Entrance is $25 per vehicle. Check any visit date against the official 2026 rules.
The 2026 season at White Sands
This is what applies across the published season. Use the date checker below for a specific day.
No reservation is required to enter White Sands National Park in 2026.
An entrance fee or accepted pass is required on every visit, separately from anything below.
Park entrance
RequiredYou must pay the park entrance fee or show an accepted pass.
- Private vehicle: $25, valid for 7 days.
- Motorcycle: $20.
- Per person on foot or bicycle: $15.
- An America the Beautiful pass covers this entrance fee. It does not cover any reservation or permit below.
- All entrance passes are valid for reentry for seven consecutive days. Children under 16 do not need a per-person pass. Motorcycle rate: up to 2 motorcycles, 4 total passengers. Commercial rates: van 7-15 seats $50, mini-bus 16-25 seats $60, motor coach 26+ seats $150. The $45 White Sands annual pass is sold only at the park entrance station; standard passes can be bought online.
Timed entry
Not applicableWhite Sands National Park has no timed-entry system.
Vehicle, road, or corridor
Not requiredNothing here is required in 2026.
- Unscheduled park closures for military tests at White Sands Missile Range. The park visitor center and gift shop remain open during military test closures. Closure dates are not fixed and are not published on an annual calendar; check the park's Military Testing Park Closures page the day before arrival.
- How much warning you get before a missile-test closure. As of 2026-07-26 the 'Upcoming Park Closure(s)' table on the official closure page lists no scheduled closures.
- Park open daily year-round except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Closed Thanksgiving Day. Closed Christmas Day. May also close unexpectedly for unsafe road or extreme weather conditions.
- Standard gate hours: opens 7:00 am, closes 30 minutes after sunset. Between May 22 and September 7, 2026 the park closes 1 hour after sunset instead of 30 minutes - covered by the summer gate-hours rule. Closing time moves with sunset and is not a fixed clock time.
- Summer hours: park closes 1 hour after sunset, May 22 - September 7, 2026. Closing time moves with sunset and is not a fixed clock time.
- Dunes Drive safety corridor: no stopping or leaving your vehicle between mile 3 and mile 5.5. Visitors may drive through the corridor; they may not stop, park or exit the vehicle without written consent or law-enforcement direction. The Interdune Boardwalk is closed because of the active safety corridor. Sledding is closed at the interdune boardwalk area and surrounding dunes.
Shuttle
Not applicableWhite Sands National Park has no shuttle system.
Your campground or lodging
Not applicableWhite Sands National Park has no in-park stay that changes what you need to enter.
Selected activity
Not requiredNothing here is required in 2026.
- Backcountry camping permits are not being issued - backcountry camping is closed. No reopening date has been announced.
Fees and passes
| Private vehicle | $25 |
|---|---|
| Motorcycle | $20 |
| Per person, on foot or bicycle | $15 |
| Valid for | 7 days |
| Park annual pass | $45 |
All entrance passes are valid for reentry for seven consecutive days. Children under 16 do not need a per-person pass. Motorcycle rate: up to 2 motorcycles, 4 total passengers. Commercial rates: van 7-15 seats $50, mini-bus 16-25 seats $60, motor coach 26+ seats $150. The $45 White Sands annual pass is sold only at the park entrance station; standard passes can be bought online.
An America the Beautiful pass is accepted here. It covers the entrance fee only. It does not cover a timed-entry permit, a vehicle reservation, a parking tag, a shuttle ticket, or an activity permit.
An America the Beautiful pass covers the White Sands entrance fee. It does not cover special use fees such as interpretive program fees. White Sands has no timed-entry or reservation system, so there is nothing for a pass to fail to cover on that front. Resident Annual $80.00, Non-Resident Annual $250.00, Senior Annual $20.00, Senior Lifetime $80.00.
Fee-free days
- Feb 16, 2026
- May 25, 2026
- Jun 14, 2026
- Jul 3, 2026
- Jul 4, 2026
- Jul 5, 2026
- Aug 25, 2026
- Sep 17, 2026
- Oct 27, 2026
- Nov 11, 2026
From 2026 a fee-free day waives the entrance fee for U.S. residents. Other visitors still pay it. A fee-free day never waives a reservation, a permit, or a booking fee unless the park says so.
Rules that apply to one area only
These do not apply to the whole park. Where you go changes the answer.
- Park entrance station on US Highway 70, Dunes DriveWhite Sands entrance pass (required for every visitor) · Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026
What a campground or lodging booking does and does not cover
Nothing at White Sands changes based on whether you have an in-park campground or lodging booking.
Quick answers
- Do I need a reservation for White Sands?
- No. White Sands National Park does not require a timed-entry or vehicle reservation to enter in 2026. You still pay the entrance fee ($25 per vehicle) or show an accepted pass.
- Is there an entrance fee at White Sands?
- Yes. A private vehicle pass is $25 per vehicle. An America the Beautiful pass is accepted for the entrance fee, and does not cover any reservation or permit.
Official links, coverage, and sources
When reservations are released
- White Sands entrance passPasses are sold at the White Sands Entrance Station (cash or credit/debit) and can also be purchased online in advance. There is no quota and no reservation.
Official booking and park information
- Official park alerts and conditionsnps.gov(opens in a new tab)Alerts override anything on this page.
- Official fees and passesnps.gov(opens in a new tab)
What this does not cover
- Road, weather, and fire closures that change day to day. Check the park’s alerts page.
- Backcountry and wilderness permits beyond the headline permits listed above.
- Commercial use authorizations, filming permits, and group-size rules.
- Availability. We tell you what is required, not whether anything is left.
Effective dates and sources
- Fees and passesNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Park entrance
Per vehicle fee is charged to visitors for entry by a single, private non-commercial vehicle. Entrance fees are valid for reentry for seven consecutive days from the date of purchase.
- Fees & Passes - White Sands National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to White Sands entrance pass
All visitors must have one of these entrance passes: Standard Pass $15.00-$25.00; Annual Pass $45.00; America the Beautiful Pass (includes Senior Passes) FREE-$250.00
- Military Testing Park Closures - White Sands National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Unscheduled park closures for military tests
White Sands Missile Range regularly conducts military tests. For visitor safety, the only road into the dunefield, Dunes Drive, may be closed for periods of up to three hours during military tests.
- Military Testing Park Closures - White Sands National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to How much warning you get before
Park staff is usually notified well in advance of scheduled tests; however, notifications from White Sands Missile Range may be received up to 24 hours in advance of a scheduled test.
- Operating Hours & Seasons - White Sands National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Park open daily year-round except Thanksgiving
White Sands National Park is open daily year-round except for Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Hours of operation vary throughout the year.
- NPS operating-hours dataset for White Sands (schedule 216, 'All Park - Standard Park Hours'), the data rendered on nps.gov/whsa/planyourvisit/hours.htmNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-31 · applies to Standard gate hours
[operatingHours block named "All Park - Standard Park Hours", re-read 2026-07-31] The park gates always open at 7:00 am with closing hours changing with sunset. The park closes 30 minutes after local sunset. Local sunset is 8 minutes earlier than Alamogordo's predicted sunset.
- NPS operating-hours dataset for White Sands (schedule exception 28074, 'Summer Hours')National Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-31 · applies to Summer extended gate hours
[exception to the "All Park - Standard Park Hours" block, re-read 2026-07-31] White Sands National Park closes 1 hour after sunset May 22, 2026, through September 7, 2026.
- Alerts & Conditions - White Sands National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Dunes Drive safety corridor
Dunes Drive is open. A safety corridor is in effect between mile marker 3 and 5.5 along Dunes Drive. Visitors may drive but not stop or exit their vehicle in this area.
- Alerts & Conditions - White Sands National Park (park alert 'Backcountry Camping Closed')National Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Backcountry camping permits are not being issued
Backcountry camping at the park is closed. There is no established opening date at this time.
Something wrong here?
Park rules change, sometimes at short notice. If a line on this page does not match what the park publishes, tell us and we will fix it and re-check the source.
corrections@nationalparkentry.com· Last factual change 2026-08-05 · Sources last reviewed 2026-07-31
Nearest other national parks
Chosen by distance from White Sands, not by editorial preference.