Lake Lucero Trip

We were up bright and early this morning, leaving the park at 7:30 to be at the entrance to the small missile range at 8:30. We lined up with about 18 other cars and then drove onto the U.S. facility guided by government cars and forest rangers.


The trailhead for Lake Lucero is 18 miles onto the base. There wasn't much to see except signs about unexploded munitions and warnings. Although, we were on the lookout for a herd of oryx. These are a type of gazelle that were imported from Kenya years ago. (We didn't see any)


Lake Lucero is in the middle of Lake Otero. If that doesn't make any sense, here's the explanation. Lake Otero was a lake in the Tularosa basin during the last ice age. Gypsum and other minerals were carried from the surrounding mountains into the lake. At the end of the ice age (about 12,000 years ago) the lake began to dry up. The gypsum formed crystals called selenite on the muddy bottom of the evaporated lake.


On rare occasions of heavy rain, a temporary lake is created at the southern end of Lake Otero (now called the Alkali Flats). This temporary lake is Lake Lucero! And the bottom of Lake Lucero is covered with large and small selenite crystals and is the primary source for the gypsum sand that forms the dunes of White Sands National Monument.


The guided trip to Lake Lucero is only offered once a month and we felt lucky to be here for the March tour. The ranger that gave the talks was interesting, knowledgeable and willing to answer all questions. It is unlawful to remove anything from this area and boy, was that tough. The crystals and rocks were incredible.