The Sand Hills marker remembers a travel barrier

At SH 115 and FM 874 northeast of Kermit, a 1967 marker names the Sand Hills as a 100-mile belt crossing Winkler and four other Texas counties. The belt ranges from 3 to 20 miles wide, and the marker records many dunes taller than 70 feet.

The sand was not empty. The marker describes oaks holding the outer dunes, shallow water feeding willows, cottonwoods, and plum thickets, and plums that fed early settlers. Texas Parks and Wildlife identifies shin oak as one plant that stabilizes the dunes. Fresh water occurs at shallow depths in the dune field and can seep into low places.

Heavy, shifting sand made a natural barrier to travel. The same landscape offered water and places to camp while forcing travelers to work around the dunes.