This was our first trip back to the North Dakota badlands since 2004, and the first trip since the publication of our trail guide to the area that came out in 2006 (2006 Guide). The 2006 guidebook was expanded from older and briefer coverage in my Black Hills trail guide. The schedule for the publication of the first edition of the ND book was a little tight, so I wasn’t able to cover all the trails that I would have liked to. We were able to describe in detail all of the two main areas; Theodore Roosevelt National Park and the Maah Daah Hey Trail, which connects the two units of TRNP across forest service and state lands. But we had not managed to hike all the rest of the forest service trails that were being built at that time.
We
had gotten a lot of help from Curt and Russ at the forest service while working
on the guides, and were in touch with them going into this trip on the status
of their trails. I was particularly interest in hiking some of the side trails
off the Maah Daah Hey that would be new to me, such as the Summit Trail, Long X
Trail, Bennett-Cottonwood trails loop, and the Ice Caves Trail. Also, since
this was our first trip since the mid-2000s this would allow us the chance to
accumulate some digital pictures for any later guidebook revisions.
Unfortunately,
the weather news was not good. Western ND experienced a wet spring and high
water in the Little Missouri River, so we expected some of the trails to be
impassable. We were initially planning a week in the Badlands, then a week
visiting family in Iowa, but managed to switch the order to give the Badlands
an extra week to dry out.
Since all the trail detail from this trip was eventually incorporated into the 2021 expanded second edition of the ND guide (here), this post will focus less on the trail detail, and more on what happened during the trip.
6-3-2011,
Sheyenne National Grassland, North Country Trail, 8.2 miles
Since
we had a long drive from Iowa to Medora we decided to split things up and hike
a bit of the North Country National Scenic Trail in the eastern part of the
state. 
Wet trail across the grasslands.
The
FS had just rebuilt a 30-mile section across the prairie, bringing it up to
standards. We started from the Eastern Trailhead on County 23, near where the
Jorgen’s Hollow Trailhead is now. We hiked out and back about eight miles west
to the bridge over Iron Springs Creek. 
Damage to the Iron Springs Creek Bridge.
The
prairie hiking was new to us, expansive vistas, open skies, and plenty of birds
and wildflowers. Much of the start of the trail was wet and soggy, conditions
that should have tipped us off as to what was happening on the other side of
the state. Some of the trail near the start had been surfaced with gravel,
mitigating potential damage from horses or mountain bikes. We saw one horse
party, but the trail dried up as we moved west. There were several shady
stretches in groves of oak, but mostly we were crossing open grassland. The bridge
over Iron Springs Creek had been knocked partially off its mooring by a creek
that looked too small to flow even half the year. 
Enjoying the groves of oak.
While I enjoyed the trail and would come back here in 2019 to expand the guidebook coverage, Jean was not excited about the prairie hiking. We spent the night in Jamestown, planning to finish the drive to the Badlands the next day.
6-4-211,
Little Missouri NG, Summit Trail, 8.8 miles
The
Summit Trail is located just south of the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt
National Park. This was the first of the new side trails to the Maah Daah Hey
that I wanted to explore. I knew from the FS guys that the state’s largest
juniper tree was out there, and that the original route of the trail shown on
older maps further to the north had been replaced by new trail. The trail starts
from a picnic area and heads west out across the prairie before following a
long ridge top to the northwest. 
Butte along the Summit Trail.
Past
a gate we entered the badlands and soon saw badlands scenery as spectacular as anything
in the national park. There was a recent landslide on the north side of the
ridge. 
Narrow pass through the Badlands.
We
hit “Devils Pass”, a narrow exposed section, and then a long traverse carved
into a gumbo the side of a ridge, some of the most exciting trail we’d seen
anywhere, with views stretching to the Little Missouri River and the national
park. Next we dropped down to an unnamed creek, where the landslide damage from
the wet spring became more apparent. 
Jean at Vista.
Jean
stopped along a major slump along the creek, and I forged ahead to try and map
the route to connect to the Maah Daah Hey Trail near what is now MP 142. Beyond
the major slump block there were still a few trees tipped over by the slumping,
but once up on the grassland again things were solid and the MDH junction signs
easy to spot. We retraced our tracks back to the car, taking more photos.
Precarious badlands trail.
The
Summit Trail was probably the most impactful trail in the FS, and maybe enough
to rival anything in the national park, thanks to its deeply dissected topography.
However, the damage from May 2011 was extensive and it seemed unlikely that a
slump-proof trail could be built. Unfortunately, the FS was not able to re-open
the trail after the 2011 landslides. Instead, they have replaced it with a short
trail across the prairie, which omits the spectacular badlands section. In 2020
the FS extended the trail out to edge of the grassland for a four mile out and
back hike. 
Toe of a slump block.
The
MDH Trail Association still shows the Summit Trail on their website, and hopes
that one day the connection to the MDH will be reestablished. For the sake of
hikers looking for outstanding Badlands scenery, so do I. 
Slumped material in the creek bottom.
By
now we were aware of the full effects of the flooding in the area. Things
seemed worse to the north, but even Medora had record flooding and a river
height of 20’. We’d also heard from
others that the Bennett-Cottonwood loop was not passable. So, it seemed a good
time to go to the South Unit of TRNP, where we heard that the trails were still
open despite some small slides along the loop road. We decided to try the Upper
Paddock-Upper Talkington Loop. 
Sand bags around the Roosevelt cabin.
Our
first stop was the visitor center where we got another surprise. Behind the
counter was Jesse, who we knew from his summer work at Frozen Head State Park near
home in TN. Jesse was a summer hire, but as a geology graduate, the park would
be a perfect fit for him. He mentioned
that one of his first tasks at the park was to remove TR’s desk from the
historic cabin located in back of the VC. 
Descending to Paddock Creek.
The
Upper Paddock-Upper Talkington Loop is a long 16 mile loop. I describe it in
full in my guidebook, but also mention an off trail short cut option starting
at Buck Hill that shortens the distance to a little over 11 miles. In truth I
always use the Buck Hill option, but it’s still a long loop with plenty to see.
The descent off Buck Hill is easy cross country, there’s a ridge that takes you
the right direction, and you can see the Painted Canyon VC on the horizon as a
target. About a half mile out there is a circle of stones, beyond that there is
a small saddle and a few steep pitches before you arrive at Paddock Creek.
Usually, it’s a hot dry walk up Paddock Creek, but with the high water, we had
a small creek crossing. 
Hiking Upper Paddock Creek Trail.
The
loop is excellent for wildlife watching. Except of course, it’s their home and
they aren’t always in a hurry to let you by. We had to make a wide detour way
around a group of four male bison, sort of like seeing a street gang at your
local corner. With the wet weather we spent a ton of time picking off ticks,
who often seemed to be sprinting up our legs in well-defined lanes. The trail
climbs out of the Badlands near Southeast Corner Spring, adjacent to Interstate
94, to start a prairie section at the east end of the loop. 
Don't get closer than this to the bison.
Whether
in the badlands or prairie, bison love to scratch on posts that mark the trail.
Prairie trails are often little hiked, this combination can make following a grassland
trail a tough task. True to form we soon lost the trail. We tried to follow the
rim of the grassland to the north, but did not see much of the official trail
here. But luckily we did find the two posts that marked the head of Talkington
Creek and our return trail down into the badlands. 
Prairie dog town on Upper Talkington Trail.
The
trail led into an enormous prairie dog town where we also saw more bison (friendlier
looking this time) and a deer. Further along we spotted some of the park’s wild
horses on the skyline. As we approached the loop road there was a trail
register and we were surprised to read that three groups had hiked the same loop
the day before.
Bison along the Upper Talkington Trail.
One
downside of the shortcut from Buck Hill is that it requires a 1.5 mile road
walk to get back to your car on Buck Hill, nearly the highpoint of the park.
The bonus is that by then it is late in the day, the drive back is great for
wildlife watching, and there’s a chance to add some of the park’s short
interpretive trails to your day’s walk. 
My route map for Upper Paddock and Upper Talkington.
6-6-11,
Maah Daah Hey Trail, Plumely Draw to Medora, MB ride, 18.7 miles
The
biggest change in the ND Badlands trails since our previous visit was the
completion of the southern extension of the Maah Daah Hey Trail from Medora to
the Burning Coal Vein CG north of Amidon. The extension was first called the “Maah
Daah Hey II”, or “The Deuce”, but the FS now prefers to call it the southern
extension of the Maah Daah Hey. 
Plumely Draw to Medora Mountain Bike Map.
Trails
in the badlands are usually dug in (or sometimes just mowed) to a dirt base and
then often coated with a layer of fine rock and dirt, called “surfacing.” The
surfacing is needed because much of the trail is in areas with a layer of
bentonite clay, or gumbo. When wet, gumbo is some of the nastiest stuff around,
wet, sticky, and extremely slippery. Travel on wet gumbo is essential
impossible, and damaging to the trail as well. 
Jean and I, ready to ride.
We
knew from the FS guys that much of the trail immediately south of Medora
towards Plumely Draw had been surfaced and would likely be ridable, despite the
recent wet weather. And while the entire trail tread had been dug, the
trailhead and campgrounds on the Deuce were not yet in place. 
Slumped area along the trail.
Previously,
we had used Jen and Loren at Dakota Cyclery in Medora for the shuttles needed
for our two long backpacking trips on the MDH. They hadn’t shuttled yet on the
Deuce, but a drop off at Plumely Draw with a ride back to Medora looked like a
potential popular trip for them. We set
up the shuttle for Jean and I, and a pair of their friends would do the ride
also. 
Grassland Gate.
After
the short shuttle from Medora, we were soon pedaling across the prairie. These
grasslands sections of the MDH are fun, the riding is flatter, faster, and
smoother, and this is usually where you see wildlife, especially pronghorn.
Outside the park, cattle graze on the trail, and sometimes the cattle can
trample wet trail into boggy, rutted mess. But we saw little of that. Not too
far out we started to see some recent slump blocks from the wet spring, but
generally things had dried well enough to ride. 
Hilltop view.
The
main difference we noticed was that while the original MDH had been built for
hikers and horse riders, the Deuce was built for bikers. The downhills were
fast and twisty, and switchbacks dug wide for bike friendly turns. The other
pair of riders disappeared almost immediately far ahead of us, as I stopped
frequently for trail notes. Five miles in was a fun descent to Davis Creek,
then a tolerable climb back up to the grassland. The South Unit of TRNP is just
on the south end of the Williston Basin, one of the prime targets of the
current oil and gas boom. We could see a few wells operating along the trail,
but they have their place on the FS lands. 
Davis Creek Bridge.
We
had a couple more fun descents and some airy badlands ridgetops before crossing
FS 3, the gravel road connecting Medora and Plumely. By now Jean was getting
tired on the bike, so she took the road north, while I continued on the trail.
As fate would have it the trail north of FH 3 was the easiest and most scenic
of the trip. I had a really fun ride to the junction with the paved road to the
golf course where I planned to meet Jean. Jean had overshot the trailhead
wasn’t there when I arrived, but we met up easily, and rode together back into
Medora. In 2011 there was still a small gap in the trail across the Theodore
Roosevelt Medora Foundation (TRMF) property between the golf course and Sully
Creek State Park. 
Well pad just off the Maah Daah Hey Trail.
Overall,
this was a great ride. It was a little too technical for Jean with the recent
slumping, but she had not been riding much and the slumped areas were an added
obstacle that later riders wouldn’t face. The trail was also much easier after
the first five miles, perhaps it got more maintenance. The shuttle was short
and easy, and it is now a regular run for Dakota Cyclery. The trail needed more
surfacing, we’d ridden a few areas pockmarked by cattle, but that work has
likely been completed by now. 
Riding the narrows along the Maah Daah Hey.
6-7-11,
TRNP, South Unit, Roundup and Jones Creek Trails, 11.2 miles
The
TRNP trail map hadn’t changed much since I first came to the park in the late
1980s. But around the time I moved from the Dakotas in the early 90s the park
added three new horse trails to the South Unit. The first trail gave access to
the Upper Talkington Trail from the east side of the park. It didn’t stay long
on the map, so I never got a chance to hike it. The Mike Auney Trail connected
the Roundup Group Horse along the East River Road Camp to the Petrified Forest
Loop, while the Roundup Trail connected the horse camp to the Jones Creek
Trail. I knew I’d want to add these trails to any later version of my trail
guide. 
Horse herding near Medora.
We
planned an out and back hike on the Roundup Trail with a side trip to the junction
of Jones Creek Trail and the Jones Creek Spur Trail. We parked on the shoulder
of the East River Road, just opposite the entry to the horse camp. 
Bison along the Scenic Loop Drive.
We
were expecting the trail to be degraded from horse traffic, but were surprised
to find a well-kept and well-marked trail. There had been a slight rain
overnight, with more forecast for the day, but the trail was dry and easy
walking. The wet weather had the grasses greened up and some flowers in bloom. 
Prairie Flowers.
The
trail was mostly grassland until we crossed the Scenic Loop Road. We saw a
pronghorn, and the remains of an elk, probably from the park’s thinning effort.
Beyond the Loop Road we climbed to a small ridgetop that held a small pond that,
at least in this wet weather, still held water. 
Pond along the RoundupTrail.
The
next descent took us down to the Jones Creek Trail. We took the trail on the
north side of the creek east to the junction with the Jones Creek Spur, and
turned around at that point.
Jean on the Roundup Trail.
At a "Ted Head" trail sign
Back
at the car the skies looked ominous. We
still wanted to try hiking the Jones Creek Spur, since we hadn’t been on it in
several years. Luckily for us, we could hear thunder to the north, but the rain
held off long enough for us to hike the mile out and mile back. 
The rain is coming.
The
spur was another mix of Badlands and grasslands walking that would make a nice
introductory hike for new visitors to the park. We got back to the car just as
a heavy rain found us. We spent the rest of the day driving the Loop Road,
spotting a band of wild horses, and with a short trip on the Ridgeline Nature
Trail. 
On the Jones Creek Spur.
6-8-11,
TRNP, South Unit, Jones Creek-Lower Paddock Creek Loop, 11.1 miles
The
Jones-Lower Paddock Loop is one of the staples of hiking in TRNP’s South Unit.
Jean was a due for a rest day, so she dropped me off at the Lower Paddock
Halliday Wells TH, and we made plans to meet later at the Jones Creek TH. The
start of this loop is one of the best spots for bison watching in the park.
There is a string of prairie dog towns along the start of the trail, and these
attract enough bison that its often difficult to get out of, or back into, your
car without disturbing them. Jean walked out with me to the trail register, and
then headed back to the car to spend some time in Medora. 
Signing in at Paddock Creek.
Hiking
solo, I especially wanted to keep clear of the bison, and with Jean waiting for
me at the trailhead, I wanted to move quickly enough to be on time. But once
past the prairie dog towns about two miles in, I got off trail for a short
time. Paddock is a tough trail both to mark and to follow, there are lots of
creek crossings and the bison frequently knock down the trail posts. 
Lower Paddock Creek.
In
TRNP getting off trail usually just slows you down. Without tree cover, you can
see the lay of the land and usually find your way back to the trail. I followed
the rest of Lower Paddock to its junction with the Scenic Loop Road. At that
time the trail north followed the shoulder of the Loop Road a short distance,
before heading back out into the prairie. 
Fossil Wood.
About
6 miles in, I hit the Lower Talkington Junction. Just beyond that, in an area
pockmarked with small buttes is a fossil wood area. The fossil stumps are not
as well preserved as the fossil forest on the west side of the river, but there
are several large well preserved specimens in place. Just beyond is a thick
lignite seam, and just beyond that a partly filled in old stock pond on a flat
grassland section. 
Fossilized tree stump.
At
8 miles I hit the junction with the Jones Creek Trail, at the end of our hike
the previous day. It was less than a mile to the Roundup junction. The last
section into the Jones Creek TH was generally well above the creek and was fast
walking, but didn’t have many views. 
Long abandoned stock pond.
6-8-11,
TRNP South Unit, Old East Entry Station, 1.0 mile
By
the time Jean picked me up she was ready for a short hike, so we decided on a
destination new to us, the park’s old East Entry Station. This had been the
main access to the park up until the mid-1960s when I-94 was built, and park
facilities had been upgraded as part of the Mission 66 initiative. After the
entrance was moved to the current location in Medora, the old East Entry
Station sat nearly forgotten with no roads or trails leading to it. But hikers
had rediscovered the station. There was not an official trail in 2011, but our
next visit in 2019, the route was on the park map. 
NPS photo of East Entry Station.
 |
| East Entry Check Station. |
Jean
and I drove around the loop road to MP 12.9, where there was a small pullout.
If you know where to look, you can see the station, hidden in the trees, with
I-94 also in view behind it. There was a well beaten trail that leads to a
prairie dog town in just a tenth of a mile. It is just a flat half mile (excluding
our detour around a grazing bison) to the station. Though the current trail
follows the route of the old road, there is little sign of the road, just a few
scattered fragments of asphalt. 
East Entry Metal Work.
 |
| East Entry stone work. |
Local
workers from the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and Works Progress
Administration (WPA) had built the East Entry in the 1930s. 
Stone work in the Check Station.
The
station is composed of a main gate house and a smaller closet sized enclosure
which would have been on the opposite side of the entry road, along with the
log gates on either side. The monument (or pylon) that sat out front was later
moved to Painted Canyon. We were amazed by the workmanship that went into the
station. The buildings were made from hand carved sandstone fitted together in
intricate patterns. The details of the stone carving on the windows and doors were
spectacular, and the metal work was adorned with the Maltese Cross. The
building was well sealed up, and the station’s isolation for nearly 50 years
had kept it remarkably well preserved and free from vandalism. This is easily the
most impressive structure we’d ever seen in a park or forest backcountry. 
East Entry from approach side.
East Entry Station from park side.
6-9-11,
Maah Daah Hey Trail, I-94 south to Buffalo Gap Trail, 7.6 miles
For
our last day’s hike, we needed a short one, and decided to hike the section of
the Maah Daah Hey Trail between I-94 where it exits TRNP and the south junction
with the Buffalo Gap Trail. This section had been relocated since our last hike
there in 1999. 
Map of the Maah Daah Hey Trail in 2011.
Just
a quick reminder here that the Buffalo Gap Trail serves as a bypass to the MDH
around Theodore Roosevelt NP, where mountain bikes are not allowed in the
Wilderness Area of the park’s South Unit. We parked in a gravel lot next to the
I-94 Exit 24 on ramp. Parking is no longer allowed here, instead there is now a
nice mile plus long greenway connecting the MDH to Medora to allow hikers and
bikers to park in town. Medora parking is much safer, driving home after the
hike we had a flat tire caused by a nail, mostly likely from the gravel lot. 
Under the railroad.
Before
heading south, we made a quick check of the MDH heading north into TRNP, a
complicated spot that seemed to use a different route every time we visited.
Next we wandered under the interstate and under the railroad bridge to Andrews
Creek. Normally an easy crossing, Andrews now had a strong flow. Wanting to
keep our feet dry, we gathered enough wood to bridge the creek, and then were
able to step over two further crossings of the creek. 
On the Maah Daah Hey Trail.
With
those logistics behind, we had a nice gentle climb through the green prairie
and spring flowers. We reached the start of the relocation after two miles and
a trail gate sponsored by our friends at Dakota Cyclery. 
Jean along the Maah Daah Hey Trail.
The
trail descended through some sandstone boulders, then joined an old two track
road with great views back to the north. A pair of switchbacks eased the final
climb to the ridgetop junction of the MDH and Buffalo Gap trails. 
View from the Maah Daah Hey/Buffalo Gap trails junction.
We
copied all the trail sign information for our guide and realized that the relocation
extended to join the old MDH in the bottom lands along the Little Missouri
River (re-exploring that section would take another trip). Though the
MDH-Buffalo Gap junction was now a couple hundred yards west of the old
location, the view down to the Little Mo was still awesome, colorful deeply
carved badlands swooping down to the river below. 
Looking north toward Medora.
We
retraced our route back to the car enjoying the last of the prolific
wildflowers in this wet spring. We bypassed the two secondary crossings of Andrews
Creek on our return (The MDTHA and FS have since worked to harden the Andrews
Creek crossing).
Prairie Flowers.
Our
efforts to document these changes to the trail system paid off in 2019 when our
new publisher OK’ed a revised version of our hiking guide. Jean and I spent a
couple of weeks scouting new trails and checking older ones for the 2021
edition of the book, which included the new south extension of the Maah Daah
Hey Trail, all the new side trails in the national grassland and detailed
descriptions of all the major trails in TRNP. here
