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The area includes the largest continuous tract of mid and tallgrass prairie in North America, and the 12 million acres of rolling sandhills make the region the largest dune area in America. The Sand Hills region is often described as a "sea of grass," as grass anchors the sand. It is famous for rolling sand hills and picturesque giant ripples with some dunes reaching 400-feet tall and as long as 20 miles. Covering a full quarter of Nebraska, the Sand Hills provide plenty of canoeing, hunting, photography, birding, fishing and hiking opportunities.

The combination of sand dunes and sandy soils creates a unique grassland environment where hundreds of bird species thrive. Spanning a segment of the Great Plains Flyway, the Sand Hills are a critical part of the sandhill crane migratory route. Water birds including swans, ducks and grebes as well as sandpipers and terns share the Sand Hills with river otter, elk, deer, pronghorn and bats.

Half of the world's population of the Blandings turtle — an international species of concern — resides within the Sand Hills. The Sand Hills is a rare place where people don’t hesitate to drink directly from the springs. But development, wetland drainage and plans to export and sell water from portions of the Sand Hills and threatens to compromise the clean water, stunning vistas and biological diversity of this landscape.

To join Sierra Club's efforts to curtail destruction of the Sand Hills, please contact Buffalo Bruce, buffalobruce@panhandle.net (308) 432-3458, (402) 416-3239.