Travel Pockets

View Original

What To Wear at White Sands National Park in November

This post contains affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you if you click on one of the product links, we may earn a commission.

We had an entire day to explore White Sands National Park and we planned on wearing a couple of different outfits during our visit. The weather was gorgeous when we visited in late November with temperatures in the mid 60s (Fahrenheit).

We had three activities we wanted to do at White Sands National Park: Snow Sledding, Light Hiking, and Sunset Photos. With these three activities on our itinerary, this is what we wore.

Sand Sledding

Sand sledding was definitely the highlight of our visit as we’ve both never been. We started our day early at 9 AM and headed straight to the visitor center to rent a sled. It was cloudy and the temperature was a bit chilly and in the mid 50s. Here is what we wore:

Candy’s Outfit

  • Anatomie Emily Cashmere Turtleneck Sweater and Londone Relaxed Fit Jogger

  • UNIQLO heat-tech leggings and a top (underneath the turtleneck and jogger)

  • SOREL Emelie Short Lace Boots

  • American Hat Makers Bondi Wide Brim Hat

  • Bandolier Bowie Strap and Case

  • Pacsafe Citysafe CX Anti-Theft Backpack

Candy’s outfit wearing Anatomie’s top and jogger with SOREL boots and American Hat Makers hat

Crystal’s Outfit

Crystal’s outfit wearing Anatomie top, Express leggings, and Amazon boots

Getting Kuma some water and treats from the Pacsafe Backpack

Candy’s stylish hiking boots from SOREL

The outfits we wore worked out pretty well except for Candy’s joggers. It was super comfy, but it was so soft that she kept sliding off her sled before reaching the bottom of the hill. It’s probably best to wear material that has a rougher texture.

Gorgeous day for sand sledding

Climbing back up this hill was no joke

Surprisingly, the sand rarely made it into either of our shoes, which was a relief. Walking in sandy footwear is the worst. We also saw some people sledding barefoot which we did later on as well.

Sand sledding accomplished!

Light Hiking

We did a light hike after sand sledding and by this time around noon, the temperature had risen to the low 60s. We both had on the same outfits and were glad we dressed in layers. With the sun beaming directly down on us, it was getting pretty warm.

Gorgeous blue skies at White Sands National Park

We highly suggest wearing a hat and/or sunglasses if it’s sunny. The bright sun reflecting from the sand was beautiful but the glare was pretty harsh.

Candy was fine with just her hat when it was cloudy in the morning, but when the sun came bursting out, it was really hard to keep her eyes open with the bright sun, so she had to wear sunglasses too.

The sun was very strong during the day

Kuma taking a short break from the hike

Loved that Kuma was able to match our outfits with her Bandolier dog leash and collar set

Kuma’s Outfit

Yes, even Kuma had an outfit at White Sands too. We love our stylish Bandolier crossbody phone cases and had to get a matching dog leash and collar set for her.

Kuma rockin her Bandolier Leash and collar set

Sunset Photos

We were really looking forward to the sunset as we read so many reviews that it was phenomenal. We wanted to dress up a little bit for the sunset and slightly changed our outfits.

White Sands National Park sunset in November

Candy kept her shirt and changed her bottoms and Crystal threw on a beautiful cashmere wrap over her black top. We also made sure to bring a jacket since the temperatures were going to drop right when the sun began to set.

Candy’s Outfit

Candy’s outfit wearing the Anatomie sweater and express pants

Crystal’s Outfit

Crystal’s outfit wearing Margaret O’Leary’s cashmere wrap

Despite the slightly cloudy weather, we were still able to see the purple and pink hues in the skies as the sun went down. As soon as the sun disappeared, the temperature dropped drastically so we threw on our coats and headed back to our car.

The park closes about an hour after sunset, so we made sure not to hike too far away from the parking lot. If you plan on hiking further away from the parking to view the sunset, make sure to bring a flashlight or headlamp with you to guide your way back.

Crystal decided to take off her shoes

Enjoying the sunset views

Hope this helps you decide what to pack for your trip to White Sands National Park. If you need more details about White Sands National Park and information on where to stay, check out our posts below:

See this gallery in the original post

PIN IT FOR LATER!