Santa Fe to White Sands - Day Trip?

[Anonymous]

I’d love to explore White Sands as a day trip from Santa Fe, but the 4+ hour drive one way seems like a lot. Has anyone done this?

[Anonymous]

I haven’t but my in-laws lived in Las Cruces so I’ve driven the length of New Mexico a lot (we live in Colorado so we usually stopped in Santa Fe on the way for lunch and Trader Joe’s before they opened here). I would say it’s pushing it for a day trip; when I map it it says 3:45 for the drive but that’s still a long time in the car.

Alternatively, the drive to Great Sand Dunes Natl Park in southern Colorado is a bit shorter and arguably a more pleasant drive. There’s also water in that park—especially if you go in early summer when there’s peak snowmelt.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't do it as a day trip. One of the things we liked best about White Sands was seeing it at night in the dark.

[Anonymous]

Definitely too far for a day trip. Spend the night Alamogordo.

[Anonymous]

There was a recent thread about white Sands. A lot of people said one day was good for white Sands, but we love staying longer.

We did family pictures there, so we arrived in the evening on day one got our photos done on day two, and visited again on the way out on day three. Our family loved it, and agreed that seeing it for a shorter time, would’ve been a shame.

[Anonymous]

We did it as a one day trip and it was fine. So I’d recommend it.

[Anonymous]

Four hours there and four hours back just to see some sand dunes? Absolutely not and I've been there twice. It's cool but not that cool. Essentially, it's sand.

[Anonymous]

It's gorgeous and 100% worth it, but that's a long drive. Spend a night in Las Cruces or Alamogordo before or after.