Cimarron National Grassland
Elkhart, Kansas
chertjasperagatepetrified woodquartz
Public land, rules apply · Free
Cimarron National Grassland
Kansas is almost entirely private ground, which makes this grassland in the state's far southwest corner the rare place a Kansan can legally pick up rock. The Forest Service's own guidance says rockhounding here needs no permit when there is little or no surface disturbance — while also stating outright that this unit has no formally designated mineral collecting areas. Come expecting chert, agatized wood, and patience rather than a signposted dig, and call the Elkhart office first.
The card catalog
| What you can find | chert, jasper, agate, petrified wood, quartz |
|---|---|
| Access | Public land, rules apply — Free |
| Fees | Free for ordinary rockhounding. Forest Service guidance covering this unit says rockhounding, prospecting, and petrified wood or invertebrate and plant fossil hunting usually require no permit when there is little or no disturbance to the ground. Note the fine print: collecting even less than 10 cubic yards of flagstone, rubble, sand, or gravel by hand for personal use does require a free-use permit from the ranger district, and vertebrate fossils require a permit. Arrowheads and historic artifacts may not be collected. |
| Season & hours | Year-round. Southwest Kansas summers run brutally hot with no shade; spring and fall are the sane windows. Call the Elkhart office at (620) 697-4621 before a trip — the governing guidance dates to June 2019 and the district is the authority on current conditions. |
| Kids | Family-friendly — Easy walking on flat grassland, so kids can manage it, but set expectations low — this is casual surface hunting across a large grassland of sandstone, shale, and gravel, not a marked dig with guaranteed finds. |
| Official source | USDA Forest Service — Rockhounding, Prospecting, and Fossil Hunting on the Pike-San Isabel National Forests, Cimarron-Comanche National Grasslands (June 2019) |
| Last checked | Checked against its source August 16, 2026 |
Hours, fees, and access rules change. Verify with the operator or land agency before you go.
Before you go
What does Cimarron National Grassland cost?
Free for ordinary rockhounding. Forest Service guidance covering this unit says rockhounding, prospecting, and petrified wood or invertebrate and plant fossil hunting usually require no permit when there is little or no disturbance to the ground. Note the fine print: collecting even less than 10 cubic yards of flagstone, rubble, sand, or gravel by hand for personal use does require a free-use permit from the ranger district, and vertebrate fossils require a permit. Arrowheads and historic artifacts may not be collected. Hours, fees, and access rules change. Verify with the operator or land agency before you go.
When is Cimarron National Grassland open?
Year-round. Southwest Kansas summers run brutally hot with no shade; spring and fall are the sane windows. Call the Elkhart office at (620) 697-4621 before a trip — the governing guidance dates to June 2019 and the district is the authority on current conditions. Hours, fees, and access rules change. Verify with the operator or land agency before you go.
Is Cimarron National Grassland good for kids?
Yes — Cimarron National Grassland works for families. Easy walking on flat grassland, so kids can manage it, but set expectations low — this is casual surface hunting across a large grassland of sandstone, shale, and gravel, not a marked dig with guaranteed finds.