Maah Daah Hey Trail

The idea of a long trail linking the scattered pieces of the North Dakota badlands goes back to the 1960s, but it took decades of planning and volunteer labor to make it real. The route was laid out to connect the North and South units of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, along with the park's remote Elkhorn Ranch unit, stitching together public land across the Little Missouri National Grasslands into one continuous non-motorized path.

The result, completed in the 1990s, is unusual in American trail building: not a loop or a short scenic walk but a true point-to-point wilderness trail more than a hundred miles long, marked by carved wooden posts topped with a turtle, a symbol of steadiness and long life that suits both the trail and its name. It is maintained today largely by a devoted local trail association and its volunteers.

The Maah Daah Hey earned early fame among mountain bikers, who recognized it as one of the great long rides in the country and gave it their highest honor as an epic ride. Riders take on the whole distance over several days, camping at trailhead campgrounds along the way, or bite off shorter segments as day rides from the trailheads near Medora and elsewhere along the route.

But it is just as rewarding on foot. The trail climbs onto clay buttes for long views, drops into shaded draws and river bottoms, and crosses open prairie where the grass runs to the horizon. Along the way you may share the country with bison, elk, pronghorn, wild horses, and a chorus of prairie birds, the same living badlands that captivated a young Theodore Roosevelt when he ranched here in the 1880s and that helped turn him into the conservationist president.

The badlands are beautiful and unforgiving in equal measure. Summer brings fierce heat and sudden thunderstorms, and the fine clay soil turns to a boot-swallowing gumbo when it rains, so the friendliest seasons are spring and fall. There is little to no water on much of the route, so long trips demand real planning, caching or carrying water, and honest respect for distance and weather.

The good news is that you do not have to ride the whole thing to feel it. From Sully Creek State Park and other trailheads near Medora you can head out on the trail for a few miles and turn around, sampling the buttes and the silence before returning to town for the night. However far you go, the Maah Daah Hey delivers the same thing: a chance to move slowly and honestly through one of the emptiest, most quietly beautiful landscapes in the country.

The easiest place to touch the trail is near Medora, the small frontier-styled town that serves as the gateway to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Just south of town, Sully Creek State Park offers a trailhead, parking, and campground, and puts you straight onto the singletrack for a day ride or a hike. Other trailheads and campgrounds are spaced along the route to the north for those going farther.

Fuel up, fill your water, and check conditions in Medora before you set out, since the badlands hold no services once you leave the trailhead. Whether you plan a gentle out-and-back or a multi-day traverse, the trail rewards preparation and patience, and it leaves most visitors understanding why the Mandan word for something long-lasting felt like the right name for a path through this ancient, weathered country.

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 Maah Daah Hey Trail is a long and spectacular single-track trail winding through the rugged North Dakota Badlands, one of the premier long-distance trails in the region for hiking and mountain biking. Stretching for many miles across the badlands between the units of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, the trail traverses stunning scenery of colorful buttes, canyons, prairie, and river valleys, offering an immersive wilderness experience for hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders. Its name comes from a Mandan phrase meaning something like an area that will be around for a long time. Its beauty and challenge make it a beloved destination for the adventurous. A rugged and scenic wilderness trail, it delights the adventurous. With its badlands route, the Maah Daah Hey Trail offers a spectacular destination in North Dakota.

You can hike, mountain bike, or ride horseback along the long single-track trail through the badlands, taking in the stunning scenery of buttes, canyons, and prairie, camping at trail camps for longer trips, and experiencing the wilderness, with options for short day outings or long multi-day journeys. The scenic single-track, the badlands scenery, the mountain biking and hiking, and the wilderness experience are the draws, making it a superb destination for adventure. The immersive badlands scenery is the highlight. With its trail, the Maah Daah Hey offers a rewarding experience in North Dakota.

The Maah Daah Hey crosses remote, rugged badlands with little shade, few services, and sometimes limited water, so carrying plenty of water, food, sun protection, and supplies, planning your route and access points, and being prepared for heat, weather, and self-sufficiency are essential, especially on longer sections. This is wildlife country including bison, so keeping a safe distance and being aware matter. Checking current trail and weather conditions before you go is wise. Preparing well and carrying enough water ensure a safe trip on the Maah Daah Hey Trail in North Dakota.

The mild months of late spring through early fall are the best for hiking and biking the trail, avoiding the extreme heat of midsummer and the cold of winter, with spring and fall offering the most comfortable temperatures and beautiful scenery, though water can be scarce in dry periods. Because conditions and water availability vary, checking current information before you go is important. For the most comfortable and scenic conditions, aim for late spring or early fall on the Maah Daah Hey Trail in North Dakota.

The Maah Daah Hey Trail winds through the North Dakota Badlands between the units of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, within reach of Medora, the park's South Unit and Painted Canyon rim view, Little Missouri State Park, and the Badlands region. That makes the Maah Daah Hey Trail a spectacular way to experience the North Dakota Badlands alongside Theodore Roosevelt National Park on a visit to the state.