Dunes at White Sands National Park, New Mexico Jan 18, 2025

Dunes at White Sands National Park, New Mexico

Today"s image features the dazzling beauty of White Sands National Park, New Mexico—a surreal expanse of glistening white gypsum dunes, the largest of its kind on Earth. Spanning more than 145,000 acres, these ever-shifting dunes rise up to 60 feet tall, creating a landscape not seen in many places. This park isn"t only a natural wonder but a historical treasure, with fossilized human footprints dating back as far as 23,000 years, some of the oldest in North America.

© Image Professionals GmbH/Alamy

palette

Today in History

Jan 18, 2018Entoloma hochstetteri mushroom at Lake Mahinapua, New Zealand
Jan 18, 2019An opulent backdrop for a historic event
Jan 18, 2020Sands of time
Jan 18, 2021A step toward freedom
Jan 18, 2022Winnie-the-Pooh Day
Jan 18, 2023White Sands National Park turns 90
Jan 18, 2024Pont Alexandre III, Paris, France
Jan 18, 2026White Sands National Park, New Mexico

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Oct 11, 2019Art in the high desert
May 19, 2021A path lain with petals
Jul 27, 2019Longer days mean warmer sand
May 5, 2025Cinco de Mayo
Jan 4, 2023Earth at Perihelion
Feb 16, 2020When an ideal microclimate gives you lemons…
Dec 29, 2025St. Gregory Church in Ani Ruins, Kars, Türkiye
Dec 30, 2024Mount Field National Park, Tasmania, Australia
Nov 3, 2018A bison preserve
Sep 27, 2025Astronomy Day and National Public Lands Day
Jan 17, 2025Brown pelican, San Diego, California
Aug 8, 2024Spotted owlet, Bangkok, Thailand
Apr 21, 2022First day of summer
Nov 25, 2020A dying breed of tree thrives in an American park
Dec 17, 2025Eurasian red squirrel in Northumberland, England
Aug 26, 2018From pirate port to nature preserve
Jul 30, 2022Milford Sound/Piopiotahi rainforest in New Zealand
Sep 19, 2019Fall for birding
May 2, 2019Making it work—in Norway
Jun 27, 2025Splendid leaf frog
Nov 14, 2025Manatee Awareness Month
Apr 21, 2024National Park Week continues
Sep 1, 2023National Mushroom Month
Jan 30, 2025La Brecha de Rolando (Rolands Breach), Spain
Oct 12, 2021High tide at the walled city
Jan 29, 2018Vacuum Chamber 5 at Glenn Research Center
Oct 20, 2019Meet the slowest flirt in the animal world
Apr 26, 2019Happy Arbor Day!
Jul 19, 2021Wander the ancient medina
Sep 2, 2023National Hummingbird Day