Unless the White Sands Missile Range has their gates closed for a shot (happens, but not too frequently) going to White Sands National Park would be a great motorcycle ride if the day isn’t too warm.




It’s in the Tularosa Basin which actually has no outlet to the sea, so the very occasional rains carry gypsum down from the mountains that ring the basin and it winds up in a sort of gypsum brine shallow lake. The dry winds superconcentrate it and blow gypsum crystals off the surface which settle in the park. The “sand” there has an interesting texture. Great place for a picnic and to let kids or grandkids play. Because of the fine gypsum dust in the air, the sunsets in the tularosa basin tend to be awesome.



Farther north you can see the malpais - literally the badlands - which is a fairly recent (by continental US standards) lava flow, which would be a longer ride.