Efroymson Prairie at Kankakee Sands

Visit

• What should I see?

  More than 600 species of native plants have been used to plant the prairies of Kankakee Sands and as a result, the land is teeming with native wildlife. Kankakee Sands provides habitat for more than 240 bird species, including rare species such as the Henslow’s sparrow, northern harrier and least bittern.

  Kankakee Sands is also home to 70 species of butterflies, including the state-endangered regal fritillary butterfly, and more than 1000 species of moths! Dragonflies, bees, frogs, lizards, snakes, badger and bison all hover, slither and roam at Kankakee Sands

• How can I see the Kankakee Sands bison herd?

  In 2016, TNC brought 23 bison to Kankakee Sands to help manage our prairies. Historically, bison were found across the state of Indiana and were an integral part of our grasslands. Bison preferentially graze grasses and sedges, giving an advantage to flowering plants and the insects and animals that those plants support. Grazing lowers the overall height of vegetation, and in doing so, provides habitat for rare birds such as the upland sandpiper.

  Additionally, when bison wallow, they create shallow depressions on the prairie, which fill with rainwater and can provide habitat for amphibians, reptiles, insects and early successional plants.

  Currently, our Kankakee Sands bison herd is 100 strong. The bison graze on 1,100 acres of prairie, located both north and south of our Kankakee Sands Office. The pasture is divided into a 750-acre north unit and a 350-acre south unit. The pasture is surrounded by a 5-foot-tall woven wire fence and a hot wire. For safety reasons, the public is not allowed to be in the pasture with the bison.

  Our Kankakee Sands bison came from the Lame Johnny herd in South Dakota, and are descendants of the Wind Cave National Park bison herd. Our bison herd at Kankakee Sands is the 12th herd managed by The Nature Conservancy. Currently, bison roam Conservancy preserves in North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.

  The Bison Viewing Area is the best spot at Kankakee Sands to learn more about and see the Kankakee Sands bison herd. The Viewing Area has four informational panels about bison and Kankakee Sands, and short graveled walking paths to the top of a sand top dune for good views of bison, prairies and the landscape.

  The Bison Viewing Area is open from 7 a.m. to sunset (Central Time). If you would like to bring a school group or large group to Kankakee Sands and would like a Bison Ranger on hand to meet and greet the group, please contact Alyssa Nyberg, anyberg@tnc.org, to schedule your visit.

• What should I do?

  Begin your visit to Kankakee Sands at the Welcome Area adjacent to the Kankakee Sands office on US 41. Here you will find informational signage, a sheltered picnic area, viewing platform with spotting scopes and vault toilets. From this location, set off to visit the Bison Viewing Area, the Kankakee Sands Nursery, or one of our several trails.

  • Kankakee Sands Brochure: Orient yourself to this large property with hiking trails, a birding overlook, a bison viewing area and room to explore and unwind.
  • Grace Teninga Discovery Trail: 2-mile loop trail through a prairie
  • Conrad Station Savanna Trail: 1.6-mile loop trail through an oak savanna
  • Wet Prairie Trail: 1-mile loop trail through a wetland—bring your boots! The trail is open only when the bison are not in the north pasture.
  • Bison Viewing Area Trails:
    • Bison Overlook: From this vantage point, you can overlook the north and south pasture, as well as the bison corral area where the bison often congregate to drink water. Note the mounds of sand alongside the trail made by burrowing pocket gophers.
    • Prairie Overlook: This trail winds along the south side of Bogus Island and offers nice views of the southern bison pasture and finishes in a small grove of oaks where songbirds often gather and six-lined racerunner lizards skitter across the gravel walkway.
    • Meadowlark Trail: Along this trail, the spiky rattlesnake master plant blooms in summer, the meadowlarks sing their clear song, and bison make muddy wallows. This trail is seasonally wet and closed when the bison are in the north pasture.
    • Monarch and Pocket Gopher Trails at our Native Plant Nursery provide easy walking through retired native plant nursery beds, and you may see many flowering plants as you explore them.
  • Driving Tour: Allow 2 hours for this comprehensive self-guided driving tour around the Kankakee Sands property.
• What amenities are available?
  • Hours: Sunrise to sunset
  • Parking: Please park in the designated parking areas.
  • Restrooms: Vault toilets
  • Visitor center: Begin your visit to Kankakee Sands at the Welcome Area adjacent to the Kankakee Sands office on US 41. Here you will find informational signage, a sheltered picnic area, viewing platform with spotting scopes and vault toilets.
  • Wildlife viewing areas: Viewing platforms are available at the Welcome Area. Additionally, the Bison Viewing Area is the best spot at Kankakee Sands to learn more about and see the Kankakee Sands bison herd. The Viewing Area has four informational panels about bison and Kankakee Sands, and short graveled walking paths to the top of a sand top dune for good views of bison, prairies and the landscape.
  • EV Charging: EV charging is not currently available at Kankakee Sands.
  • Cell phone and wifi service: Most TNC preserves are located in remote areas, meaning cell phone and wifi service may not always be available.
• What should I bring?
  • Wear comfortable footwear suitable for natural trails, but please do not wear heavy, cleated boots that can damage the trails.
  • To protect yourself from ticks, poison ivy or poison sumac, wear long pants and tuck them into your socks.
  • No matter the season, each person in your party should bring a full water bottle. Dehydration is a serious risk at any time of the year.
  • To get the most from your visit, you may want to include the following items in your backpack:
    • Snacks
    • Camera
    • Insect repellent
    • Rain gear
    • Sunscreen
    • Binoculars
    • Compass
    • Field guides (wildflowers, birds, butterflies & other natural features)
    • First aid kit
• When's the best time to visit?

  Anytime of the year can be a good time to visit Kankakee Sands:

  • Spring affords you wet conditions, migratory birds, spring wildflowers at Conrad Station Savanna, and the intense greening of areas that have been burned using prescribed fire.
  • Summer allows you to enjoy the vast number, colors and shapes of our prairie wildflowers, butterflies, dragonflies, and the hum of the prairie.
  • Fall is when the prairie changes from greens to golds and visitors can hear the call of the sandhill cranes flying over and spot the return of the hawks and harriers. Prescribed burning also begins.
  • Winter is crisp and cold on the prairie, with views of short-eared owls, and staff and volunteers are often planting the seeds for the next prairie.
  • Many of our preserves allow deer hunting from October through the first week of January, so wearing blaze orange is suggested when hiking in these areas during hunting season.
• What are the preserve guidelines and rules?

  Our vision is of a world where people and nature thrive together. The Nature Conservancy encourages people of all ages, lived experiences and abilities to visit our preserves and has a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination of any kind.

  Pets are welcome and must remain on leash at all times.

  We encourage you to hike open trails and enjoy bird and wildlife watching and other permitted activities. Please do not trespass (or park) on private property adjacent to The Nature Conservancy preserves. Property lines are clearly marked with yellow signs featuring the The Nature Conservancy’s logo. To protect the plants and wildlife that call the preserve home, TNC prohibits the following:

  • Biking and mountain biking
  • Camping, campfires and cooking
  • Caving
  • Fishing (except by permit on designated preserves)
  • Geocaching
  • Horseback riding
  • Hang gliding or paragliding
  • Ice skating
  • Hunting (except by permit on designated preserves)
  • Picking flowers, berries, nuts or mushrooms
  • Removing any part of the natural landscape (shells, rocks, etc.)
  • Rappelling
  • Rock climbing
  • Snowmobiling
  • Swimming
  • Firewood collecting
  • Littering (please remove all trash)
  • Drones – aka Personal aircraft, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) — Self-propelled or other aircraft are prohibited from taking off, landing or being operated on any TNC preserve except for official TNC purposes, approved research, or in an emergency landing situation. We prohibit the private use of drones on our preserves for the following reasons:
    • Privacy and enjoyment of other preserve visitors–In order to avoid capturing images of people who are not related to TNC, and for whom a necessary photo release has not been obtained.
    • Wildlife disturbance – To make sure drones will not disturb resident wildlife, especially in areas with many birds or ground-based nests.
    • Preserve management – Unauthorized drones operating in areas where active land management is taking place, such as prescribed burning, could lead to potentially dangerous interactions.
    • Respecting neighboring property–Preserve boundaries that are not always apparent from the ground. We wish to be good neighbors and minimize the risk of drones accidentally crossing over from our preserves to non-TNC property.
• Contact info

  Trevor Edmonson, Project Director
  Kankakee Sands Office
  3294 North U.S. 41
  Morocco, IN 47963

  If you are experiencing an emergency during your visit to Kankakee Sands, please call 911.