Maah Daah Hey Trail Guide
The Maah Daah Hey Trail runs 144 miles through the North Dakota badlands, beginning near the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park outside Medora and ending near the North Unit outside Watford City. The trail corridor crosses Dakota Prairie Grasslands (USFS), BLM land, and private land under easement, threading through the Little Missouri Badlands in a route completed in 1999 after years of trail building coordinated by local volunteers, the Forest Service, and the Badlands Trail Alliance. It is named from the Mandan language, meaning roughly "grandfather" or "that which has been around for a long time," a name proposed by Mandan tribal elders that fits the ancient, eroded landscape it crosses.
The trail has two distinct identities. For hikers and backpackers, it is a remote multi-day journey through genuinely isolated North Dakota badlands: clay buttes, prairie grassland, seasonal creek crossings, Little Missouri River fords, and miles of terrain where the nearest road is invisible in every direction. For mountain bikers, it is one of the premier long-distance singletrack routes in North America, a 144-mile sustained experience of rolling badlands terrain that has drawn riders from across the country and internationally since word spread through the mountain biking community in the early 2000s. The trail serves both communities well and manages the coexistence through clear expectations and a shared interest in keeping the route primitive.
What to Expect
The Maah Daah Hey Trail passes through one of the least-visited stretches of public land in the lower 48. Outside of the sections adjacent to Theodore Roosevelt National Park and the campgrounds near Medora and Watford City, the trail is genuinely remote. Cell service is absent across most of the corridor. Road crossings occur roughly every 10 to 25 miles in the interior sections, with nothing between crossings except the trail, the badlands, and whatever weather the Great Plains sends. This is not a trail where you improvise your water plan or navigation at the trailhead. It rewards detailed preparation.
The landscape throughout is badlands: the layered clay formations (bentonite, shale, siltstone) carved by the Little Missouri River and its tributaries into buttes, coulees, and drainage systems. The geology is the same formation that produces the Painted Canyon and the butte country visible from the Theodore Roosevelt National Park Scenic Loop Drive, extended 144 miles north through terrain that sees a fraction of the park's visitor traffic. Petrified wood erodes from the clay surfaces along many segments. Bison move freely across the BLM and Forest Service sections of the trail corridor. Wild horses related to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park herd are occasionally encountered in the southern sections.
Terrain is consistently rolling with occasional steep coulee walls. The climbs are rarely longer than a quarter mile but they recur constantly, making the trail significantly harder for hiking or riding than a flat distance equivalent would suggest. A day covering 15 miles on the Maah Daah Hey typically feels like 20 miles on flatter terrain due to the accumulated elevation change in the coulee crossings. Trail surface is clay-based dirt and ranges from firm and fast in dry conditions to nearly impassable when wet. The spring mud season (typically mid-April through late May, sometimes longer after wet winters) makes the trail unsuitable for biking and difficult for hiking. The trail's managing organizations ask visitors to avoid the trail when conditions are muddy to prevent compaction damage.
Water sources are the primary logistical challenge for all users. The Maah Daah Hey is a semi-arid environment where reliable water does not exist on much of the trail surface. Stock ponds, seasonal creeks, and the Little Missouri River crossings provide opportunities, but the stock ponds can go dry in drought years and the seasonal creeks are unreliable outside of snowmelt and storm runoff periods. Campgrounds along the trail (CCC, Wannagan, Elkhorn, Buffalo Gap, and others) have water in season, but intervals between developed campgrounds can be 20 to 35 miles. Water planning requires knowing the locations of campgrounds and confirmed water sources before each day's segment.
The trail is marked with wood post markers bearing a turtle emblem (the turtle being a symbol of longevity in some Plains tribal traditions, fitting the trail's Mandan-language name). Markers are spaced every half mile on most sections and are reliable for navigation in good visibility. In fog, after snow, or in the rare sections where posts have been damaged or removed, GPS with a downloaded track is useful. The trail is also included on publicly available maps from the USFS Dakota Prairie Grasslands office.
Best Trails
CCC Campground to Sully Creek Segment
25 mi, Point-to-Point, Strenuous
The southern segment near Medora begins at the CCC Campground (a named campground accessible by vehicle, located south of Theodore Roosevelt National Park's South Unit boundary) and runs north through some of the most dramatically eroded badlands on the full trail. The route crosses multiple coulee drainages, passes through sections of open prairie, and reaches Sully Creek State Park near Medora as its northern terminus.
This segment is popular for two reasons: proximity to Medora (the main visitor base for the South Unit of THRO) and the quality of the badlands scenery. The creek crossings range from easy in dry conditions to thigh-deep during snowmelt; trip reports from the Badlands Trail Alliance website provide current conditions. This is typically the starting point for southbound thru-hikers and bikers.
Elkhorn Ranch Segment
12 mi, Out-and-Back, Moderate
The Elkhorn Ranch site is the location of Theodore Roosevelt's primary North Dakota ranch from 1884 to 1886, where he spent the extended time in the badlands that shaped his conservation thinking. The National Park Service preserves the site, which is accessible only by a long dirt road or by trail. The Maah Daah Hey's connector trail to Elkhorn provides the most scenic approach.
The route follows the Little Missouri River corridor for several miles before arriving at the ranch site, where only stone foundation remnants survive from Roosevelt's buildings. The setting is powerful in its own right: the river bottom cottonwood grove, the badlands bluffs on the opposite bank, and the sense of isolation that Roosevelt described in his ranch journals. The out-and-back distance is approximate depending on the access point used; coordinates for the Elkhorn Ranch trailhead are available from the NPS at nps.gov/thro.
Buffalo Gap Campground Segment
15 mi, Point-to-Point, Strenuous
The central segment of the trail, consistently rated by thru-travelers as the most immersive single day on the full 144 miles. Buffalo Gap Campground sits in a deep coulee crossing and the segment covers the terrain between two drainage systems through badlands that see very little foot traffic outside of through-travelers.
The segment has no road crossings, limited cell service throughout, and multiple coulee descents and climbs that accumulate significant total elevation change over the 15 miles. Water is available at Buffalo Gap Campground on both ends of the segment but potentially absent in between; confirm conditions with the Dakota Prairie Grasslands office before attempting this section with a light water carry.
Bennett Trail Connector
8 mi, Point-to-Point, Moderate
A shorter segment near the north end of the trail that connects the main Maah Daah Hey corridor to the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. For visitors who want a taste of the trail's character without committing to a multi-day outing, this section offers a half-day point-to-point hike through badlands terrain with the North Unit's visitor facilities as the endpoint. Bikers note that the park boundary requires dismounting; the connector ends at the park boundary where bikes are not permitted on THRO trails.
When to Visit
Late spring (late May through June) offers acceptable conditions for thru-travel once the spring mud season clears, with milder temperatures than midsummer and the grassland sections green and active with breeding birds. This is the shoulder season that thru-hikers often target: past the mud risk, before the full summer heat.
Summer (July and August) is the most popular mountain biking season despite the heat. Temperatures in the badlands regularly reach 95 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit in July. Many bikers start before sunrise and finish by early afternoon to avoid the midday heat. Thunderstorms are common in the afternoon and can produce dangerous lightning in the open badlands terrain; monitoring forecasts and having a shelter plan (coulee wall overhang, vehicle access point) is standard summer practice.
Fall (September through October) is the recommended season for hiking and backpacking. Temperatures drop to the 60 to 75 degree range in September, the grasses turn copper and gold on the upland sections, and the badlands clay colors are richest in the lower-angle fall light. September brings the most comfortable multi-day backpacking conditions on the trail. October is cooler and the days shorter, which tightens daily mileage windows for thru-travelers but remains feasible into mid-October most years.
Winter (November through March) is not a trail season for most users. Temperatures drop well below zero on the most severe days, and snow can make trail markers invisible. A small number of experienced winter travelers use the trail in snowshoe and ski-pulk configurations in January and February, but these are specialist undertakings that require comprehensive cold-weather preparation.
Spring mud season (typically April through mid-to-late May) is when the trail is most vulnerable and user restrictions are most important. The bentonite clay becomes deeply rutted when biked or heavily hiked in wet conditions, and the resulting ruts require significant volunteer labor to repair. The Badlands Trail Alliance posts current trail status on their website; check before visiting during spring.
Getting There and Logistics
The southern trailhead and most developed infrastructure are near Medora, 3 miles from the CCC Campground. From Bismarck, drive 135 miles west on I-94 to Exit 24 (Medora). The CCC Campground is accessible by a dirt road south of Medora; the road requires high clearance in wet conditions. The Painted Canyon trailhead and the Sully Creek State Park area provide additional southern access options.
The northern trailhead is near Watford City, approximately 15 miles from the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park on US-85. Watford City has grown significantly due to oil field development and offers full services: hotels, fuel, grocery, and equipment supply.
Developed campgrounds along the trail include CCC, Wannagan, Elkhorn, Buffalo Gap, and several others at roughly 20 to 35 mile intervals. All developed campgrounds have water in season (late May through September). Dispersed camping is permitted on the Forest Service and BLM sections of the corridor with standard Leave No Trace practices. Campfire restrictions apply during dry periods; check with the Forest Service before building fires.
No trail fee applies as of 2026 for Forest Service and BLM sections. Theodore Roosevelt National Park sections require the standard park entrance fee ($30 per vehicle as of 2026). The America the Beautiful Pass covers THRO entrance. Veterans and active military should see veteran benefits for outdoor recreation for pass options.
Vehicle shuttles are the practical logistics solution for point-to-point travel. Several outfitters based in Medora and Watford City offer shuttle services specifically for Maah Daah Hey thru-travelers; the Badlands Trail Alliance website maintains a current list. Self-shuttling requires two vehicles and pre-arranged timing.
Planning Tips
- Water planning is the most critical logistics element of any Maah Daah Hey trip. Map every confirmed water source on your route before you start, carry capacity for the longest dry interval on your planned segment, and always filter before drinking regardless of source clarity. Many hikers carry 3 liters of capacity as a standard; individual water needs vary significantly by temperature and exertion level.
- The turtle markers are reliable for navigation on most of the trail, but downloading a GPX track to a dedicated GPS device or an offline mapping app provides useful backup. Cell service in the badlands interior is absent or extremely limited across most of the corridor.
- Mountain bikers planning a thru-trip typically choose supported (following van carrying gear) or self-supported (bikepacking with all gear on the bike). Supported tours allow significantly lighter bikes and faster daily mileage. A few commercial outfitters in Medora run guided Maah Daah Hey bike trips; costs and logistics vary. Self-supported bikepackers should plan for 40 to 60 miles per day depending on fitness and conditions.
- Bison are present in the trail corridor outside the national park boundaries. Treat them with the same caution as within park boundaries: stay at least 75 feet away and do not position yourself between a cow and her calf. Bikers may encounter bison on the trail itself; stopping and waiting for the animals to move is the correct approach.
- The 10 essentials checklist applies with particular emphasis on navigation (paper map and GPS), water treatment, and sun protection. The open badlands terrain provides essentially no shade outside of coulee bottoms and river corridors.
- Review checking conditions before you go for current trail status, fire restrictions, and flood information. The Badlands Trail Alliance and the Dakota Prairie Grasslands district office are the two most current sources for Maah Daah Hey-specific conditions.
The Maah Daah Hey Trail is one of America's genuinely underappreciated long routes, known to dedicated hikers and mountain bikers but not yet crowded in the way that more famous long-distance trails have become. The North Dakota badlands are as remote, dramatic, and photogenic as any trail corridor in the country, and the logistics of the Maah Daah Hey are simpler than many comparable routes: established campgrounds, a well-supported mountain biking community, and the twin anchors of Theodore Roosevelt National Park at each end. Follow Leave No Trace principles and leave the trail surface dry when conditions require it. The landscape that earned its Mandan name has been here a long time. The trail depends on it staying that way.