President Donald Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 into effect on December 20th, bringing with it the designation of White Sands National Monument as the newest national park to join the roster of national parks in the United States. The designation of White Sands in New Mexico as a national park makes it the 62nd national park.
The last park to be inducted into the national parks service was Indiana Dunes National Park, as well as Gateway Arch National Park, which were both inducted during President Donald Trump’s time in office. The designation of a national park is the highest level of protection that land can hold in the United States, assuring that the land can be appreciated by generations to come.
All About White Sands
Located in the Chihuahuan desert of New Mexico, White Sands National Park is the world’s largest dune field of gypsum. The 275 square mile plot of land is one of the world’s many natural wonders, attracting tourists from around the world to see the massive expanse of stark white sand dunes for as far as the eye can see.
The dunes, which look like they’re covered in snow, are made up of finely ground up gypsum. Gypsum is easily broken down as it’s one of the softer natural minerals in the world, so the dunes and sit on a dried up lake bed, but today the ecosystem still remains particularly moist at around 100% humidity all the time—a rarity for a place as dry and as arid as New Mexico.
With only one established road around the park, your best bet to get there is to come in or out from El Paso, which is only about a 1.5 hour drive from the visitors center located at the entrance of the park. White Sands National Park is New Mexico’s second national park, the first being Carlsbad Caverns National Park, which was established in 1930.
How Often Do We Get New National Parks?
It isn’t often that we get a new national park because national parks are the highest level of protection that land in the United States can achieve. The first national park—Yellowstone—was established in 1872 with the second national park, Yosemite, being established twelve. years later in 1890.
In the last decade four new national parks, three of the aforementioned parks as well as Pinnacles National Park, which was established in 2013 and is located just outside of the San Francisco Bay Area. Once a national park has been established, it is very hard for the land to be touched or un-established at any point in the future. Many Presidents opt to establish a national park into the National Parks Service as a form of leaving a legacy during their presidency.
