White Sands National Monument is located in southern New Mexico near Alamogordo. It's a national treasure that features 275 square miles of wave-like dunes of white gypsum. The gypsum isn't like most sands that produce dunes. It's dense making the dunes easier to climb than silica sand dunes. The gypsum has been eroded from nearby mountains and has been trapped in the basin where the dunes are located. Whites Sands is a playground for everyone. Families come to hike and slide down dunes. And it's a photographer's dream. The morning and evening light creates lines and shadows that are breath taking. Throw in a full moon and something very special happens. The stark whiteness of the sands creates a substantial challenge for photographers. Here are photos from a 2005 visit.