Rita Blanca National Grassland

The Rita Blanca National Grassland encompasses a total area of about 93,000 acres of land in the northeastern area of New Mexico and in the northwest Texas Panhandle which spreads into Oklahoma. Some of the counties that the grassland spreads into include Cimarron County, Oklahoma as well as Dallam County, Texas. 

The closest major city to the grassland is Dalhart, Texas, but there are several other cities and towns near the grassland including Mills, Clayton, and Seneca which are in New Mexico and Kerrick and Texline which are in Texas. To access the grassland, visitors can use several different routes including US 87, US 56/412, NM 39 and NM 40. 

The National Grassland is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Several distinct attractions make Rita Blanca National Grassland an excellent place to enjoy nature at its finest. First, the park has a 14-mile segment of the Canadian River and is also partly the home of the Canadian River Canyon which is mostly in the westernmost section of Kiowa National Grassland. 

This area has a lot of rich biotas and is known to have plenty of wildlife to see. Additionally, the grassland has unique animal species like the Rocky Mountain mule deer introduced in the 1940s and 1950s as well as the Barbary sheep which are native to Africa. In addition to these natural attractions, the grassland is also famous for other reasons including historic, paleontological, and prehistoric cultural attractions. 

Besides these marvels, the Rita Blanca National Grassland is also a favorite among visitors who love to enjoy recreational activities like hunting, camping, canoeing, fishing, horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking, bird watching, rafting, and wildlife viewing. 

There are several facilities in the grassland, including campgrounds, trails, dispersed camping, and picnic areas. Dogs are allowed into the Rita Blanca National Grassland although it is important to mention that there are some restrictions to areas of the grassland that can be visited with your dog. As such, it is important to make inquiries about the areas of the park that you can and cannot visit when you are with your dog.