The next opportunity to attend our overnight experiences will be March 4 through April 7, 2026. Tour reservations open online on Thursday, January 8, 2026, at 9:00 am CST.

Every March and April, over a million Sandhill Cranes converge on the Platte River Valley in central Nebraska to fuel up before continuing north to their nesting grounds. Audubon’s Rowe Sanctuary is at the heart of this magnificent crane staging area.

During the migration, Rowe Sanctuary offers daily guided tours at sunrise and sunset to view the spectacular concentrations of Sandhill Cranes on their river roosts from new discovery stations strategically placed along the Platte River close to Sandhill Crane roosts. Nature enthusiasts, bird lovers, and photographers will have multiple ways to experience this historic migration.  

During the first week of March, there are plenty of unique opportunities in the Platte River Valley. As the Sandhill Cranes first arrive, you will have the opportunity to watch foraging behaviors in cultivated fields as the cranes first arrive in the valley. Thousands of Snow Geese, Canada Geese, and smaller numbers of Cackling Geese and Greater White-Fronted Geese pack into riverine sandpit lakes and the Platte River itself. Cranes, geese, American White Pelicans, and ducks like Blue-winged Teal, Mallards, and Northern Pintails are usually visible from our river discovery stations during your tour. Early March is also an excellent time to spot large groups of Bald Eagles, since they spend the winter communally along the river. Our trail network that begins at the Audubon Center is a great place to view winter sparrows, including Dark eyed Juncos, American Tree Sparrows, White Crowned Sparrows, and Harris’s Sparrow among many others. While there are plenty of birds and great viewing from the discovery station, there are typically less people that visit early in the migration, providing more opportunities to interact with staff and volunteers at the Iain Nicolson Audubon Center, and less crowded viewing both in the discovery stations and on the roadside. To warm up in between bouts of crane viewing, attend one of our many events and speakers at the Audubon Center, or head to Gibbon, NE for a warm cup of coffee and a pastry at Rise and Grind. Kearney, NE is also a wonderful place to check out over 6 museums, a local event, or our excellent local breweries and restaurants.

During the first two weeks of April, the cranes are searching for the best weather conditions to migrate. You will observe large groups of cranes circling in the air to test the thermal currents. Since they have spent several weeks refueling in the river valley by this point, the cranes tend to spend more time on the river, which makes for prolonged morning crane viewing from our discovery stations. Early April is also one of the best times to spot a Whooping Crane in the river valley, since their migration tends to begin later than that of the Sandhills. As our trails open after tours, head out to a discovery station to search for early-arriving shorebirds on the river. Greater Prairie Chicken leks tend to be most active in late March and early April, and there are several outfitting business within 30 minutes of Rowe for a private morning lek tour. During the day, crane viewing in the fields is still excellent and there are typically less people viewing cranes on the roadside. Outside of the cranes, tourists enjoy strolling along over 25 miles of Kearney’s bike trail, visiting the outdoor botanical gardens and walking paths at Yanney Heritage Park, and venturing up into the Sandhills grasslands just north of Kearney, which represent the largest stabilized dune ecosystem in the Western Hemisphere.

Rowe Sanctuary will offer a variety of speakers and programs during Crane Season 2026!   Check back for announcements on programs in Fall/Winter 2025.

Audubon’s Rowe Sanctuary features one of the most intimate and spectacular views of the sandhill crane migration that occurs along the Platte River in Nebraska. The five mile stretch of river covered by this camera is one of the most densely populated sandhill crane roosts in the world with 100,000-200,000 cranes at the height of migration. Groups of cranes stay around three weeks once they arrive to this location and the best times to view them on the river is early mornings and evenings. The morning liftoff either happens slowly, with smaller groups of cranes leaving as the sun continues to rise, or more frequently with tens of thousands of sandhill cranes leaving all at once in a cloud that blots out the sky. Sandhill cranes return to the river in the evening to spend the night on the river’s shallow sandbars. Groups of cranes pour into the river silhouetted by the setting sun as they dance and socialize before falling asleep. 

Watch the migration from our free online Crane Cam!

We offer special consideration for large groups of 10 or more visitors, such as school groups, non-profit and community organizations, and company trips.  More information can be found here.

Crane Season: February 15 - April 15

Keep checking back for crane season updates or subscribe to our eNews!