Still beautiful no matter the season. Must go if in the area. PAW approved on every levelread more

Absolutely gorgeous!!…read more - Difficulty level: easy-moderate - Pet friendly - Benches to sit periodically - mix of walking and incline/descent hiking - waterfalls

Beautiful, quiet park with clean camping facilities. Has restrooms and showers. Great sleeping in…read morethe Chihuahua desert. Close proximity to White Sands and Los Alamos. There is the Dog Canyon trail, which is worth the trek. We didn't make it all the way through due to timing, but will definitely be back to finish.

Quiet and spacious campground for star gazing and close to White Sands NP. We would definitely stay…read morehere again. Friendly camp hosts. They also have sleds to borrow at the camp host station for sledding the dunes at White Sands.

What a blast walking on this cute little trail! We came mid week so there wasn't as many people as…read moresome say there is on the weekend. Cute kids looking for the doors everywhere. Lots of wildlife out when we were out. We went as far on the trail as we could before it ended, if it was a little longer would be ideal but we lived it none the less!

THIS is THEEEE BEST PARK I've ever been too !! We've been traveling in our RV & New Mexico is our…read more8th state so far and we have done so many parks. This has got to be THEE cutest park ever!! (Yes, I'm shouting ) We stayed near town to hit up White Sands & we loved it there too & wanted a park to eat, take a hike & relax. First off we parked in the wrong section ‍. We parked by the first bridge (Tom's bridge). So first you want to find the main entrance. There you will see a wonderful map of the adorable park & the fairy homes. I'll give you a clue, don't use the map, it's not that great BUT is adorable for pictures! Look on the ground for a white fairy wand & you are close to a fairy house. If you find a T, then look for a Troll home. I saw online ONE cute fairy home & thought I would surprise our teens with one cute fairy home. Boy, was I wrong! There's 10 !! We did 9/10. It starts to get into a residential area & maybe it was us buuuut a little old lady didn't look to please that we were there looking for the 10th one. Sorry Lady! They have great picnic spots, benches to sit everywhere! I'm a big big girl and I walked one way the whole thing than my wonderful husband ran back to get our car for me & the kids. We had packed a picnic & parked by the big picnic area. There's about 2 parking spots. All & all, we had a blast ! Greatest Park Ever !!

As part of our quest to visit all 63 U.S. national parks, we set off on a six-week road trip. I…read morehave a personal rule: I only count a national park as "visited" if I actually spend time there, hike or walk through it, and truly experience it. Sometimes that means a few hours, sometimes several days. White Sands National Park was, without question, one of the most unforgettable and magical places of the entire trip. The first surprise is that these are not sand dunes at all. They are made of gypsum crystals, creating endless waves of brilliant white dunes that seem to stretch forever. Because gypsum doesn't absorb heat the way regular sand does, you can actually walk barefoot, even on a warm day. That alone feels almost magical. The landscape is unlike anywhere else I have ever been. As the sunlight changes throughout the day, the dunes constantly transform, shifting from brilliant white to shades of silver, blue, and soft gold. At times it felt less like Earth and more like walking through another world. The silence, the vastness, and the simplicity of the landscape create an almost meditative experience. I could have hiked there for hours. There is something incredibly peaceful about wandering across the dunes, following only footprints that the wind may erase a few hours later. It is one of those places where you naturally slow down and simply absorb the beauty around you. Beyond its beauty, White Sands also has fascinating geology and ecology. Despite appearing barren, many plants and animals have adapted to survive in this remarkable environment, and learning how life has evolved in such an unusual landscape made the visit even more interesting. We stayed in nearby Alamogordo, which turned out to be a charming town with several very good restaurants and plenty to do. We enjoyed learning about the area's famous pistachio farms and wineries, and there are also family-friendly attractions that make it an excellent base for exploring the region. Overall, White Sands National Park exceeded every expectation. It is beautiful, peaceful, unique, and unlike any other national park we have visited. If you have the opportunity, don't just drive through, walk into the dunes, take your shoes off, and let yourself experience one of the most extraordinary landscapes in the United States.

Pros: Beautiful and natural landscape..view native plants and watch the sunset…read more Cons: Many state parks and businesses close early. The park office closes early and you won't be able to stamp your travel book etc.

This was a neat experience. Seeing volcanic rock and the nature that has grown up was certainly…read moreinteresting. The walkway provided made it easy to navigate the area, and there were some great views.

Prior to reaching the Valley of Fires Recreation Area near Carrizozo, NM, we sat in traffic for…read moreabout a half hour due to heavy law enforcement presence due to what? I never found out. We stopped only for a moment to view the black lava flow that covered vast amounts of the surrounding area. It's fascinating. There were quite a lot of RV campers at the sites. Here's a quick overview I compiled: + camp host on-site + 20 RV campsites have 30 and 50 amp electrical hookups and water hookups + the above includes 2 RV sites that are accessible + group shelters + picnic shelters + tables + trashcans + BBQ grills + restrooms (also with accessibility) + showers (non-campers may use these for a fee of $6) + RV dump station + leashed dogs allowed + 3/4 mile Malpais Nature Trail "offers a close-up look of the lava surface." + visitor center, bookstore & gift shop available Hopefully someday sooner than later I'll be back to exhaustively explore this remote side of New Mexico. Works Cited https://www.blm.gov/visit/valley-fires-recreation-area

I came here on a cold winter day. After walking the museum, I took the exit to the park and took…read morethe loop around the garden. Everything was covered with snow, so I recommend you come during the spring time or summer. The winter landscape was not terribly bad though, as I saw the iced pond and the snow on the pine trees (were they pines?). I also walked by the statue of Smokey, and the grave. It was nice to see it, I think Smokey is a good symbol for ecology and may interest people in environmentalism. It is great to get children and adults involved in these topics, and this garden and museum are a great start.

Sweet Little Park, that is a walkable distance from just about everything in Capitan. Come for a…read morevisit and see Smokey's final resting place!

I went camping here years ago with friends. We weren't smart and got in after dark and had a heck…read moreof a time trying to put tents up. There are some nice hiking areas around here.

We have been coming here for years and never have we ever been treated like we did this past…read moreweekend by the camp hosts. We had called and spoke to the owner to see if we could check in a bit early and be was completely ok with it. When we got there the camp host was extremely rude saying we were there too early being that no one was in our spot and there were so many other empty spots available. we then had our campfire on and eight at 10 she came and advised it was quiet time and the fire needed to be turned off due to "county law" which is complete BS mind you we were not even loud we were just hanging out and there are zero rules staring that fires need to be out at 10. The next night she again came rudely 3 minutes past 10 when we were already putting our fire out stating "REALLY 2 NIGHTS IN A ROW!!" we said we are putting our fire out and she said "well get your clocks fixed to be on time". we pay a lot of money to enjoy our time there. I feel the owner needs to look into this because the campground was not as full as it usually is and they may be running people out with that unnecessary attitude and rudeness.

Nice RV park! Setting is beautiful and our spot was perfect. New management team are very nice and…read moreaccommodating. Kevin was helpful and made sure we had everything we needed! He and his wife are so easy going, which made the stay even that much better ! Listening to the fun and laughter of the people fishing was a delight! We so enjoyed our stay.

This place is great we have stayed at the RV park and fished In the pound where everyone is a…read morewinner (because it's almost for sure u will get a fish) u don't need a fishing permit since it's privily owned, the owner is super helpful and kind, they even help u park your RV. It's a great experience for the entire family, even the internet service is very good.

This place was a nightmare. Over priced cheapy dirty lodging. The cabin was not as listed. It's a…read moreSHARED double wide trailer with the owner although listed (and priced) as a private cabin. Listed as family friend, yet we got a complaint that our kids noise was excessive from INSIDE of the cabin. The cabin comes with bad views and lots of attitude. Lodging walls are plastered in cheap tacky prints in goodwill frames with price tags on every single one. The "maintenance guy" came onto the property on our 1st morning to yell at us and treat us like children over the fire pit we used the night before, while my husband was still sleeping. He came trying to intimidate us, threatening that we are going to be charged for excessive damage, at the very start of our stay. There is NO communication here. No instructions, no checkout or checkin information, nothing. We placed a log on a propane firepit because we were supplied a nearly empty propane tank, and were unaware we could burn a log. Again, no information about ANYTHING anywhere inside or out, just an inaccurate map. After being berated and yelled at by the "maintenance man" multipe visits, we spent our Saturday morning cleaning out that firepit with our bare hands. It looked and functioned 10x better than when we arrived. Not my idea of vacationing! So we didn't mess with it the remainder of our 2 days there, robbing us of one of the few amenities we came for. We came for the view and campfire, both we didn't get to experience here. We went to politely and professionally talk to the owner after the maintenance man drama and he could care less and then sat there making lavish statememts, and saying comments like, "wheres your realtors license"... huh?!?! There's lots of lodging in this area, stay anywhere but here! You will find better accommodations at cheaper prices. Also, after reading my negative reviews, the camp sent me a private message on social media calling me "low life". The owner also made a very bizarre comment on my Facebook review requesting that I friend him. This is the usual MO with any negative review (guest shaming and intimidation) as you can see on any site with 1 star reviews.

Great location, was passing through and was able grab the "cozy cabin" for a night, but the star…read moreof the show is the ristas food truck, ristas was insanely good, the seared ahi tuna, and a monster quesodilla were better than any sit down I've ever been to. Tons of wildlife on the property, camp host even tried to lure them closer to get pics! Best spot in NM!