Burning Coal Vein and the Columnar Junipers

The North Dakota Badlands sit atop thick beds of lignite, a soft brown coal. When a seam is exposed and ignited, by a lightning strike, a prairie fire, or even the natural heat of decomposition, it can smolder underground for a very long time, creeping along the coal bed and slowly consuming it. The Burning Coal Vein was one of the most famous of these fires, reported to have burned for well over a century before it finally went out.

As the coal burns, it bakes the clay and sandstone above it into a hard, brick-red rock called clinker or scoria, which weathers into some of the most colorful buttes in the badlands. What looks like a scene of geologic calm is in fact shaped by slow-motion fire, and the reddened ridges across this country are the scars of seams that burned long ago.

The heat and chemistry of the burning ground helped create the setting for the grove of columnar junipers that grow near the vein. Rocky Mountain junipers usually spread low and wide, but here a number of them rise as tall, slender columns, a growth form unusual enough that botanists have studied and collected from the grove. The pillars stand out sharply against the pale grassland and the eroded badlands behind them.

The junipers, the clinker, and the memory of the fire together make this a place unlike anywhere else on the northern plains. It has long drawn the curious, and the surrounding grassland gives it a hushed, end-of-the-road quality that rewards those willing to make the drive.

The badlands and grasslands of western North Dakota have been home to Native peoples for thousands of years. The Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara farmed and traded along the Missouri to the east, and the Lakota and other Plains tribes hunted bison across this open country. Their trails, camps, and knowledge of the land run through the whole region, and the Little Missouri River that carved these badlands was a route long before any road.

Today the site lies within the Little Missouri National Grassland, the largest national grassland in the country, a patchwork of public range that preserves the badlands character of the region. It is managed for grazing, wildlife, and quiet recreation, and it keeps this remote corner much as travelers would have found it a century ago.

Reaching the Burning Coal Vein means driving gravel and dirt roads south from Medora into the grassland, and those roads can turn to slick gumbo after rain or snowmelt and strand a vehicle. Summer and early fall, when the ground is dry, are the safest times to visit, with long daylight and warm days on the open prairie.

Fall brings cooler air, golden grass, and clear skies, an especially fine time for the badlands. Winter is cold and the roads are often impassable, and spring can be muddy, so timing a visit to dry weather is the key to reaching this out-of-the-way place safely.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

The Burning Coal Vein, in the badlands of southwestern North Dakota, is the site of a remarkable underground coal seam that smoldered and burned for a very long time, along with a rare grove of unusual columnar juniper trees nearby. For many years an underground vein of lignite coal slowly burned beneath the ground here, baking the earth above and creating unusual geology, and the surrounding area is home to a rare stand of columnar junipers, cedar trees that grow in a distinctive tall, narrow, columnar form found in few other places. This unusual natural site, with trails and scenery, is a fascinating and offbeat destination. A strange and fascinating natural area, it intrigues visitors. With its coal vein and rare trees, the site offers a compelling destination in North Dakota.

The columnar junipers near the Burning Coal Vein are a rare stand of Rocky Mountain juniper trees that grow in an unusual tall, narrow, columnar shape, quite different from the typical spreading form of the species, making this grove a botanical curiosity found in very few places. The distinctive columnar cedars, growing near the site of the long-burning underground coal vein, add to the area's unusual character. Their rarity and striking form make them a notable natural feature. Appreciating these unusual trees enriches a visit to the Burning Coal Vein area in North Dakota.

You can explore the area of the historic underground coal vein and its unusual baked-earth geology, see the rare grove of columnar juniper trees, hike the trails, and take in the quiet badlands scenery of this offbeat natural site. The unusual coal-vein geology, the rare columnar junipers, the trails, and the remote scenery are the draws, making it a fascinating and unusual stop for the curious. The strange natural features are the highlights. With its curiosities, the site offers a rewarding experience in North Dakota.

The mild months of late spring through early fall are the most pleasant for hiking and exploring the area, avoiding the extreme heat of midsummer and cold of winter, with spring and fall offering comfortable temperatures. Because the site is remote and access can vary, checking current conditions and directions before you go is wise. For comfortable exploring, aim for late spring or early fall at the Burning Coal Vein and columnar junipers in North Dakota.

The Burning Coal Vein and columnar junipers are in the badlands of southwestern North Dakota, within reach of White Butte, the Badlands region, Theodore Roosevelt National Park to the northwest, and the towns of the southwestern part of the state. That makes the site a compelling stop to combine with the other attractions of southwestern North Dakota on a visit to the state.