Cimarron Grassland - 603

Cimarron National Grasslands is USFS land surrounding 25 miles of the Cimarron river and a portion of the historic Santa Fe Trail, located in the southwest corner of Kansas. The terrain is rolling hills with tall prairie grass and a sandy river bottom full of cottonwood trees. Hiking and 4x4 trails crisscross the area in an extensive network. The closest town for fuel and supplies is Elkhart, KS. FR 603 leads from the Cimarron Recreation Area, which includes a pay campground, picnic areas, and fishing ponds at the south, to North River Road (FR 600.2). It is a rough dirt road but should not pose many challenges for any stock 4x4 or AWD SUV. The trail crosses the Cimarron River, which is usually dry and very soft sand. 4WD may be required to cross this section. If the river is flowing, it may be impassable. Be aware of flash floods which are common in this area. This entire area is actively used for cattle grazing and also for oil and natural gas production. Always leave gates as you found them. Dispersed camping is allowed on the USFS land unless otherwise posted. However, there are very few clearings in the brush to set up a tent. There is an improved pay campground accessible from South River Road (FR 700.2)