Cimarron National Grassland, Photo by Elaine Giessel
By Elaine Giessel, Sierra Club Kansas Chapter Chair
In the far southwestern corner of Kansas near Elkhart, the Cimarron National Grassland covers more than 100,000 acres. of prairie and narrow riparian zones in Morton and Stevens Counties. Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands
Managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it is the largest area of public land in Kansas and the only parcel managed by the Forest Service. Activities here include exploring the historic Santa Fe trail, camping, hunting, bird watching, hiking, fishing, and picnicking.
The area receives very little rain, so the prairie landscape is dominated by short grasses, sage and yucca growing in sand and gravel. The Cimarron River runs through the accessible area.
This desolate place is a good reminder of the impacts the expansion of “civilization” has had on the fragile landscape, groundwater, wildlife, and peoples of the southern plains, just as author Lucas Bessire reminds us.