We came out yesterday, and had a wonderful time. So much so, that we came out again today! ‍…read more Bring shade! A tent, umbrella, some type of protection from the hot sun, because it is !! Parking is $10, by reservation only, on the weekends, and Monday-Thursday is first come first served, but also $10. If you have an established residence, second home, it's $10 for the entire season. Ignore the ticket taker's attitude as you drive in. We have been here three times, morning, and evening, and she's always here! Lol! She is extremely rude! She evidently hates her job because she is unfriendly and grills everyone to the third degree! Like I said, ignore her, and have fun! Registration is online at the Ruidoso Parks and Recreation website. The water park, known as The Wibit, is $20. This is a main attraction for family-fun. Life vests are required at all times while swimming, and using the water park, but they rent you one as part of the $20. Food and drinks are allowed, but of course, no alcohol is ever permitted. We most definitely will be returning, and highly recommend it!

Even though the wind harshed my picnic, making me retreat to inside my car to finish, still…read morefantastic.

Shhhh....Don't tell anyone about this beautiful 2.5 mile loop trail! Great for local leaf peeps in…read morefall and has a great overlook to white sands

Wonderful easy hike, 2.61 miles. Just outside of town towards Alamogordo. This is one of our…read morefavorites. We have been many times. This is one of the few trails that we have hiked and have seen wildlife. We have seen turkeys, mule, deer, elk, and even wild mountain horses. OK maybe not wild but who's to say they weren't. This trail goes through different parts of the forest where you have hardwoods and aspens with beautiful fall leaves, evergreen pines, and a hole grove of Christmas trees. The hike is fairly easy, with some, elevation especially in the beginning. There is a very large parking lot at the trail head with plenty of parking and some picnic tables. Also, along the trail, there's several spots that have benches to sit at where there's a view of the Valley below that look all the way to White Sands and Alamogordo. The elevation you are at is about 8600 feet.

This is a great trail it is 4.3 miles. Trail head starts off wide really nice once you cross the…read morepedestrian bridge to the other side it's a A mixed use trail with horses a ATVs so it's a little rough but it cleans up as you head back up the mountain through the tunnel and back to your car. It is nice because it is a loop.

Great view on the short end of the trail. Good trail. Back half of the trail is icy. Navigable, but…read morewas apprehensive for my 9 year old probably because I am a wisest now days...

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

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 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!

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.

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.

Great Trail, very beautiful, some of the largest pine trees I've ever seen. Trail is 1.5 miles long…read moreand it's pretty much at an 8 to 14% grade all the way up the canyon to the top. At the top there are several other trailheads that start and you can continue or head back down to the parking area. At the parking area there is an old corral that is still used today as we were there a couple of cowboys pulled up with their horses and had cows in the corral they were loading up.

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.