Monahans Sandhills State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Monahans Sandhills |
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Sandhills at sunrise
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 Monahans Sandhills
Location in Texas
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| Location | Ward / Winkler, Texas, United States |
| Nearest city | Monahans |
| Area | 3,840 acres (1,550 ha) |
| Established | 1957 |
| Governing body | Texas Parks and Wildlife Department |
The Monahans Sandhills State Park is a special place in Texas, United States. It covers about 3,840 acres (1,554 hectares) of land. You can find it in Ward and Winkler counties. The park is near the town of Monahans, Texas. It's known for its huge sand dunes, which look like a desert but aren't!
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Exploring the Sandhills
Monahans Sandhills State Park is famous for its tall sand dunes. Some of these dunes can reach up to 70 feet (21 meters) high! Even though it looks like a desert, it's actually a semi-arid place. This means it gets some rain, about 12.3 inches (312 mm) each year. The area has water underground and lots of sand moved by the wind.
Plants and Animals of the Sandhills
A very special plant here is the Shinoak (Quercus havardii). This is a type of oak tree that usually only grows about 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall. Most of the Shinoak's plant is actually underground! It has very long roots that reach down to the groundwater. These roots are super important because they help hold the sand dunes in place. When you see a dune that isn't moving, it's often because Shinoak roots are holding it steady.
Even though the landscape seems empty, many small animals live here. Different types of rodents are common. You might also spot packs of Sandhills coyotes. They hunt the rodents for food.
Park Ownership and Fun Activities
Most of the Monahans Sandhills are privately owned. The state of Texas has a long-term lease, or agreement, to use the land for the park. This agreement with the Sealy-Smith Foundation started in 1957 and lasts for 99 years, until 2056.
Visitors to Monahans Sandhills love to play in the sand! Popular activities include sandboarding, which is like snowboarding on sand. People also enjoy 'sand football', 'sand surfing', and sand tobogganing down the dunes.
How the Sandhills Formed
The Monahans Sandhills are part of a huge area of sand deposits. This sandy stretch is about 70 miles (113 km) long and 20 miles (32 km) wide. It goes from Crane County, Texas to Andrews County, Texas. To the east, there's a big cliff called the Llano Estacado escarpment. This cliff acts like a wall, stopping the wind from carrying the sand any further.
The Sand's Journey
Scientists believe the sand dunes were largest about 16,000 years ago. There was also an earlier time when many dunes formed about 25,000 years ago. The sand itself is made almost entirely of tiny quartz grains. These grains are very small and all about the same size.
Changing Dune Shapes
The wind plays a big role in shaping the dunes. Winds from the southeast blow in the summer. In winter, winds come from the northwest. During spring, the wind blows from the southwest. These changing wind directions cause the dunes to change their shapes and move slightly. However, if you measure them year after year, the dunes generally stay in their same spot and keep their overall form.
Images for kids
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Entrance to Monahans Sandhills
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The Dunagan Visitor Center after a winter storm.
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Picnic shelter at Monahans Sandhills
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Sand encroaching on vegetation
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Sand ripples
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Air photo with the park at top and the town of Monahans below center
