New Mexico Tourism | Western

Jim Orr photo's of White Sands, New Mexico

Ghost Towns: Alma, Cerrillos, Chloride, Clairmont, Elizabethtown, Golden, Lake Valley, Loma Parda, Madrid, Mogollón, Shakespeare, Steins, Winston
Movie Sets: Bonanza Creek Ranch, Cerrillos, Madrid, Cook Ranch & the Silverado Set, Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, Eaves Movie Ranch, White Sands National Monument, Zia Pueblo

White Sands National Monument

Southwest region of New Mexico The sea of brilliant gypsum sand in south-central New Mexico has inspired the imagination of filmmakers for decades. This 275-square-mile crystalline ocean shapes itself with the wind into great waves, at times settling into gentle crescent patterns. It is the largest gypsum dune field in the world.

On a clear day the sun reflects so intensely that one might think it is snow instead of sand. Not a few clothing catalogs and car commercials have taken advantage of this. Yet the rising and setting sun, or the occasional heavy overcast of clouds moving over from the San Andres and Sacramento mountains, effect a mood that is at once contrary and contrasty. This is the mood seized upon by King Solomon's Mines and New Eden, films exploring new lands and futuristic worlds; a mood generating an ambiance of isolation in White Sands and Young Guns II .

The remarkable beauty of the area draws more than 600,000 visitors a year, yet the park's uniqueness is not confined to its attractiveness. It is unique in light of the many film projects that the National Park Service staff has accommodated, while vigilantly preserving and protecting the monument, their primary responsibility.

"We're not a backlot studio in Hollywood," says Chief Ranger Nancy Wizner. "Sometimes it's challenging because the filmmakers' creativity and our need for preservation can clash." She is referring to a key restriction facing all park visitors - no motorized vehicles or equipment are allowed on the dunes. Yet production companies have met this policy with ease by positioning their many vehicles on the road that snakes into the dune field and hand-carrying their equipment onto the dunes.

The park rangers play an essential role in advising film companies about what can be accomplished in the dune environment. Filmmakers are required to supply an application and storyboard for scenes shot at the monument. "That gives us an idea of where they are going with it," says Ranger Kathy Denton. "We can tell them this will work, or this is not going to work . . . so we can help them in that respect."

Production companies are given a briefing by a ranger as well, such as warnings to use sunblock to ward off the deceptively strong reflection, and to drink plenty of water. Denton says winter temperatures rise from 30 degrees before sunrise to the 60s or 70s during the day, so there's a possible range from hypothermic conditions to dehydration and sunstroke within a day. They also advise wearing layers of clothing. Denton says the livestock wranglers tend to always be appropriately dressed. "Wranglers know to cover up completely," she says. "They never come out in T-shirts or shorts. I never see a cowboy in shorts!"

Taking precautions allows filming to happen even under extreme conditions. Denton recalls that Tank Girl had a record 126 degrees on the set during the summer of l994. Everyone continually drank water, so there were relatively few who succumbed to the heat.