Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [392]
In the winter, the North Unit Scenic Drive closes at this point. If you continue, you'll end up at the Oxbow Overlook, another sweeping panoramic view of the badlands.
The Sperati Point Trail is accessible from the Oxbow Overlook. This is the spur of the Achenbach Trail that leads to the Oxbow Bend Overlook; it makes a less strenuous alternative if you want something shorter than the Achenbach's 16 miles. (The length of this trail is 1.5 miles round-trip.) The trail leads to the narrowest gateway in the badlands. The flow of the Little Missouri River once continued north to Hudson Bay. Blocked during the Ice Age, the river was forced to find a new course and finally broke through the gap between this point and the Achenbach Hills on the other side. The Little Missouri now drains into the Gulf of Mexico through the Missouri-Mississippi system. Take this trail for a taste of prairie country and long, sweeping views.
Exploring the Backcountry
If you wish to explore some of the wilderness the park has to offer, you'll need a free backcountry permit from the Medora or North Unit visitor center for overnight camping. You can also explore the backcountry on horseback. If you bring a horse, you must camp either in the backcountry or at the group campsite in the South Unit. You can also board your horse at the Peaceful Valley Ranch (see "Horseback Riding in the Park," below). Your stay in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park backcountry is limited to 14 consecutive days.
Special Regulations. You cannot have a campfire in the backcountry due to the possibility of wildfires, so you must bring a self-contained camp stove. You must pack out what you pack in (no burying of trash). The park requires those with horses to bring certified weed-free hay. Groups entering the backcountry are limited to 10 persons (or 8 persons with 8 horses). Finally, don't drink the water in the backcountry, which has no safe, approved water sources.
The mother of all trails in the area is the Maah Daah Hey Trail, completed in 1999. The Maah Daah Hey is a 120-mile hiking, horseback, and mountain-biking trail that traverses the scenic and rugged North Dakota badlands. The trail passes through the Little Missouri National Grasslands, as well as state and private land, as it connects the North and South units of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The north end of the trail begins at the U.S. Forest Service CCC Campground in McKenzie County, 20 miles south of Watford City off Highway 85. The trail winds its way to its southern terminus at Sully Creek State Park in Billings County, south of Medora. Six fenced overnight campsites with hitching posts, vault toilets, and campfire rings lie along the trail.
For more information about this trail, contact the U.S. Forest Service, Medora Ranger District, 161 21st St. W., Dickinson, ND 58601 (☎ 701/225-5151; www.fs.fed.us/r1/dakotaprairie); or the McKenzie Ranger District office, 1901 S. Main St., Watford City, ND 58854 (☎ 701/842-2393).
SOUTH UNIT TRAILS
Petrified Forest Trail
16 miles RT (from the east). Moderate. Access: From the east, Peaceful Valley parking area; from the west, trailhead at end of a dirt road outside the park (ask park rangers for directions).
Pieces of petrified wood are scattered throughout this national park, but the greatest concentration can be reached only on foot or horseback along this lengthy trail. The trail leads up along Petrified Forest Plateau. Just don't take any souvenirs.
NORTH UNIT TRAILS
Achenbach Trail
16 miles RT. Moderate. Access: Juniper Campground.
This route climbs from the river bottomlands up through the Achenbach Hills, drops down to the river again, climbs to the Oxbow Overlook on a spur trail, then returns along the river bottom to the campground. Before departing, ask