Nebraska Sandhills

The Nebraska Sandhills are one of the largest and most remarkable landscapes in North America — a 19,600-square-mile expanse of grass-stabilized sand dunes covering nearly a quarter of Nebraska, stretching across the north-central part of the state. Once active dunes in a drier ancient climate, the Sandhills are now a sea of grass-covered hills, with thousands of spring-fed lakes, marshes and wet meadows nestled in the valleys between the rolling dunes.

Underlain by the vast Ogallala Aquifer, the Sandhills are one of the most productive and unspoiled grassland and wetland ecosystems on the continent — alive with wildlife, waterfowl, migratory birds and native plants that have been largely spared by the plow because the sandy soils are unsuitable for row crops. Driving the lonely two-lane roads through the Sandhills is a profound, beautiful experience. The Nebraska Sandhills are a treasured natural icon of the state and the Great Plains.

The Nebraska Sandhills are explored by driving the scenic highway network (Highway 2 across the heart of the Sandhills is a National Scenic Byway), hiking, birding and wildlife watching (the lakes, marshes and grasslands support extraordinary concentrations of ducks, shorebirds, grassland birds and mammals), fishing and boating on the spring-fed lakes (some of the clearest in the Great Plains), canoeing and kayaking, and experiencing the quiet, vast solitude of this grass-dune sea. Driving Highway 2 through the Sandhills, birding the lake complexes, and experiencing the silence and solitude are the signature draws.

Spring migration (April through May) brings extraordinary concentrations of waterfowl and shorebirds on the spring-fed lakes, and summer brings breeding sandhill cranes, sharp-tailed grouse and diverse nesting birds; fall migration adds more waterfowl. The Sandhills are beautiful in every season — winter is remote and cold, but the cattle ranches and the grass-dune silence have a stark beauty. Spring for migration and summer for breeding birds and lake recreation are the highlights — drive Highway 2 in late April for the most vivid combination of migrant birds, spring wildflowers and golden-grass dunes.

The Nebraska Sandhills are the homeland of the Lakota Sioux, Pawnee and other peoples who hunted and traveled across these grass-dune hills, following the bison that once roamed the Sandhills in vast numbers. Euro-American settlement was limited by the sandy, plow-resistant soils, and the Sandhills became cattle ranching country — a tradition that has preserved much of the native grassland to the present day. The Sandhills remain one of the largest intact native-grass ranching landscapes in the world. The Nebraska Sandhills preserve this vast and largely intact prairie and wetland heritage, a treasured natural icon.

The Nebraska Sandhills are ancient sand dunes — the product of winds that transported and deposited vast quantities of sand (eroded from the Rocky Mountains and the northern Great Plains) across north-central Nebraska during drier Pleistocene and Holocene climates. The dunes were stabilized by native grasses as the climate became more moist, fixing the dune forms in place under a grass cover. The Ogallala Aquifer lies close to the surface, and its water discharges into the thousands of spring-fed lakes and wet meadows in the dune valleys. The ancient dunes, the grass stabilization and the Ogallala aquifer created this unique grass-dune landscape.

The Nebraska Sandhills support outstanding wildlife and bird diversity — large populations of mallards, teal, pintails, diving ducks, white pelicans, sandhill cranes, sharp-tailed grouse, greater prairie-chicken, upland sandpipers, bobolinks, dickcissel, burrowing owls, and dozens of other grassland and wetland bird species, along with white-tailed deer, mule deer, pronghorn, coyotes, and a rich prairie-wildlife community. The Sandhills are considered one of the most important waterfowl and grassland-bird areas in North America. The spring and fall migrations are extraordinary.

The Nebraska Sandhills protect the largest intact native-grass rangeland in the United States and one of the most important Great Plains wetland systems — the spring-fed lakes, wet meadows and marshes (fed by the Ogallala Aquifer) providing critical breeding and staging habitat for millions of waterfowl and shorebirds on the Central Flyway. The grass-covered dunes and the aquifer-fed lakes are ecologically linked; threats from groundwater pumping and land conversion are concerns. Protecting the native grassland, the spring-fed lakes and the aquifer recharge that sustains them is essential for this irreplaceable Great Plains ecosystem.

The Nebraska Sandhills hold a treasured place among the icons of Nebraska and the Great Plains — a vast, grass-covered sea of ancient dunes in north-central Nebraska, the largest sand-dune formation in the Western Hemisphere, alive with wildlife and spring-fed lakes, a cattle-ranching landscape that has preserved one of the largest native-grass ecosystems in the world. On the homeland of the Lakota and Pawnee, the Sandhills embody the wild, quiet, endless beauty of the Great Plains. The Nebraska Sandhills are a cherished natural icon of the state.

The Nebraska Sandhills are accessible primarily by driving U.S. Highway 2 across the heart of the region (a National Scenic Byway designated the ‘Sandhills Journey’, from Grand Island west through Broken Bow, Dunning, Thedford, Mullen, Hyannis and beyond), along with many smaller two-lane highways and county roads. Most of the land is private cattle-ranch country (not open to the public without permission), but public access includes state and federal wildlife management areas and the spring-fed lakes in the public lake systems. The small towns along Highway 2 (Thedford, Mullen, Hyannis, etc.) have limited services. Plan for remote travel.

The Nebraska Sandhills are protected primarily by the private cattle-ranching community that has preserved the native grassland, and by various land trusts, the Nature Conservancy and state and federal agencies managing wildlife areas and lake systems. The greatest threats are groundwater pumping (which can lower the aquifer and dry the spring-fed lakes) and land conversion (pivots and row crops on sandy soils). Visitors help by staying on public roads and designated public areas, respecting private ranch land, protecting the water resources, and following all rules in public wildlife areas. Protecting the native grass and the Ogallala aquifer sustains the Sandhills.

The Sandhills are remote, with limited services and great distances between towns; come with a full tank of gas, water and supplies. Cell service is limited or absent through much of the region. The landscape is flat (some gently rolling dunes) and the roads are mostly paved, but county roads can be sandy or muddy and impassable after rain. Weather can change rapidly (thunderstorms in summer; blizzards in winter). The spring-fed lakes vary in depth; swim carefully. Respect the remoteness, the limited services, the sandy roads and the Great Plains weather.

Most Sandhills land is private; stay on public roads and designated public-access areas. In public wildlife management areas and state recreation areas, follow Nebraska Game and Parks rules (a permit or access fee may apply). Fishing requires a Nebraska license. Hunting follows Nebraska regulations. Respect all private property and fence lines. Do not disturb nesting birds or wildlife. Pack out all trash. Check Nebraska Game and Parks and the wildlife management area access maps before venturing off the main highways.

The small Sandhills towns of Thedford, Mullen, Hyannis, Broken Bow and Valentine (the ‘capital’ of the Sandhills, with the Niobrara National Scenic River nearby), the Niobrara National Scenic River near Valentine (best canoe trip in Nebraska), the Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge (one of the finest lake complexes in the Sandhills), and the vast Nebraska plains define the region. The Sandhills and the Niobrara River anchor the remote, wild outdoor experience of north-central Nebraska.

Drive U.S. Highway 2 (the Sandhills Journey National Scenic Byway) from Grand Island west toward Alliance on a clear spring day — pull over often to listen to the silence, watch for sharp-tailed grouse dancing on the hilltops at dawn, and scan the spring-fed lakes for waterfowl and white pelicans. Stop in the small towns (Valentine, Mullen, Hyannis) for local flavor and services. Bring a full tank and extra water — services are far between — and plan a side trip to the Niobrara River near Valentine for the best canoe day in Nebraska.