The Overland Directory · Great Plains
Overland businesses in Kansas
Builders, mechanics, 4x4 shops, outfitters, campgrounds and guides in Kansas, and a free way to get build quotes while the list grows.
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Almost none of Kansas is public land, so the county road grid is the network
The Congressional Research Service counts 254,412 acres of federal land in Kansas, 0.5 percent of the state’s 52,510,720 acres. One unit holds most of what a traveller can use. The Cimarron National Grassland covers 108,175 acres in the far southwest corner, and the Forest Service calls it the state’s largest area of public land and the only parcel it manages here. The Bureau of Land Management holds nine acres in the whole state. The Park Service holds 465.
- Acres in the Cimarron National Grassland 2
- 108,175
- The Forest Service calls it the largest area of public land in Kansas and the only parcel it manages here. The CRS counts 108,621 Forest Service acres in the state
- Of BLM land in the whole state 1
- 9 acres
- The Park Service holds 465 acres and the Fish and Wildlife Service 29,590
- Mount Sunflower, the highest point in Kansas 19
- 4,039 ft
- Wallace County. The lowest point is 679 feet on the Verdigris River in Montgomery County
- Miles of rural county road 21
- 109,434
- More than any state except Texas. Kansas has 138,975 miles of public road in all, the fifth most of any state
- Federal campgrounds a vehicle can reach 17
- 49
- All of them Army Corps of Engineers sites, at 14 reservoirs, and all of them reservable
- Acres in Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve 9
- Nearly 11,000
- The Park Service says less than 4 percent of the tallgrass prairie is still intact, mostly in the Kansas Flint Hills
- Tornadoes a year, 1991 to 2010 37
- Just under 100
- Kansas has had six F5 or EF5 tornadoes since 1950, the third most of any state
Sources for this page
38
- Congressional Research Service. Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data (R42346), Tables 1 and 2, data as of September 30, 2024. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Pike-San Isabel National Forests and Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands. About the Area. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Pike-San Isabel National Forests and Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands. Cimarron National Grassland recreation region. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Cimarron National Grassland. Cimarron National Grassland Auto Tour, and the Cimarron Campground page it sits beside. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Cimarron National Grassland. Cimarron Campground. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Cimarron National Grassland. Cimarron River Trail #1842. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Pike-San Isabel National Forests and Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands. Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV). Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Pike-San Isabel National Forests and Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands. Fire Restrictions. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- National Park Service. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- National Park Service, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. Directions and Transportation. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- National Park Service. Kansas: parks and trails. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- National Park Service, Santa Fe National Historic Trail. History and Culture. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Kirwin National Wildlife Refuge: About Us. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Recreation.gov. Recreation Information Database (RIDB) full export. Federal campgrounds a vehicle can reach, grouped by managing agency and unit. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center. Corps Lakes Gateway: Kansas. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- U.S. Geological Survey. Elevations and Distances in the United States, online edition. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- U.S. Geological Survey. Geographic Names Information System and 3D Elevation Program point query. Elevation of the 3DEP surface at the GNIS coordinates of the named place, rounded to the nearest foot. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Federal Highway Administration. Highway Statistics 2023, Table HM-10: Public Road Length, Miles by Ownership (November 19, 2024). Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Federal Highway Administration. America's Byways: Kansas. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Kansas Geological Survey, University of Kansas. GeoKansas: Mount Sunflower. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Kansas Geological Survey, University of Kansas. GeoKansas: Red Hills Scenic Drives. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Kansas Geological Survey, University of Kansas. GeoKansas: Scenic Drives in the Flint Hills. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Kansas Geological Survey, University of Kansas. GeoKansas: Arikaree Breaks. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Kansas Geological Survey, University of Kansas. GeoKansas: Castle Rock. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Kansas Geological Survey, University of Kansas. GeoKansas: Big Basin and Little Basin. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Kansas Geological Survey, University of Kansas. GeoKansas: Glacial Hills Scenic Byway. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Kansas Geological Survey, University of Kansas. GeoKansas: Post Rock Country. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Kansas Geological Survey, University of Kansas. GeoKansas: Cheyenne Bottoms. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Kansas Geological Survey, University of Kansas. GeoKansas: Point of Rocks. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Kansas Geological Survey, University of Kansas. GeoKansas: Pillsbury Crossing Wildlife Area. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. K.S.A. 32-901: Park and recreation motor vehicle permits; certain license plates constitute permits; fees; posting of information. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. K.S.A. 8-15,100: Operation of all-terrain vehicles; where; when; exceptions. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. K.S.A. 21-5808: Criminal trespass. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. State Climate Summaries 2022: Kansas. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- National Weather Service. Wind Safety. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
Reviewed September 19, 2026. Conditions, closures and rules change; check with the managing agency before you travel.
What you need in Kansas
- Overland builders Shops that take a stock truck, SUV or van and turn it into a vehicle you can live out of for a week or a year. Free quotes
- Sprinter van builders Upfitters and conversion shops that turn an empty Mercedes-Benz Sprinter into a van you can live and travel in. Free quotes
- Fabricators Metal shops that design, cut and weld the parts you cannot buy off a shelf: bumpers, sliders, racks, skid plates, mounts and repairs. Free quotes
- Suspension Shops that set up springs, shocks and geometry for the weight you actually carry and the roads you actually drive. Free quotes
- Tires Tire and wheel shops that understand load ratings, airing down and what a loaded overland vehicle asks of its tires. Free quotes
- Overland mechanics Independent mechanics who know what dirt, weight and distance do to a vehicle, and who will look it over like someone about to drive it a long way from help. Free quotes
- Diesel specialists Shops that live in diesel, from Sprinter vans to heavy-duty pickups, with the diagnostic tools and the patience these engines require. Free quotes
- 4x4 shops The all-round off-road shop: lockers, gears, armor, winches, lights and the knowledge of how they work together on your platform. Free quotes
- RV and van service Service for the house as well as the vehicle: electrical systems, heaters, plumbing, appliances, roofs and seals. Free quotes
- Overland outfitters Stores where you can see the gear before you buy it, and talk to someone who has used it. Free quotes
- Recovery equipment Winches, traction boards, ropes, shackles and the mounting points that make them safe to use. Free quotes
- Roof tents Dealers and installers for rooftop tents and awnings, and the racks that have to carry them. Free quotes
- Camping equipment Fridges, stoves, water, furniture, sleep systems and lighting for camps that start at the tailgate. Free quotes
- Expedition vehicle dealers Dealers and brokers for finished vehicles: expedition trucks, truck campers, adventure vans and the used rigs that come up when someone's trip ends. Free quotes
- Campgrounds Established campgrounds that welcome vehicle-based travelers, from public campgrounds on the way to somewhere to private camps worth a stay of their own.
- Adventure lodging Lodges, cabins, motels and ranches near the dirt, for the night you want a shower, a bed and someone else's cooking.
- Guides Guided trips and local guides for the places where knowing the ground matters: remote deserts, high passes, long river corridors and borders.
- Training Driver training, recovery courses, field repair and wilderness first aid, taught by people who do it for a living.
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