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UNHINGED MODE · Legend

White Sands & Trinity Site — Nuclear Dawn, New Mexico

Destination: Alamogordo & White Sands National Park, New MexicoNights: 3Group: 4–12Season: April, OctoberEstimated: $1,200–$2,100/person

Trinity Site open house on Saturday: ground zero tour with a physicist, the blast crater still radioactive-hot in October light. Friday night dune surfing at White Sands National Park on wooden sleds, then green chile at Sparky's in Hatch—the real stuff, roasted in-house. Sleep at La Posada Hotel in Las Cruces, a 1920s territorial landmark. Sunday morning: White Sands sunrise hike, then a detour through Alamogordo's New Mexico Museum of Space History before the drive back.

What You'll Do

Scenic Overlook

Tour

Atv

Food Tour

Where You Sleep

  • · La Posada Hotel, Las Cruces
  • · Desert Hills Motel, Alamogordo

Where You Eat

  • · Sparky's Restaurant, Hatch
  • · Nellie's Café, Las Cruces
  • · The Shed, Las Cruces

Questions

How do we get into Trinity Site?
The site opens twice yearly (first Saturday in April and October). Register in advance through the Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce; tours are free but spots fill fast. Bring ID and expect security screening.
Is it actually radioactive?
The ground-zero crater still reads hot on a Geiger counter, but radiation exposure during a day visit is minimal—less than a chest X-ray. The National Park Service monitors it constantly.
What's the dune surfing situation?
White Sands rents wooden sleds at the visitor center; the gypsum dunes are smooth and fast. Best in early morning before wind picks up. Bring sunscreen—the reflection is brutal.

Ready to book the story?

Five quick questions, then we build the full itinerary — lodging, daily schedule, dining, bars, the group-chat message — and drop you into a Trip Room you can share with the crew.