You can absolutely go barefoot on your White Sands National Park tour. In fact, you can walk through the dunes at White Sands barefoot at any time of year, even during the peak of summer. Anyone who’s ever spent time in the southwest knows how uncomfortable it can be to walk barefoot on hot sand, but somehow White Sands is the exception. How, you ask?

The answer lies in the specific minerals that make up the sand. Most of the sand on Earth is made up mostly of silica – usually in the form of tiny quartz crystals. The dunes at White Sands National Park, however, are made of worn-down gypsum crystals instead. Not only does gypsum give the dunes their unique, snow-white appearance, but it also doesn’t absorb heat from the sun the way silica sand does. That means the sand at White Sands is always cool to the touch, even when the hot summer sun beats down on it.

Since you won’t burn your feet, there’s nothing preventing you from strolling through the dunes barefoot. In fact, there are a few other factors that make White Sands the perfect place to slip off your shoes. Not only is the sand very cool to the touch, but it’s also extremely soft and fine, with no hard shells or other irritating grains. Gypsum is also highly soluble, so it’s easy to wash your feet clean with just a little water when you’re done.

If you do walk barefoot in the park, make sure you keep an eye out for bugs. While most of the invertebrates at White Sands are entirely harmless, stepping on a tarantula or sand scorpion can be a painful experience, so take care as you walk.

To make the most of your trip, check out our White Sands National Park Self-Guided Driving Tour, or you can sign up for Action+ and gain access to over 100 tours for a single yearly price.