In the 1850s, Mill Bluff and other regional bluffs guided travelers through the area, and they continue to serve as landmarks. Near Mill Bluff State Park, the Central Sands are crossed by a network of major transportation routes because the flat, sandy plains were relatively easy places to build roads and railroads compared to the hillier land farther south. Volk Air Field at Camp Douglas also takes advantage of this flat terrain, and these features can be seen from the lookout at the top of Mill Bluff.