Sand Hills State Park

Sand Hills State Park
Wildflowers
Wildflowers in Sand Hills State Park
Sand Hills State Park is located in Kansas
Sand Hills State Park
Sand Hills State Park
Location within Kansas
Sand Hills State Park is located in the United States
Sand Hills State Park
Sand Hills State Park
Location within the United States
Interactive map of Sand Hills State Park
LocationReno County, Kansas, United States
Coordinates38°07′00″N 97°50′40″W / 38.11667°N 97.84444°W / 38.11667; -97.84444
Area1,123 acres (454 ha)[1]
(1,172 acres (474 ha)[2])
Elevation1,550 ft (470 m)
Established1974[3]
AdministratorKansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
Visitors138,616 (in 2022)[4]
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata
Kansas State Parks

Sand Hills State Park is located north of the city of Hutchinson in Reno County, Kansas, United States. The park is a preserved natural area with sand dunes, grasslands, wetlands, and woodlands and trails for hiking and horseback riding.[1][5]

History

In 1974, the Kansas Park and Resources Authority acquired 640 acres (260 ha) from the Kansas State Industrial Reformatory. This section of land became the 22nd state park in Kansas by a House Bill signed by Governor Robert Docking. Shortly after this transfer, the Dillon Family of Hutchinson donated an adjacent 320 acres (130 ha). With the donation, the Kansas Park and Resources Authority was able to acquire another adjacent 163 acres (66 ha) with Federal Land and Water Funds, thus establishing the present 1,123 acres (454 ha) Sand Hills State Park.[6]

Geography

The park is located east of Kansas State Highway 61 about 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Hutchinson in northeastern Reno County, Kansas. It is situated along the northern edge of the Hutchinson Dune Tract, which consists of rolling sand dunes from 10 to 40 feet (3.0 to 12.2 m) high that are mostly stabilized by prairie grass vegetation. The dunes were formed by windblown deposits of sand transported from the Arkansas River at the end of the last glacial period.[5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Sand Hills State Park". Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Sand Hills State Park Brochure". Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. August 2025. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
  3. ↑ "About KDWP". Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
  4. ↑ Self, Matthew (August 18, 2023). "Top 5 most popular Kansas state parks revealed". KSNT. Nexstar Media Inc. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Jim Mason. "Sand Hills State Park". Natural Kansas. Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism. Archived from the original on April 4, 2018. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Sand Hills State Park". Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism. Archived from the original on July 1, 2014. Retrieved June 15, 2013.