White Sands National Park — the national park regarded for its rarity. While it looks like a snowfield, the desert sand actually holds quite a bit of history and geological wonder.

In this episode, we're digging into the White Sands fun facts that rewrite what you thought you knew about New Mexico’s most famous park. From a mineral factory that shouldn't exist to footprints that are quietly rewriting the story of the first humans in North America, buckle up, because this will be a fun one!

• Why White Sands is the largest — and purest — gypsum dune field on Earth
• How this park is protected, despite the billions of dollars of raw material sitting under the dunes
• The 45+ species of plants and creatures that you can only find in these dunes
• Why the dune field itself is a shockingly young 7,000 to 10,000 years old
• The 2008 discovery of footprints that pushed back the accepted timeline for how long humans have been in North America
• Fossilized proof that humans and Ice Age giants like mammoths and giant sloths shared this exact landscape for thousands of years

Your task for today: Look up a satellite image of White Sands National Park and see if you can spot it from space, the same way astronauts use it as a landmark. Then share what other national park sights you think would be visible from orbit over on the @DirtInMyShoes Facebook or Instagram page.

• Episode 154: Exploring White Sands National Park: Best Tips + Activities: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/exploring-white-sands-national-park/
• 5 Things You Can't Miss On Your First Visit to White Sands: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/5-things-cant-miss-first-visit-white-sands/
• Episode 49: Best National Parks for Young Kids (White Sands National Park makes the list!): https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/best-national-parks-for-young-kids/
• Master Reservation List: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/list/
• National Park Checklist: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/national-parks-checklist/
• Trip Packing List: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/pack/

Our Halloween tradition continues! This year, we're chasing three cryptid legends through the national parks – Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Lake Clark National Park, and Yellowstone National Park.

Are these tales from the spookiest corners of the park fact or fiction? You’ll have to tune in to find out!

• Why old sailors' maps were covered in dragons, sirens, and sea monsters
• What actually separates a cryptid from an animal that science just hasn't caught up to yet
• Why the national parks make the perfect hiding place for a cryptid legend
• Why there might be something lurking outside Guadalupe Mountains National Park (and what that something might be)
• What’s lurking in the water on the way to Lake Clark National Park
• Just how deep Lake Clark and neighboring Lake Iliamna really go
• The Native American legend behind Beartooth Highway in Yellowstone National Park

Your task for today: Head over to the @DirtInMyShoes Facebook or Instagram page and tell us which cryptid creeped you out the most!

Don't miss the full show notes packed with all the links we mentioned so you can plan your adventures like a pro: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/haunted-national-parks-vol-4

• 5 Things You Can't Miss On Your First Visit to Guadalupe Mountains National Park: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/5-things-cant-miss-first-visit-guadalupe-mountains-national-park/
• See a full trip planning itinerary for Yellowstone National Park: https://shop.dirtinmyshoes.com/products/yellowstone-itinerary
• Trip Planning Guide for Alaska’s National Parks (Including Lake Clark National Park): https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/alaska-national-parks/
• Master Reservation List: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/list/
• National Park Checklist: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/national-parks-checklist/
• Trip Packing List: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/pack/

Picture cloud-white sand surrounding you on every side, with the Sacramento Mountains as your backdrop, and a sunset that turns everything a shade of pink and purple.

THAT’s the awe that is waiting for you at White Sands National Park. Well, that and some other fun activities like hiking through nature trails, and even sledding!

We’ll also take you through all the quirky rules this park has that no other national park does — and what makes White Sands so incredibly unique.

• The two things that make White Sands totally different from every other national park
• The working missile range, located next to the park
• A driving tour down Dunes Drive, including the Playa Trail, Dune Life Nature Trail, and Interdune Boardwalk
• How to sled the dunes (hint: cardboard boxes don't cut it)
• Why so many commercials, movies, and music videos have been filmed here
• The best ranger program in the park and why sunset is non-negotiable
• Where to stay, eat, and detour in nearby Alamogordo

Don't miss the full show notes packed with all the links we mentioned so you can plan your adventures like a pro: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/exploring-white-sands-national-park/

• 5 Things You Can’t Miss On Your First Visit to White Sands: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/5-things-cant-miss-first-visit-white-sands/
• Episode 49: Best National Parks for Young Kids (White Sands National Park makes the list!): https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/best-national-parks-for-young-kids/
• Episode 105: 8-Day Spring Break National Parks Road Trip (that includes White Sands National Park): https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/8-day-spring-break-national-parks-road-trip/
• Master Reservation List: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/list/
• National Park Checklist: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/national-parks-checklist/
• Trip Packing List: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/pack/