The terrain is mostly flat, sloping downward west to east, although bluffs rise about one hundred feet (30 m) above the valley of the Cimarron.

In 1822, William Becknell was the first to traverse the Santa Fe Trail by wagon, pioneering the alternate route called the Cimarron cut-off which passed through the National Grassland.

The Federal government bought land from bankrupt farmers, restored the original prairie, and in 1960 the Cimarron National Grassland was created.

The grassland is dedicated to "water conservation, wildlife management, recreation, cattle grazing, and mineral production.

[1] In May 2011, there was a substantial wildfire known as the Tunner Fire, which blanketed approximately one half of the park along with several thousands of acres of private prairie and the campground.

[7] Access to most of the recreation opportunities in the Cimarron National Grassland are reached 7 mi (11 km) north of Elkhart via highway 27.

The Cimarron Recreation area offers tent and trailer camping, picnicking, a group site, and access to the Turkey Trail.

Several fishing ponds, including four at the Cimarron Recreation Area, are stocked with rainbow trout in the winter and channel catfish in the summer.

[9] Animals hunted include whitetail deer, pronghorn, quail, pheasant, prairie dog and jack rabbit.