94-480: The White Sands V-2 Launching Site , also known as Launch Complex 33 and originally as Army Launch Area Number 1 , is an historic rocket launch complex at White Sands Missile Range in southern New Mexico . It was here that the United States first performed test launches of German V-2 rockets captured toward the end of World War II . These tests were the first step in both military advances in rocketry, and in
188-775: A Senator from New Mexico—later appointed Secretary of the Interior —and the owner of a large ranch in Three Rivers northeast of the dune field, promoted four separate bills in Congress for a national park in the Tularosa Basin. Fall's ultimate plan was called the All-Year National Park as it would be open throughout the year, unlike more northerly parks. The bill included four geographically separate and diverse areas, to be administered as one national park. The proposed areas included
282-441: A diuretic , and a hair tonic was made from its roots. Strips of the cottonwood's branches and bark were woven into baskets. The tree's buds and flowers are edible, and its bark was used for treating bruises, strains, and sprains. A tea made from cottonwood bark is an anti-inflammatory agent and mild diuretic. The Mormon tea plant contains traces of ephedrine , which is a stimulant and decongestant effective in countering symptoms of
376-554: A plaster that hardens when moisture is added and subsequently evaporates. The plaster cements these hearths in place, preserving them for thousands of years. The Jornada Mogollon people made pottery, lived in permanent houses, and farmed the Tularosa Basin. Evidence of their prehistoric presence dates back to about 200 CE. The Jornada Mogollon inhabited the basin until about 1350 CE when they moved away, leaving behind puddled adobe structures and pottery sherds . Over 700 years ago, bands of Apaches followed herds of bison from
470-657: A 2,000-acre (3.1 sq mi; 8.1 km ) scenic portion of the Mescalero Indian reservation, 640 acres (1.0 sq mi; 2.6 km ) of the dune field, 640 acres of a volcanic area to the north named Carrizozo Malpais , and the shoreline of the Elephant Butte Reservoir to the west, beyond the San Andres Mountains . Stephen Mather , the director of the National Park Service, criticized
564-609: A V-2 rocket returned in May 2004 after restoration. The White Sands Missile Range Hall of Fame inducts members such as the first range commander, Colonel Harold Turner (1945–1947), in 1980. A recreational shooting range just inside the "El Paso gate" on the south is outside of the Post Area. The 1972 DoD Centers for Countermeasures (CCM) evaluates precision guided munitions and other devices in electronic counter- and counter-countermeasures environments. Other operations on WSMR land include
658-518: A brief period of heavy rainfall supported the return of lush grasslands in the Tularosa Basin which attracted the attention of goat, sheep, and cattle grazers, predominately from Texas. Large cattle drives pushed into the basin, and ranching became the dominant economy for the next sixty years. In 1897, the Lucero brothers, Jose, Felipe, and Estevan, began ranching on the south shore of the lake that would eventually bear their name. By 1940, Felipe consolidated
752-571: A higher diurnal temperature variation and shorter growing season than would be typical of such a climate. The growing season generally lasts less than six months, from April 27 to October 19 on average. The warmest months are April through October when the average high temperature reaches or exceeds 79 °F (26 °C) and the daily mean temperature is in the range 60–81 °F (16–27 °C). Afternoon temperatures in June and July average around 97 °F (36 °C). The highest recorded temperature
846-457: A large playa in the Tularosa Basin. Multiple human footprints are stratigraphically constrained and bracketed by layers containing seeds of Ruppia cirrhosa that yield calibrated radiocarbon ages between 21,000 and 23,000 years ago, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The present consensus for human arrival into North America is placed at 13–16,000 years ago. Initially, these estimates were questioned by other authors, who suggested that
940-490: A layer of sand that is more solid, which increases the wind resistance of the dunes. The increased resistance does not prevent dunes from quickly covering the plants in their path. Some species of plants can grow fast enough to avoid being buried by the dunes, while others utilize survival strategies such as the formation of a hardened pedestal around their roots to stabilize the plant amid the moving dunes. White Sands contains various forms of dunes. Dome dunes are found along
1034-446: A long white streak over their eyes, a cluster of black spots on their breast, and make a somewhat ratchety call. They build their nests in cacti and feed by hopping under shrubs hunting insects, or picking insects off the radiator grills of parked cars. Birds are usually observed in vegetated areas of the park away from the heart of the dunefield, mainly near the visitor center and the edges of the dunefield, as well as Lake Lucero though it
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#17330846520081128-464: A national park, but was advised by Senator Bronson M. Cutting , who had influence with President Herbert Hoover , that national monument status would be much easier to obtain. On January 18, 1933, President Hoover designated White Sands National Monument , acting under the authority of the Antiquities Act of 1906. The dedication and grand opening was on April 29, 1934. Tom Charles became
1222-507: A national park. The redesignation bill was re-introduced on March 27, 2019. On December 11, 2019, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 , which includes legislation redesignating White Sands National Monument as White Sands National Park. The Senate passed the act on December 16 and President Donald Trump signed the bill on December 20. The act includes
1316-424: A network of block-and-tackle systems to assist in rocket placement. The other structure is a concrete observation tower with walls 10 feet (3.0 m) thick, and a pyramidal roof cap that consists of 27 feet (8.2 m) of solid concrete. It has observation portals with specialized glass windows allowing for close observation of the launches. White Sands Missile Range White Sands Missile Range ( WSMR )
1410-462: A scouting party to map a potential military wagon route to the Sierra Blanca . Hispanic families started farming communities at Tularosa in 1861 and La Luz in 1863. The villagers mixed water with gypsum sand from the dunefield to create plaster for the adobe walls of their homes. The white color was not only decorative but functional in deflecting the rays of the summer sun. In the 1880s,
1504-412: Is 111 °F (44 °C), set on June 22, 1981. The cooler months are November through March when the average low temperature is below 32 °F (0 °C) and the daily mean temperature is in the range 39–52 °F (4–11 °C), with December and January being the coldest months. The lowest recorded temperature is −25 °F (−32 °C), set on January 11, 1962. The average annual precipitation
1598-470: Is 9.81 inches (249 mm), with the wettest month being August at 1.88 inches (48 mm). July through October have the most rainy days , averaging four to seven days per month. The remaining months have an average of two or three days with precipitation. Snow may occur from November through March, with an average accumulation of 1.6 inches (41 mm). During the Permian Period , shallow seas covered
1692-773: Is a United States Army military testing area and firing range located in the US state of New Mexico . The range was originally established in 1941 as the Alamogordo Bombing and Gunnery Range , where the Trinity test site lay at the northern end of the Range, in Socorro County near the towns of Carrizozo and San Antonio . It then became the White Sands Proving Ground on 9 July 1945. White Sands National Park founded in
1786-466: Is a fundamental element in the processing of silver ore. Expeditionary parties using mule-drawn carts with military escorts would be formed a few times each year for the journey to the salinas (salt pans). Hispanic populations throughout the Spanish colonial and Mexican periods were allowed to gather salt from the salinas, which were considered public property. Texan-American settlers made private claims to
1880-435: Is also covered with selenite crystals that measure up to 3 ft (0.9 m) long. Weathering and erosion eventually break the crystals into sand-size grains that are carried away by the prevailing winds from the southwest, forming the white dunes. The dunes constantly change shape and slowly move downwind. Since gypsum is water-soluble, the sand that composes the dunes may dissolve and cement together after rain, forming
1974-579: Is also subject to periodic closures during test firings. New Mexico State Road 525 provides access from U.S. Highway 380 to the north end of WSMR near Stallion Army Airfield . El Paso International Airport is the nearest airport with regularly scheduled commercial flights. There have been no regularly scheduled commercial passenger flights from Las Cruces International Airport since 25 July 2005, when Westward Airways ceased operations; general aviation, New Mexico Army National Guard (4 UH-72 Lakota Helicopters), private charters and CAP, among others, still use
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#17330846520082068-527: Is among the sweetest of any desert plant. American Indians used the hoary rosemary mint for seasoning foods, and the purple sand verbena as a mild sedative . They used the skunkbush sumac's berries to make a tart drink, while the flexible stems were used for basketry and binding. The sumac's branches contain tannin , which is useful in producing dyes, and its leaves were used as an astringent to treat stings, bites, rashes, and sunburn. The cholla's fruit can be eaten raw or cooked, while its flower buds were used as
2162-497: Is completely surrounded by the military installations of White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base , and has always had an uneasy relationship with the military. The missile range and air force base were established after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, with continuing operations after World War II and throughout the Cold War . Errant missiles often fell within the park's boundaries, occasionally destroying some of
2256-489: Is found in the Archaic period. Archaic peoples would tend to wild plants so they would produce in a more reliable manner and in larger quantities than they did naturally. Archaic people started living in small villages throughout the year to tend their fields. Hearth mounds are found within the dunes, which are the remains of prehistoric fires containing charcoal and ash. When gypsum is heated to 300 °F (149 °C) it becomes
2350-564: Is in El Paso, Texas , about 85 miles (137 km) away. The park is situated in the Tularosa Basin with elevations ranging from 3,887 feet (1,185 m) at Lake Lucero , to 4,116 feet (1,255 m) at a former military site called NE 30. The park's primary feature is the field of white sand dunes composed of gypsum crystals. The gypsum dunefield is the largest of its kind on Earth. The park protects 115 sq mi (300 km ) of
2444-750: Is located near the far southern end of the White Sands Missile Range, east of Las Cruces, New Mexico . On the range grounds, it is located on 10 acres (4.0 ha) east of the White Sands Range Museum. There are two principal surviving elements of the launch complex. One is the steel gantry , a steel structure 75 feet (23 m) in height and 25 feet (7.6 m) wide, from which the V-2s and later classes of rockets were launched. It has four platforms at different heights, which can be swung into position to accommodate rockets of different sizes, and
2538-482: Is named the Alkali Flat. Lake Lucero is a dry lakebed in the southwest corner of the park, at one of the lowest points in the basin. Rain and snowmelt from the surrounding mountains and upwelling from deep groundwater within the basin periodically fill Lake Lucero with water containing dissolved gypsum. When filled, the lake covers about 10 square miles (26 km ) at a depth of 2–3 ft (0.61–0.91 m). As
2632-443: Is open to the public only once each month by guided tour. Most mammals of the Tularosa Basin have adapted to the hot summers by staying in their dens until evening. Visitors may see footprints along the dunes as evidence of the nightly hunting and foraging excursions of nocturnal animals. Carnivorans include coyotes , bobcats , badgers , and kit foxes . Rabbits include desert cottontails and black-tailed jackrabbits , with
2726-547: The Apache pocket mouse ( Perognathus flavescens Apachii ), White Sands woodrat ( Neotoma micropus leucophaea ), bleached earless lizard ( Holbrookia maculata ruthveni ), and two camel crickets . The plants at White Sands National Park stabilize the leading edges of the dunes, providing both food and shelter for wildlife. Humans have made extensive use of the dunefield's native plant life, using some for food and others to create cloth and medicine. Native Americans wove mats with
2820-491: The Great Plains to the Tularosa Basin. The Apaches were nomadic hunters and gatherers who lived in temporary houses known as wickiups and teepees . The Apaches had established a sizable territory in southern New Mexico by the time European explorers arrived. They fiercely defended the rights to their homeland against the encroachment of colonial settlers. Apache groups, led by Victorio and Geronimo , fought with settlers in
2914-826: The Launch Abort Flight Test Complex for the Pad Abort-1 , the White Sands Launch Complex 37 built for Nike Hercules tests, the White Sands Launch Complex 38 built for Nike Zeus tests with Launch Control Building now used for Patriot missile firings, the North Oscura Peak facility of the Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Energy Directorate, and the 1963 NASA White Sands Test Facility 's ground station for Tracking and Data Relay Satellites , and
White Sands V-2 Launching Site - Misplaced Pages Continue
3008-598: The National Register of Historic Places on 15 October 1966. The White Sands Test Center , headquartered at the WSMR post area, has branches for manned tactical systems and electromagnetic radiation, and conducts missile testing and range recovery operations. "WSMR Main Post" includes several smaller areas such as the housing area, golf course, "Navy Area", and "Technical Area" The WSMR Museum offers tours and exhibits including
3102-480: The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish for hunting purposes. The oryx, having no natural predators, entered the park and competed with native species for forage. Thousands of oryx reside on the missile range presently, though annual hunts have occurred since 1974 to help control and stabilize the population. The National Park Service, concerned about the negative effects on native plants and animals within
3196-591: The SDO ground station with two 18 m (59 ft) antennas. Las Cruces Public Schools operates White Sands School on the missile range property. White Sands National Park White Sands National Park is a national park of the United States located in New Mexico and completely surrounded by the White Sands Missile Range . The park covers 145,762 acres (227.8 sq mi; 589.9 km ) in
3290-597: The Southwestern United States and is believed to have the most toxic insect venom in the world. Humans may experience up to four hours of intense pain, while the equivalent of twelve ant stings is capable of killing a 4.4 lb (2 kg) rat. As of November 2019 , 246 species of birds have been recorded, including wrens , mockingbirds , and ravens , as well as larger species like roadrunners and raptors . Fourteen species are listed as common meaning they may be seen daily but not in large numbers, while
3384-456: The Teapot Dome scandal . During the 1920s, an Alamogordo businessman named Tom Charles promoted the potential economic benefits of protecting the white sands formation. Charles mobilized enough local support for the construction of an improved state route between Las Cruces and Alamogordo (now U.S. Route 70 ), passing the southern edge of the dune field. He lobbied to have the dunes declared
3478-400: The Tularosa Basin , including the southern 41% of a 275 sq mi (710 km ) field of white sand dunes composed of gypsum crystals. This gypsum dunefield is the largest of its kind on Earth, with a depth of about 30 feet (9.1 m), dunes as tall as 60 feet (18 m), and about 4.5 billion short tons (4.1 billion metric tons) of gypsum sand. Approximately 12,000 years ago,
3572-472: The soaptree yucca , are able to store water through the hot summers and dry winters, blooming in the spring. Desert grasses have developed a tolerance for the highly alkaline soil. Grass species like alkali sacaton and Indian rice grass provide food for many tiny animals, such as Apache pocket mice and kangaroo rats . Grass seeds produce a protein-rich kernel that dries well and fills many rodents' underground granaries . Native Americans used many parts of
3666-480: The 1930s is located within the range. As the largest military installation in the United States , WSMR encompasses almost 3,200 sq mi (8,300 km ) including parts of Doña Ana , Otero , Socorro , Sierra , and Lincoln counties in southern New Mexico . Holloman Air Force Base borders WSMR to the east; and WSMR borders the 600,000-acre (2,400 km ) McGregor Range Complex at Fort Bliss to
3760-441: The 275 sq mi (710 km ) dunefield, about 42%, while the remaining 160 sq mi (410 km ) are located to the north within White Sands Missile Range . The depth of gypsum sand across the entire field is about 30 feet (9.1 m) below the interdunal surface, while the tallest dunes are about 60 feet (18 m) high. About 4.5 billion short tons (4.1 billion metric tons) of gypsum sand fill
3854-516: The American military, and transported 100 captured V-2 rockets to the recently established White Sands Missile Range. Between 1946 and 1951, the Army fired 67 V-2 sounding rockets from this site. These launches, and the training of a class of scientists and engineers, led directly to the further development of new rocket launch programs, including ultimately the launch of humans into space. Launch Complex 33
White Sands V-2 Launching Site - Misplaced Pages Continue
3948-449: The Bullett (1975), and Young Guns II (1990). Additional feature-length films with location shooting in the park include King Solomon's Mines (1950), The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), White Sands (1992), Transformers (2007), Transformers 2 (2009), The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009), Year One (2009), and The Book of Eli (2010). Wye Oak 's title track for
4042-705: The Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce; the Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce; the National Parks Conservation Association and the Southern New Mexico Public Lands Alliance. The bill was opposed, however, by Otero County commissioners, who stated that the main argument in favor of national park status was the potential for increased visitation, while also noting that the monument is already
4136-465: The Magoffin Salt War, the courts dissolved his property claim to the salt flats and established a precedent for free public access to salt deposits. The first US Army exploration of south-central New Mexico was led by a party of topographical engineering officers in 1849. They passed west of the San Andres Mountains and Organ Mountains . A lieutenant was dispatched east across the basin with
4230-739: The National Park Service, White Sands Missile Range, the U.S. Army and Holloman Air Force Base before the bill was introduced in Congress. The bill was supported by the Alamogordo City Commission; the Las Cruces City Council; the Mescalero Apache Tribal Council; the Town of Mesilla Board of Trustees; Alamogordo Mayor Richard Boss; New Mexico Senator Ron Griggs ( Republican ); the Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce;
4324-695: The Otero County Commission. A petition with 1,200 signatures opposing the application was presented to the commission on August 16, 2007. The commission passed a resolution of opposition to the application on August 23, 2007, and passed Ordinance 07-05 on October 18, 2007, relating to any potential World Heritage Site designations within the county. The ordinance requires coordination with the county in following its environmental planning and review process through its Public Land Use Advisory Council, and states that "No world heritage site...will be located on or adjacent to any military land...within or adjacent to
4418-581: The Twin Buttes is located to the south on land administered by the Bureau of Land Management . According to the Köppen climate classification system, White Sands National Park has a continental or cold semi-arid climate ( BSk ), bordering closely on a cold desert climate ( BWk ). Daily means resemble those of a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ), though its relatively high elevation and low precipitation causes
4512-635: The White Sands National Monument Historic District when they were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. The principal architects were Lyle E. Bennett and Robert W. Albers, who also designed NPS buildings together at Casa Grande and Bandelier national monuments. Bennett also designed the picnic table shelters at White Sands, the Painted Desert Inn at Petrified Forest , and buildings at Carlsbad Caverns and Mesa Verde national parks. The park
4606-624: The airport. Regularly scheduled commercial flights are also available at the Albuquerque International Sunport , which is located 200 miles north of White Sands Missile Range's main base, but is closer to the northern test ranges than El Paso. On 21 December 1965, the Trinity Site , selected in November 1944 for the Trinity nuclear test conducted on 16 July 1945 , was designated a National Historic Landmark district, and added to
4700-584: The album The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs (2018) was filmed at White Sands. Yoga Mind & Body (1994), featuring yoga teacher Erich Schiffmann and actress Ali MacGraw , was also filmed on the dunes. White Sands National Park is located in southern New Mexico, on the north side of U.S. Route 70 approximately 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Alamogordo and 52 miles (84 km) northeast of Las Cruces , in western Otero County and northeastern Doña Ana County . The closest commercial airport
4794-459: The application. U.S. Representative Steve Pearce declined to support the application, saying, "I would guarantee that if White Sands Monument receives this designation, that there will at some point be international pressures exerted that could stop military operations as we know them today." The WHS application generated much controversy in Otero County , most of it taking place in meetings of
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#17330846520084888-465: The area that today forms White Sands National Park. The seas left behind gypsum ( calcium sulfate ), and subsequent tectonic activity lifted areas of the gypsum-rich seabed to form part of the San Andres and Sacramento Mountains . Over time, rain dissolved the water-soluble gypsum in the mountains, and rivers carried it to the Tularosa Basin, which has no outlet to the sea. The trapped water sank into
4982-620: The basin and engaged in military battles with Buffalo Soldiers . The Battle of Hembrillo Basin in 1880 was a military engagement between Victorio's warriors and the United States Army's 9th Cavalry Regiment of Buffalo Soldiers. The battleground, located on White Sands Missile Range, is the closest archaeological evidence of the Apache Wars (1849 to 1924). Conflict between the Apaches and the American settlers over their conflicting interests in
5076-491: The basin associated with ancient shorelines, streams, and hills. As the large ice sheet that capped the North American continent receded, Lake Otero began to evaporate, leaving behind Alkali Flat and Lake Lucero . The grassland died and the basin became increasingly arid, slowly changing into desert scrubland . The megafauna disappeared from the basin leaving behind fossil footprints. The Archaic people improved upon
5170-501: The basin ultimately ended in the forceful removal of the Apaches from their homelands to the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation . The Mescalero Apache maintain an active cultural affinity to the landscape of their ancestors. While a Spanish colony was established to the north around Santa Fe , the Tularosa Basin was generally avoided until the nineteenth century. The basin lacked any reliable water sources and
5264-409: The borders of WSMR. New Mexico State Road 213 enters the range from the south from Chaparral, New Mexico and terminates at U.S. Highway 70 , which traverses the southern part of the range in a west-northeast direction and is subject to periodic road closures during test firings at the range. U.S. Highway 380 runs east-west along the northern edge of WSMR between San Antonio and Carrizozo , and
5358-571: The boundaries of Otero County." On January 24, 2008, after the WHS tentative list was announced, the commission instructed the county attorney to write a letter to the Secretary of the Interior, demanding that WSNM be taken off the list. In May 2018, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich ( Democrat , New Mexico ) introduced a bill to designate White Sands a national park . Heinrich consulted with monument officials,
5452-503: The common cold. More than 800 animal species inhabit the park, many of them nocturnal . Several species of animals have developed very specialized means of survival in this harsh environment, enabling them to thrive in a place with very little surface water and highly mineralized groundwater . Some species that inhabit the dunes have gradually changed color through centuries of evolution , becoming substantially lighter than their cousins elsewhere. Many of these white species are endemic to
5546-424: The cooler months of the year. At the turn of the twentieth century, the discovery of oil, coal, silver, gold, and other precious mineral deposits inspired many settlers to cover the Tularosa Basin in mining claims. By 1904, over 114 people made mineral claims to more than 10,400 acres (16.3 sq mi; 42 km ) of Lake Lucero; however, very few of the claims were developed. Eddy's Soda Prospect, developed by
5640-412: The dating could potentially be erroneus, due to the fact that Ruppia cirrhosa intakes carbon from the water in which it grows rather than the air, which may introduce systematic error making the seeds seem older than they actually are. However, the date was later supported by a variety of methods, including radiocarbon dating of pollen and optically stimulated luminescence dating of quartz grains within
5734-573: The development of the United States space exploration programs. The site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1985. The Nazi German V-2 rocket was one of the most advanced weapons produced in World War II, and hundreds of them were launched at Allied targets in the last two years of the war. In the aftermath of the war, the United States launched Operation Paperclip , a secret program that successfully recruited German scientists and engineers (most prominently Wernher von Braun ) to work for
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#17330846520085828-454: The dune movement and type of dunes changes greatly. More than 600 invertebrates, 300 plants, 250 birds, 50 mammals, 30 reptiles, seven amphibians, and one fish species inhabit White Sands National Park. Animal species that have a white, or off-white, coloration include three mammals, three reptiles, one amphibian, and numerous insects. At least 45 species are endemic , living only in this park, with 40 of them being moth species, along with
5922-413: The dunefield, which formed about 7,000–10,000 years ago. Total park acreage is 148,588 acres (232.2 sq mi; 601.3 km ) which includes a net 4,855 acres (7.6 sq mi; 19.6 km ) added in 2019 when the national park designation modified the boundaries between the park and the missile range. The missile range borders the park on all sides, with a cooperative use area designated in
6016-465: The dunes, picnic areas, backcountry campground in the dunefield, marked hiking trails, and sledding on the dunes. Ranger-guided orientation and nature walks occur at various times and months throughout the year. The potentially oldest known human footprints in North America were found at White Sands by researchers who identified approximately 60 fossilized footprints buried in layers of gypsum soil on
6110-412: The dunes; and used satellites to see temperature and moisture changes throughout the year. Toward the western side of the dunefield, the dunes are more than 50 ft (15 m) tall, and they become progressively smaller toward the eastern edge, until they come to an abrupt stop at the eastern boundary. Throughout the dunes, water is only a few feet (a meter) from the surface and very salty, but toward
6204-490: The establishment of the national monument permanently shut down the plant. The idea of creating a national park to protect the white sands formation dates to 1898 when a group from El Paso, Texas , proposed the creation of Mescalero National Park. The plan failed as it included a game hunting preserve that conflicted with the idea of preservation held by the Department of the Interior . From 1912 to 1922, Albert B. Fall ,
6298-433: The family's ranches into a 20,000-acre (31 sq mi; 81 km ) property. Shortly afterward, the National Park Service took over ownership of the Lucero family properties with their appropriation of Lake Lucero and Alkali Flat. The remnants of the Lucero family ranch include the stock pens, watering trough, a water well, and a fallen windmill which visitors can see on a ranger-led tour to Lake Lucero once each month, in
6392-438: The first custodian of the monument, and the first concessionaire in 1939, operating as White Sands Service Company. The visitor center and a nearby comfort station, three ranger residences, as well as three maintenance buildings were constructed of adobe bricks as a Works Progress Administration project starting in 1936 and completed in 1938. The original eight adobe buildings and other nearby structures were designated
6486-589: The footprint layers. Other tracks are known for extinct megafauna, including ground sloths (likely either Nothrotheriops or Paramylodon ) and Columbian mammoths , which appear to be contemporaneous to human footprints. Paleo-Indians inhabited the shoreline of Lake Otero, a large lake that covered much of the Tularosa Basin . They used stone from the mountains to create projectile points, known as Folsom and Plano points , and attached them to spears for hunting mammoths , camels , ground sloths, and bison . Projectile points and stone tools have been found in
6580-473: The ground or formed shallow pools that subsequently dried out, leaving the gypsum on the surface in a crystalline form called selenite . Groundwater that flows out of the Tularosa Basin flows south into the Hueco Basin. During the last ice age , a 1,600-square-mile (4,144 km ) body of water named Lake Otero covered much of the basin. When it dried out, a large flat area of selenite crystals remained, which
6674-417: The hand thrown spear used by Paleo-Indians with the invention of the atlatl . After Lake Otero dried out, wind carried large quantities of gypsum sand up from the basin floor which accumulated into a large dunefield. Archaic people entered the Tularosa Basin about 4,000 years ago, after the dunes had stabilized, possibly attracted by a cereal grass called Indian ricegrass . The first evidence of agriculture
6768-425: The jackrabbit capable of speeds as high as 40 mph (64 km/h). Rodents include porcupines , pocket gophers , Apache pocket mice, and Merriam's kangaroo rats , the latter of which can jump up to 10 ft (3 m) high when frightened despite having only a 5 in (13 cm) body and an 8 in (20 cm) tail. The pallid bat eats insects in the air like other bats but locates most of its food on
6862-415: The land to profit from mining of minerals on their property. James Magoffin held a title to the salt flats north of Lake Lucero but had been unsuccessful in collecting fees for salt gathering. In 1854, using military force, he intercepted a salt gathering expedition of Hispanos from Doña Ana at the salt flats and fatally wounded three members of the party. In response to Magoffin's use of extreme force during
6956-474: The land within the Tularosa Basin featured large lakes, streams, grasslands, and Ice Age mammals. As the climate warmed, rain and snowmelt dissolved gypsum from the surrounding mountains and carried it into the basin. Further warming and drying caused the lakes to evaporate and form selenite crystals. Strong winds then broke up crystals and transported them eastward. A similar process continues to produce gypsum sand today. Thousands of species of animal inhabit
7050-660: The largest group with more than 600 species, including varied species of spiders , wasps , beetles and moths. Spider species include Apache jumping spider , burrowing wolf spider , funnel-web spider ( Agelenopsis longistylus ), tarantula , and western black widow spider . Other arachnid species include sand scorpion ( Paruroctonus utahensis ), and wind scorpion . Insect species include white-lined sphinx moth , yucca moth , bleached skimmer dragonfly , tarantula hawk wasp , minor ground mantis , toothpick grasshopper , walking stick , Maricopa harvester ant , and darkling beetle . The Maricopa harvester ant inhabits much of
7144-399: The most-visited NPS site in the state. The commissioners were also concerned that "the change in status will affect filmmaking here either from higher fees or increased regulation." The commissioners only supported boundary adjustments and additional infrastructure, such as campgrounds and improved road access. The Doña Ana County commissioners also opposed the redesignation of White Sands as
7238-409: The others are seen only a few times each month, each year, or every few years. The most commonly seen species are: mourning dove , turkey vulture , Swainson's hawk , red-tailed hawk , ash-throated flycatcher , Chihuahuan raven , common raven , northern mockingbird , house finch , Brewer's sparrow , black-throated sparrow , white-crowned sparrow , and great-tailed grackle . Cactus wrens have
7332-462: The park has been completely surrounded by the military installations of White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base . It was redesignated as a national park by Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on December 20, 2019. It is the most visited NPS site in New Mexico, with about 600,000 visitors each year. The park features a drive from the visitor center to the heart of
7426-458: The park's western portion where public access is only allowed by permit. The cooperative use area includes most of the Alkali Flat region in the park's northwestern quadrant, as well as Lake Lucero and dome dunes in the southwestern quadrant. The San Andres Mountains rise beyond the park's western boundary, while Holloman Air Force Base is a short distance to the east. A rock formation called
7520-507: The park, a large portion of which are invertebrates. Several animal species feature a white or off-white coloration. At least 45 species are endemic , living only in this park, with 40 of them being moth species. The Tularosa Basin has also seen a number of human inhabitants, from Paleo-Indians 12,000 years ago to modern farmers, ranchers, and miners. White Sands National Park was originally designated White Sands National Monument on January 18, 1933, by President Herbert Hoover . Since 1941,
7614-535: The park, erected a 67-mile (108 km) long boundary fence in 1996 to prevent oryx from entering. Increasingly problematic alcohol abuse by students on spring break in the 1990s led to a ban on the consumption of alcohol. The possession of alcohol or alcohol containers is banned throughout the park from February 1 to May 31. White Sands was placed on a tentative list of potential World Heritage Sites on January 22, 2008. The state's two U.S. Senators, Pete Domenici and Jeff Bingaman , wrote letters of support of
7708-436: The park. The Apache pocket mouse, bleached earless lizard, sand-treader camel cricket , sand wolf spider , and moth species including Protogygia whitesandsensis and Givira delindae are among the white animals inhabiting the dunefield. Lighter colored animals blend in with their white surroundings better than darker animals, which helps them to avoid predation, allowing them more time to reproduce. Invertebrates form
7802-467: The proposal as having "disjointed boundaries, lack of spectacular scenery, and questionable usage." The National Parks Association and the Indian Rights Association campaigned against Fall's bill, mainly because of the appropriation of Indian reservation land and that it might establish a precedent of industrial usage within parks. The bill failed in Congress, and Fall resigned in 1923 during
7896-461: The same Eddy brothers that had founded the El Paso and Northeastern Railway and the town of Alamogordo, was a mineral recovery operation for glauberite salt mining along the southern shore of Lake Lucero. In 1907, J.R. Milner and Bill Fetz constructed a plaster of Paris batching plant along the southern edge of the dunes. The operation involved drilling long shafts into the dunes and extracting gypsum to cook into plaster at night. Though successful,
7990-553: The soaptree yucca. The young flower stalks are rich in vitamin C, while the flower pods can be boiled or roasted. The leaf fibers were used for the fabrication of rope, matting, sandals, baskets, and coarse cloth. The roots were chopped and boiled to produce soap to wash hair, blankets, and rugs. Other plants include skunkbush sumac , Rio Grande cottonwood ( Populus deltoides wislizeni ), hoary rosemary mint , purple sand verbena ( Abronia angustifolia ), Mormon tea (also known as longleaf jointfir), and claret cup cactus whose fruit
8084-494: The south (southeast Tularosa Basin and on Otero Mesa ) making them contiguous areas for military testing. WSMR is located between Las Cruces, New Mexico to the west, Alamogordo, New Mexico 40 miles to the east, and Chaparral, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas to the south. White Sands National Park and the San Andres National Wildlife Refuge are federally-protected natural areas contained within
8178-440: The southwest margins of the field, transverse and barchan dunes in the center of the field, and parabolic dunes along the northern, southern, and northeastern margins. Scientists have surveyed a 9.3-mile (15 km) long strip of dunes with lasers; installed shallow water wells across the dunefield; looked at the chemistry and age of the water below the dunes; measured hundreds of thousands of individual sand grains from across
8272-503: The thicker blades of grass, and consumed some of the grass seeds. The park's flora must be tough to live in the nutrient-poor alkaline soil of the dunefield. Drought-tolerant plants are able to survive in temperatures that range from sub-freezing to over 100 °F (38 °C), depending on the season. Many of these plants also tolerate the high concentrations of salt, while gypsophiles thrive in these conditions. The cane cholla and other cacti , as well as desert succulents like
8366-446: The transfer of land management both to and from the missile range, as well as the protection of additional land, adding a net 2,029 acres (3.2 sq mi; 8.2 km ) to the park. White Sands, during its period as a national monument, has been used as a filming location for scenes in several westerns , including Four Faces West (1948), Hang 'Em High (1968), The Hired Hand (1971), My Name Is Nobody (1973), Bite
8460-407: The visitor areas. Overflights from Holloman disturbed the tranquility of the area. Flight training missions continue over the dunefield, and the park closes temporarily for several hours during missile tests in the adjacent range and cooperative use area on the west side of the park. Between 1969 and 1977, 95 oryx were released on the missile range and adjacent areas of the Tularosa Basin by
8554-423: The water evaporates, small selenite crystals about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter form on the surface of the lake. Most of the crystal formation occurs when large floods concentrate the mineralized water every ten to fourteen years. Wind and water break down the crystals into progressively smaller particles until they are fine grains of white gypsum sand. The ground in the Alkali Flat and along Lake Lucero's shore
8648-413: The western edge of the dunefield, the water is older and even saltier. The depth to groundwater also decreases from 5 ft (1.5 m) below the surface on the eastern end to only 1–2 ft (0.3–0.6 m) on the western end of the dunefield. The dunes at the western end have very little vegetation and move very quickly, while the dunes on the eastern end move very slowly and are very vegetated. Toward
8742-406: The western edge, the sand grains become larger and have all different shapes, while at the eastern edge they are all very small and round. The dunefield is much cooler and wetter than the surrounding hot, dry desert soils based on satellites images. Scientists have discovered what appear to be old lakeshores beneath the dunes using laser scanning technology. At each of these old lakeshore terraces ,
8836-591: Was the primary stronghold of local Apaches who stole livestock from Pueblo and Spanish settlements near the basin. When Spaniards did enter the basin, they traveled along established trails to the salt pan north of Alkali Flat. Spanish colonists had established the salt trails in 1647, to connect the salt deposits with the Camino Real in El Paso del Norte (present-day Ciudad Juárez ) and silver mines in Durango, Mexico . Salt
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