Where the Grasslands Meet the White Sands

Golden desert grasslands meet the brilliant gypsum dunes of White Sands National Park beneath a luminous New Mexico sky. A winding park road leads through the scene as distant mountains fade into the morning haze, revealing the striking transition between rugged desert vegetation and waves of white sand. #WhiteSands #WhiteSandsNationalPark #NewMexico #GypsumDunes #DesertGrasslands #DesertLandscape #MountainVista #MorningLight #LandscapePhotography #NaturePhotography #NationalParks #Southwest #EngelPhotography

Photographer James Engel

Date & Time Saturday, March 28th, 2026 at 8:38 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, Landscapes & Nature, Mountain Landscape, National Park, Plant, Scenic Vista

Camera Nikon D850

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

Approximate Map Location

Latitude: 32.80138
Longitude: -106.251839
Altitude: 1,213.0 meters / 3,979.7 feet