The Dune Life Nature Trail is a 1-mile loop.

The Dune Life Nature Trail is full of life! Being at the edge of the dunefield, this trail has unique characteristics that are not found in the heart of the dunes. This family-friendly trail is a great way to explore White Sands. Katie the Kit Fox, the Dune Life Nature Trail mascot, will join you along the trail in 14 trailside signs. Learn about the animals that live in the park and what they like to eat.

The Dune Life Nature Trail is an ecotone: a place where two communities meet and integrate. In this area, the desert scrub community and the gypsum sand dunes meet and form one of the most diverse ecosystems in the park. While many animals live here, you may not see many of them on your hike. Wild animals are shy and try to avoid people, and most desert animals are nocturnal. Although they are rarely seen during the day, they leave signs of their presence in different forms, such as tracks in the sand. These tracks tell the stories of the previous night's activities in the dunes. Look for the tracks of the animals that call these dunes home: kit foxes, badgers, birds, coyotes, rodents, and reptiles all live in this area.

Did you know that this vast expanse of land, known as the Tularosa Basin, has attracted people for over 10,000 years? From atlatls to missiles, the glistening gypsum dunefield of White Sands has witnessed the steady advancement of human history, technology, and engineering. For thousands of years, people have called this place home.

Like a mirage, dazzling white sand dunes shimmer in the tucked-away Tularosa Basin in southern New Mexico. They shift and settle over the Chihuahuan Desert, covering 275 square miles—the largest gypsum dunefield in the world. White Sands National Park preserves more than half of this oasis, its shallow water supply, and the plants and animals living here.

There are over 220 recorded species of birds within White Sands National Park. High temperatures during the day, especially in the summer months, make it unlikely that you will come across these creatures in the heart of the dunefield. However, many of these species are commonly seen in the desert scrub around the visitor center and entrance station.

The AllTrails website has a description and map of a hike on the Dune Life Nature Trail.