How many national parks are in New Mexico?

2: White Sands National Park and Carlsbad Caverns National Park. New Mexico also has 17 other National Park Service sites, such as Aztec Ruins National Monument and Bandelier National Monument.

What is the most visited national park in New Mexico?

White Sands National Park, with 659,742 recreation visits in 2025, #35 of the 63 national parks. The least visited in New Mexico was Carlsbad Caverns (410,778).

What is the newest national park in New Mexico?

White Sands National Park, established on December 20, 2019. The oldest is Carlsbad Caverns National Park (1930).

Do national parks in New Mexico charge an entrance fee?

Headline entrance fees run $15 per person to $25 per vehicle. An America the Beautiful pass covers entrance fees.

What is the closest national park to Albuquerque?

White Sands National Park, about 162 miles from Albuquerque in a straight line, roughly 3 h 50 min by road on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Albuquerque is New Mexico's largest city.

New Mexico · 2 national parks · 17 other NPS sites

National parks in New Mexico

Last verified October 1, 2026Sources ↓

New Mexico has 2 national parks: White Sands and Carlsbad Caverns. 17 more National Park Service sites round out the map, from Aztec Ruins National Monument to Valles Caldera National Preserve.

Numbered by 2025 visits. ★ Albuquerque, New Mexico's largest city.

At a glance

New Mexico, by the numbers

National parks in New Mexico at a glance
National parks	2: White Sands and Carlsbad Caverns
Other NPS sites	17 see nps.gov
Most visited park, 2025	White Sands 659,742 visits (#35 of 63)
Entrance fees	$15 per person to $25 per vehicle
Newest national park	White Sands, December 20, 2019
Oldest national park	Carlsbad Caverns, 1930
Nearest to Albuquerque	White Sands 162 mi straight-line, ≈ 3 h 50 min drive (est.)

2 national parks

New Mexico's 2 national parks

Busiest first, by 2025 recreation visits.

Photo: NPS Photo
Est. 2019
White Sands National Park
2025 visits
659,742
Entrance
$25 / vehicle
Busiest month
March
Quiet month
February
“The world's largest gypsum dunefield…” (NPS)
Photo: NPS / Michael Larson
Est. 1930
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
2025 visits
410,778
Entrance
$15 / person
Busiest month
July
Quiet month
February
“Hidden beneath the surface are more than 119 caves…” (NPS)

From Albuquerque

The closest national parks to Albuquerque

Measured from Albuquerque, New Mexico's largest city (556,588 people, Census 2025 estimate). Straight-line miles; drive times are our rough estimate.

Nearest national parks to Albuquerque
Park	Straight line	Drive (estimate)
White Sands National ParkNM	162 mi	≈ 3 h 50 min
Petrified Forest National ParkAZ	178 mi	≈ 4 h 10 min
Mesa Verde National ParkCO	179 mi	≈ 4 h 10 min
Great Sand Dunes National Park & PreserveCO	195 mi	≈ 4 h 40 min

17 other NPS sites

Beyond the national parks

Monuments, historic sites, trails and more: every other place the National Park Service lists for New Mexico, grouped by type. Links go to nps.gov.

9 National Monument · 4 National Historic Trail · 3 National Historical Park · …Show all 17

National Monument · 9

National Historic Trail · 4

Butterfield Overland National Historic TrailMO · AR · OK · TX · NM · AZ · CA
El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic TrailNM · TX
Old Spanish National Historic TrailAZ · CA · CO · NV · NM · UT
Santa Fe National Historic TrailCO · KS · MO · NM · OK

National Historical Park · 3

National Preserve · 1

Valles Caldera National Preserve

From the NPS Data API; the same list as New Mexico's page on nps.gov. Trails and other multi-state sites appear under each state they cross.

FAQ

New Mexico, answered

How many national parks are in New Mexico?: 2: White Sands National Park and Carlsbad Caverns National Park. New Mexico also has 17 other National Park Service sites, such as Aztec Ruins National Monument and Bandelier National Monument.
What is the most visited national park in New Mexico?: White Sands National Park, with 659,742 recreation visits in 2025, #35 of the 63 national parks. The least visited in New Mexico was Carlsbad Caverns (410,778).
What is the newest national park in New Mexico?: White Sands National Park, established on December 20, 2019. The oldest is Carlsbad Caverns National Park (1930).
Do national parks in New Mexico charge an entrance fee?: Headline entrance fees run $15 per person to $25 per vehicle. An America the Beautiful pass covers entrance fees.
What is the closest national park to Albuquerque?: White Sands National Park, about 162 miles from Albuquerque in a straight line, roughly 3 h 50 min by road on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Albuquerque is New Mexico's largest city.

Sources · 5

1.New Mexico: parks and places (nps.gov) · National Park Service
2.NPS Data API — /parks (all park units) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
3.NPS Visitor Use Statistics — monthly recreation visits, 2021–2025 (IRMA stats REST service) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior) — Visitor Use Statistics Program
4.City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2025 · U.S. Census Bureau
5.2025 Gazetteer Files: Places · U.S. Census Bureau

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