interstitialRedirectModalTitle

interstitialRedirectModalMessage

interstitialRedirectModalRedirectCTA
interstitialRedirectModalDismissCTA
Skip to content

Places We Protect

Sandhills Ranch

Kansas

Undulating hills covered in green and brown grass.
Sandhills Ranch TNC purchased the 10,086-acre ranch in southwest Kansas in 2022. It features wide-open stretches of prairie and interdunal wetlands along with 2.8 miles of the Arkansas River © Brad Cory/TNC

Undulating dunes covered in prairie grasses are home to lesser prairie-chicken, mule deer and more iconic wildlife.

Overview

Description

The 10,086-acre Sandhills Ranch is one of the largest properties along the Arkansas River in Kansas. Located in Edwards, Ford and Kiowa counties, it's in the heart of the Great Bend Sand Prairie ecoregion, where much of the original habitat has been converted, and what remains is not well protected.

Here, undulating sand dunes are stabilized by an extensive root network of native grasses and wildflowers. The vegetation provides important habitat for shrub-loving birds, like bobwhite quail, lesser prairie-chicken and Bell's vireo.

In addition to wide-open stretches of prairie, this property contains interdunal wetlands, where rainwater remains at the surface because of an underlying layer of impervious clay. These wetlands provide critical habitat for wildlife, including migratory birds such as sandhill and whooping cranes.

Access

CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC

Location

Between Dodge City & Greensburg, Kansas

Map with marker: Map with marker.

Size

10,086 acres of sand prairie and interdunal wetlands.

Explore our work in Kansas

Protection of the Sandhills Ranch is also part of a larger vision, the Southern High Plains Initiative, which seeks to conserve a network of lands and waters across the region to boost climate resilience, preserve biodiversity and support sustainable rural communities. The initiative spans 71 million acres at the intersection of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

Grasslands are one of the most resilient carbon sinks in the context of countering climate change. Conversion to cropland is both the primary threat to the Great Bend Sand Prairie and the primary method of releasing the carbon stocks stored deep underground. TNC’s purchase of the property ensures that the Sandhills Ranch will remain in its natural state, guaranteeing that it will continue to serve this vital ecological function.

Plants and Wildlife of the Sandhills Ranch

The mixed-grass prairie vegetation on the Sandhills Ranch provides high-quality wildlife habitat in an area where much of the native grassland has been lost.

Lesser prairie-chicken facing camera in open field.
Close up of blueish spiked grasses with yellow flowering hairs.
A buck and a doe mule deer silhouetted against the sky.
A large brownish bird with wings pointed down flying in a clear blue sky.
Macro view of a purple tubular flower with white stamens.
A jackrabbit with long ears looks directly at the viewer.
Close up of a tall grass with many thin, spiky branchlet clusters at the top.
Small white flowers with five petals and yellow pollen on the stamens.
a small gray bird.
A beige and brown spotted snake curls up on sandy soil.
Lesser prairie-chicken facing camera in open field.

Lesser Prairie-Chicken: Sandhills Ranch contains several prairie-chicken leks. © Harland J Schuster

Close up of blueish spiked grasses with yellow flowering hairs.

Sand Bluestem: Sand bluestem (Andropogon hallii) is found in sandy soils of the western 2/3 of Kansas. It can hybridize with big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) which is found statewide. © Matt Lavin/CC BY-SA 2.0

A buck and a doe mule deer silhouetted against the sky.

Mule Deer: Mule deer are only found in the western 1/3 of Kansas. © Richard Barry

A large brownish bird with wings pointed down flying in a clear blue sky.

Sandhill Crane: Sandhills Ranch provides habitat for migrating birds. © Russ Schnitzer

Macro view of a purple tubular flower with white stamens.

Beardtongue: Shell-leaf beardtongue (Penstemon grandiflorus) thrives in sandy soils. © Chris Helzer

A jackrabbit with long ears looks directly at the viewer.

Black-tailed Jackrabbit: Black-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus californicus) can be found across the state of Kansas but are most common in the western half of the state. © Paulette Donnellon/TNC Photo Contest 2022

Close up of a tall grass with many thin, spiky branchlet clusters at the top.

Needle-and-thread Grass: Hesperostipa comata, commonly called needle-and-thread grass, is commonly found in dry, sandy soils of the Great Plains. © Andrey Zharkikh (CC by 2.0)

Small white flowers with five petals and yellow pollen on the stamens.

Sand Hill Plum: Sand hill plums (Prunus angustifolia) are found in sandy prairie soils. The thorny, thick bushes grow to 4 feet by 6 feed wide and provide cover for wildlife. © Getty Images via Canva.com

a small gray bird.

Bell's Vireo: Bell's vireos in the western United States are duller in color than their yellow-flanked eastern counterparts. Look for them in brush, thickets, and bushes. © Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren (CC by 2.0)

A beige and brown spotted snake curls up on sandy soil.

Plains Hognose: Plains hognose snakes prefer loose, sandy soils. Hognoses often play dead as a defense mechanism. © Peter Paplanus/CC by 2.0

Find More Places We Protect

The Nature Conservancy owns nearly 1,500 preserves covering more than 2.5 million acres across all 50 states. These lands protect wildlife and natural systems, serve as living laboratories for innovative science and connect people to the natural world.

See the Complete Map