White Sands National Park

White Sands is the largest gypsum dunefield in the world, 275 square miles of white sand rising from the Tularosa Basin in southern New Mexico. The park holds a dark sky designation and the white dunes create a lunar-like landscape that reflects starlight back in a way no other site does. The surrounding Holloman Air Force Base coordinates temporary park closures for missile testing, so check the schedule before you go. When the park is open after dark, it is unlike anywhere else.