Footsteps Beneath the San Andres Mountains

Two hikers follow a trail of footprints across the rippled gypsum dunes of White Sands National Park, framed by the rugged San Andres Mountains. Morning light casts long shadows over the brilliant sand, revealing wave-like textures and the immense scale of this extraordinary New Mexico landscape. #WhiteSands #WhiteSandsNationalPark #NewMexico #SanAndresMountains #GypsumDunes #DesertHiking #Footprints #MorningLight #MountainLandscape #NaturePhotography #TravelPhotography #NationalParks #Southwest #EngelPhotography

Photographer James Engel

Date & Time Saturday, March 28th, 2026 at 8:19 AM America/Denver

Focal Length 24mm

Shutter Speed 1/200 sec

Aperture ƒ/11

ISO 64

Location North America, The United States of America, New Mexico, White Sands National Park

Keywords Desert Landscape, Hiking Trail, Landscapes & Nature, Mountain Landscape, National Park, People, Photography Techniques, Plant, Scenic Vista, Texture, Johnnie Engel, Sam Engel

Camera Nikon D850

Lens NIKON 24-85mm F3.5-4.5G ED VR AF-S Nikkor Lens

Approximate Map Location

Latitude: 32.801773
Longitude: -106.250931
Altitude: 1,193.0 meters / 3,914.0 feet