Are The Monahans Sandhills In Jeopardy of Being Blown Away?

With all the high winds this past weekend, it has some wondering if the Monahans Sandhills State Park is in danger of blowing away.

The Monahans Sandhills State Park is still one of the most visited tourist attractions in West Texas and many visitors have inquired about the windy climate in West Texas putting the park in danger of being eliminated.

But not to worry, officials say that the dunes are trapped between the Davis Mountains to the south and the caprock to the north, that is what keeps the sand in place and prevents any windy conditions from carrying off the sandhills.

Officials also say it would take a major catastrophic event to endanger the sandhills and 50 mph sustained winds with 80 mph gusts is not a catastrophic event.

The sand is coarse enough to keep it from being carried into the atmosphere, unlike the fine red sand that makes up most of the Permian Basin and causes the sky to turn red or brown when high winds strike the area like we witnessed this past weekend and will see again on Thursday according to the National Weather Service forecast.

So never fear if you are a frequent visitor to the Monahans Sandhills State Park, it will not be blown away anytime soon.

If you would like to visit, entrance fees to the park are $4 for adults and children aged 13 and above, children under 12 are admitted for free. To find out more about the park, go to the Monahans Sandhills State Park section of the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.