Kansas Off-Road Trails

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 607 is an easy double-track trail through the heart of the Cimarron Grasslands, crossing the full variety of terrain. Most of the trail is easy packed dirt, but there are sections of loose sand that may require 4WD. The trail crosses the Cimarron River, which is often dry, but may be difficult to cross when flowing. Beware of the possibility of flash floods if it is raining anywhere in the area. North of the intersection with FR 607.A is a barbed wire gate with some oil and gas equipment on the north side. It is possible to drive through this gate and around the equipment, but it is very tight, and the trail is much rougher. A good alternative route is FR 607.A, which will also lead to FR 600.1. 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)

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 761 (Minor 1-31) is an easy double-track dirt trail through the prairie. Most of the trail is packed sand and dirt, with low grass and brush. A portion of the trail has loose deep sand, which may require 4WD. Portions of this trail, along with FR 763 and FR 765, make up a route from County Road 14 to South River Road (FR 700.2). 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)

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 709.T (Roland) is a short trail connecting FR 709 and FR 722. The trail is well-packed dirt with tall grass. The trail is overgrown and may be hard to find at times. 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)

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. Bridge Pond Road (FR 798.C) starts at the Cottonwood Picnic Area, which includes picnic tables and vault toilets, then it follows along the river toward the highway bridge. It is an easy dirt road that should pose no trouble for even a 2wd vehicle. This is one of the few trails with good spots to set up a tent for dispersed camping. This area is used for active cattle grazing and oil and natural gas production. Always leave gates as you find 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)

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 714 (Interstate Unit 50-52) is an easy dirt double-track trail leading from FR 709 and FR 700.3 to FR 714.D. The trail makes a loop to the west. Most of the trail is very easy, with just some small ruts. The north portion of the loop is very overgrown, similar to FR 714.D. The trail can be difficult to find in this section, and the brush will scratch your vehicle. 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)

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 774 (Wilburton Pond) is a short section of a well-maintained graded dirt road. About 1/4 mile from the west end is the trailhead for the 1853 hiking trail and access to the Wilburton Pond. This road leads to the beginning of FR 774.B, one of the most interesting trails in the area, and FR 775. 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)

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 760.K (Federal 1-10) is an easy double-track trail through tall prairie grass and rolling hills. The west end of the trail leads to oil and gas equipment. This trail is part of a route that crosses the southern edge of the grasslands from Highway 27 to County Road 16, comprising FR 702, FR 760.K, FR 755, and H Blvd. This area is actively used for cattle grazing and oil and natural gas production. Always leave gates as you find 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)

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 600.1I (Simpson) is an easy dirt double-track trail across the open prairie. This trail is a shortcut across from FR 600.1 to FR 600.1L. 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)

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 757 (Mason Drive) is an easy double-track dirt trail through the prairie. Most of the trail is packed sand and dirt, with low grass and brush. A portion of the trail has loose deep sand, which may require 4WD. Where the trail crosses FR 765, the trail jogs to the right about 50 feet before continuing on in the original direction. 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)

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 600.1O (Jones) is an easy trail with a few small ruts, which may require some extra clearance and may be muddy when wet. This area is mostly short grass prairie, which makes it more likely to find a suitable camping site than most of the grasslands, though there are no obvious clearings. 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)

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. Crows Road (FR 617) is an easy double-track trail that cuts across from Santa Fe Trail Field Road (FR 615) to North River Road (FR 600.1). This trail is easy enough for a 2wd vehicle, but extra clearance may be required due to the taller ground in the middle of the double track. Camping may be possible along this trail due to the shorter grass and relatively flat terrain. This area is used for active cattle grazing and oil and natural gas production. Always leave gates as you find 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)

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 600.1L (Simpson) is an easy dirt double-track trail across the open prairie. This trail dead ends at some oil and gas production equipment and also connects to FR 607.A which continues on to the river. 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)

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 600.1M (Low D-3) is an easy dirt double-track trail across the open prairie. This trail is a short dead-end trail leading to a decommissioned oil pump. 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)