Recreation
Eastern Unit. Twenty-two miles northeast of Clayton is McNees Crossing, a reliable source of water on the Santa Fe Trail. In 1828, two young traders, Robert McNees and Daniel Munro, were killed here by Native Americans. In 1831, the first celebration in New Mexico of Independence Day took place at McNees Crossing. Although on private property, a short trail leads to the crossing of Corrumpa Creek and a historical marker. Seventeen miles north of Clayton is a three mile section of the Santa Fe Trail which is open for walking and horseback riding. The trail is marked by rock posts. The ruts of wagons which passed this way in the nineteenth century are still present.
Western Unit. The rim of the Canadian River Canyon, also called Mills Canyon, is six miles west of the nearly-deserted community of Mills. About 15 mi (24 km) of the red-rock, well-vegetated canyon are in the National Grassland. The canyon is 700 feet (210 m) deep and more than 1 mi (1.6 km) wide from rim to rim. A primitive campground is on the rim. A road down into the canyon is traversable by foot, horseback, or high-clearance vehicles. On the canyon floor are the ruins of the homestead of Melvin Mills who had an apple orchard and a home here in the early 1900s. The area is rich in wildlife including introduced Barbary Sheep which flourish among the cliffs. The Canadian River has a variety of sport fishes including Largemouth Bass and Channel Catfish.
A wilderness area encompassing 6,032 acres (2,441 ha) was proposed in 2008 for the Cimarron River Canyon. The proposal would preserve the pristine state of about eight miles of the canyon. Fishing, hunting, and non-motorized travel would be permitted in the wilderness area.
Read more about this topic: Kiowa National Grassland
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