Each spring, more than 80% of the world’s population of Sandhill Cranes – around 1,000,000 birds – converge on the Platte River in central Nebraska as they migrate north to their nesting grounds. National Geographic named this annual migration as one of North America’s two greatest natural wildlife phenomena. Millions of migrating ducks and geese arrive with them. This one-of-a-kind experience draws visitors including avid birders, scientists, and casual tourists from across the country and across the globe.

Crane Trust

In 2014, the Crane Trust documented that a Platte River sandbar on their property serves as the largest crane roost in the world during the sandhill cranes’ spring migration. Sandhill cranes use same part of the river to roost on year after year during their mid-migration stop on the Platte River

The Crane Trust Nature & Visitor Center is your headquarters for the spring migration of the sandhill cranes. Their guided viewing blind tours are designed to get you as close to the cranes as possible without disturbing them. VIP experiences are also available with lodging provided by the Crane Trust in newly constructed cabins. A handicapped-accessible footbridge tour overlooks a smaller channel of the Platte River on the trust property.

Public Viewing

Guided tours are not necessary to see the sandhill cranes. A public viewing deck (closed for renovations during spring of 2024) is located in a county park on Alda Road along the Platte River, and gravel turn-offs along Platte River Road offer opportunities to view the cranes in cornfields as they feed midday.

Crane Cabin Retreat