Kankakee Sands (Indiana)

June 05, 2025

Hey Y'all,

We enjoyed our drive through Kankakee Sands, and while far away, we did see the Bison. We also saw several birds, butterflies, and many different plants.

More about Kankakee Sands:

Kankakee Sands is a 10,000-acre (4,000 ha) complex of tallgrass prairie and oak savanna restorations and remnants in Kankakee County, Illinois and Newton County, Indiana.^[1]^[2] It is managed by The Nature Conservancy staff and volunteers. The Efroymson Restoration at Kankakee Sands is 8,400 acres (3,400 ha) of prairies and wetlands connecting Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area, Beaver Lake Nature Preserve, Conrad Savanna Nature Preserve and Conrad Station Savanna. This creates over 20,000 acres (8,100 ha) of dry, mesic and wet sand prairies, sand blows, sedge meadows, wetlands, and black oak savannas.

This area is part of the Grand Kankakee Marsh system and the site of the largest natural lake in Indiana until it was drained. Beaver Lake was 7 miles (11 km) long and 5 miles (8.0 km) wide. As a shallow lake, only 10 feet (3.0 m) deep, it was filled with vegetation and wildlife. It was drained by the 1880s. The Nature Conservancy purchased 7,200 acres (2,900 ha) of farmland in 1996 with the aim of restoring as a prairie.^[2]

Bison roamed through Indiana when the eastern pioneers first arrived in the state. Explorers reported bison in the 1600s and 1700s. An 1824 traveler encountered a single bison near the modern location of the preserve and shot it. Bison were extirpated from Indiana by 1830.^[4] Twenty-three American bison were introduced to the Kankakee Sands in October of 2016. The bison are from the Wind Cave National Park.^[5] Bison were indigenous to Indiana until exterminated by 1790.^[6]

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 such rare species 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 900 species of moths! Dragonflies, bees, frogs, lizards, snakes, badger and bison all hover, slither and roam at Kankakee Sands.

Begin your visit to Kankakee Sands at the Visitor Kiosk in front of the Kankakee Sands office for current news and activities. Then set off to visit the Bison Viewing Area, the Birding Overlook, or one of our several trails.

As mentioned, 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 up 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, the call of the sandhill cranes flying over, the return of the hawks and harriers, and prescribed burning begins.

Winter is crisp and cold on the prairie, often with views of the short-eared owls.

Our Phone Pictures, and video (soon):