Monahans Sandhills State Park - Texas Parks and Wildlife

09/15/2026

🌙 Wings Over the Sandhills 🐦

Fall migration is underway! Each fall, millions of birds travel through Texas, many making their journey at night.

Here at Monahans Sandhills State Park, visitors may spot seasonal travelers like the Painted Buntings, Yellow Warblers, Bullocks Orioles, Swainson’s Hawks, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Scissor-tailed Flycatchers and more.

Artificial light can disorient migrating birds and make their already-long journey more difficult. You can help by turning off lights, closing blinds and keeping night skies dark. 🌙

Small actions can make a big difference for wildlife passing through.

06/26/2026

What a fantastic day yesterday at Reading with a Ranger!

Our group dove deep into the wild side of the sandhills as we read and learned about coyotes — the clever adapters of the desert — explored how the desert was painted with its incredible colors and textures, and discovered the story behind the sandburr sticker and how it hitchhikes its way around!

The kids had a blast with two high-energy games:“Relay to the Sun in the West Texas Wind” — and the “Stars to Sandburrs” game that echoed themes from our books. We also teamed up with our friends at Ward County Library for a collaborative mural painting activity that brought the desert to life on canvas.

A huge shout-out to our entire ranger team — every single one of our park rangers participated in some way yesterday. Because here at Monahans Sandhills, EVERYBODY IS AN INTERPRETER!

Thank you to all the families who joined us. These moments of learning, laughter, and connection in the dunes are what make summer at the park so special.

Who’s ready for our next session on July 7?

06/20/2026

We’re thrilled to partner with Ward County Library for “Reading with a Ranger” — four special days of stories, crafts, and outdoor fun as part of their Summer Reading Program!
📍 Location: Sandhills Section House inside the park 
🕘 Time: 9AM – 10AM 
🗓️ Dates:• Tuesday, June 16 • Thursday, June 25 • Tuesday, July 7 • Tuesday, July 21
 
Each session includes ranger-led storytime, a hands-on craft, and a nature activity (short hike or sand sledding — weather and heat permitting).
Perfect for families in the Summer Reading Program! All ages welcome. 
Come explore the beautiful sandhills, make memories, and spark a love for reading and nature. 🌟
 
We can’t wait to see you there!

04/18/2026

04/18/2026

04/14/2026

04/13/2026

04/12/2026

Kite Fest 2026 exceeded all expectations! Thanks to our incredible visitors and partners (Alan and Dina Torre, Llano Estacado Master Naturalists, and .birrieria), we had a blast — post your photos and tag us! We'd love to do this again, comment if you agree!

04/01/2026

😄

🚨BREAKING NEWS: Monahans Sandhills State Park announces new ski lift!!🚨

Construction crews have completed the installation of a ski lift in the park interior. Visitors will no longer have to climb the dunes to slide down on the sand discs! Our first visitors today were surprised by the ski lift, with one visitor asking, “is this some kind of April 1st joke??”

😁😁