It used to be, during the Perseid meteor shower, White Sands National Monument would open up at night. With the missile range having no light pollution (or very little at least) and Alamogordo and Las Cruces being the nearest towns/cities, the star gazing and meteor show was amazing.

This is August. So, be prepared for the temperatures during the day in southern NM and - not for you oh pinkergeist since you're a local - take lots of water . Gallons of it. If something goes wrong driving your car...