Sandhills

The Nebraska Sandhills span 19,300 square miles across the state, featuring grass-covered dunes that reach heights of 400 feet above the Ogallala Aquifer.

Native American tribes, including Pawnee, Omaha, and Sioux, utilized these grasslands as hunting grounds before settlers arrived in the 1870s for cattle ranching.

The Kinkaid Act of 1904 transformed the region by allowing homesteaders to claim larger plots of land, leading to the settlement of nine million acres.

The region maintains one-third of Nebraska's beef cattle population across extensive ranches, while shallow lakes between dunes support diverse wildlife populations.

The sand dunes formation contains 720 plant species and 314 vertebrate species, with 93 percent of vegetation being native to this preserved prairie ecosystem.

GPS coordinates: 35.17000,-79.44000

Latest update: March 10, 2025 15:20