Uploaded May 2023 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
White Sands National Park is surrounded, literally, by bombs on all sides. Between the White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base, White Sands National Park's immediate neighbors are not exactly compatible with the preservation mandate of one of our premier National Parks. White Sands' troubled relationship with the military goes back nearly 80 years at this point and has made management and preservation of the world's largest gypsum dunes uniquely challenging among National Parks. We discuss in this video. Enjoy!
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Sources and Resources:
https://openknowledge.nau.edu/id/eprint/1663/13/Lubick_G_1996_Dunes_Dreams.pdf
web.archive.org/web/20191224072005/https://www.nps.gov/whsa/learn/historyculture/white-sands-national-monument-history.htm
nps.gov/whsa/planyourvisit/park-closures.htm
nps.gov/whsa/learn/historyculture/military-history.htm
npshistory.com/publications/whsa/nrr-2017-1508.pdf
web.archive.org/web/20111121112258/http://www.nps.gov/whsa/historyculture/upload/Dunes-and-Dreams.pdf
npshistory.com/morningreport/incidents/whsa.htm
Images and Music
NPS
White Sands National Park
US Air Force
US Marines
US Army
Defense Nuclear Agency
Museum of New Mexico
Storyblocks
White Sands National Park is surrounded, literally, by bombs on all sides. Between the White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base, White Sands National Park's immediate neighbors are not exactly compatible with the preservation mandate of one of our premier National Parks. White Sands' troubled relationship with the military goes back nearly 80 years at this point and has made management and preservation of the world's largest gypsum dunes uniquely challenging among National Parks. We discuss in this video. Enjoy!
Support me on Patreon: patreon.com/nationalparkdiaries
Follow me on Instagram: instagram.com/nationalparkdiaries
Sources and Resources:
https://openknowledge.nau.edu/id/eprint/1663/13/Lubick_G_1996_Dunes_Dreams.pdf
web.archive.org/web/20191224072005/https://www.nps.gov/whsa/learn/historyculture/white-sands-national-monument-history.htm
nps.gov/whsa/planyourvisit/park-closures.htm
nps.gov/whsa/learn/historyculture/military-history.htm
npshistory.com/publications/whsa/nrr-2017-1508.pdf
web.archive.org/web/20111121112258/http://www.nps.gov/whsa/historyculture/upload/Dunes-and-Dreams.pdf
npshistory.com/morningreport/incidents/whsa.htm
Images and Music
NPS
White Sands National Park
US Air Force
US Marines
US Army
Defense Nuclear Agency
Museum of New Mexico
Storyblocks
