The Trinity Site is open two days a year -- the first Saturday in April and the first Saturday in October.
There are basically two ways to get there. One is to drive from Albuquerque. If you are doing that, you might want to spend the night in Socorro. Then you can drive to Stallion Gate first thing in the morning. Go south from Socorro about 12 miles to San Antonio, N.M., and then head east on Highway 380. Drive about 12 miles, and take the road to the right into the White Sands Missile Range. About five miles down the road is the Stallion Gate entrance. You are allowed to drive the 17 miles to the Trinity Site unescorted. The gates are open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The other way to go is to join a caravan that leaves the Otero County Fairgrounds in Alamogordo, N.M., at 8 a.m. The caravan is escorted by military police on the 85-mile trip to Trinity, and also on the return trip.
Motels: Get your reservations early because motels in the area, particularly in Socorro, get booked up well ahead of time. Motels in Socorro include the Golden Manor, the Vagabond, the San Miguel, the Sands, a Super 8, an EconoLodge and an Economy Inn. Also, keep in mind that the October date often coincides with the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, and motels are usually booked up early.
Facilities: At the Trinity Site, portable toilets are available, as well as stands selling hot dogs, Trinity tee shirts, Trinity mugs and Trinity-related books.
Photographs: Cameras are allowed at the Trinity Site, but their use is prohibited anywhere else on the Missile Range.
Additional attraction: Before or after your visit to Trinity, check out the National Atomic Museum located at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque. The museum presents background material on the Trinity test and on the Manhattan Project that developed the atomic bomb. Also on display are missiles, airplanes, and casings of atomic and hydrogen bombs.

For further information on New Mexico attractions and lodging throughout the state, see the New Mexico Hotel & Motel Association home page.

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