maah daah hey trail

epic adventure on this long multi-use trail. Great for hiking, biking and riding. great views of the grassland and river.

My husband and I drove nine hours with our bikes to ride on this trail. First, you have to find it (search hard, as there are NO trailhead markers). The brochure (trail map) shows the trail going through the Teddy Roosevelt wilderness area; however, no bikes are allowed on the section of the trail! We were told to use the bypass starting at Buffalo Gap campground, again NO trailhead markers anywhere. We found a small 6 inch path through the grass and concluded this must be the trail. If hundreds of people actually bike this trail, they hide it well. We rode for a mile then returned to the truck. Extremely disappointing!

If you're like many U.S. travelers, you've not been to North Dakota. It is the least visited state of the 50. Ironically, it also has the best economy.My wife had been to all the contiguous 48 states except ND, so I wanted to take her there. We love outdoor activities and Mountain Biking and I had read about the MDH trail years ago. I also had read a history book about Theodore Roosevelt called "Mornings on Horseback." All this led to the town of Medora, which has to be the most touristy place in a not very tourist state. I say that in a good way, the town is cool with T. Roosevelt reenactors and decent restaurants, museums and the T. Roosevelt Nat. Park visitor center. Not over the top like Gatlinburg, Tennessee for example. We were going to go to the Medora Musical, but it rained the night we arrived and cancelled the outdoor show. Plus the very helpful Dakota Cyclery is in Medora, which is the expert on all things Maah Daah Hey trail. Anyone riding the trail should start at DC in Medora, they can help you with whatever MDH trail adventure you can imagine. One thing they told us is that the trail now leads well to the South of Medora. A lot of dated information says it runs ~100 miles mostly North of Medora. It actually leads about 95 miles North and about 50 miles South of Medora now. Most of the Southern miles have been built in the last 4 years or so.We had two days to check out the trail just before 4th of July, 2014. I wanted to also visit T. Roosevelt's old Elkhorn Ranch site, so we drove West and North about 30 miles to mountain bike the trail. We started at the Elkhorn Campground which is maybe 2-3 miles from the Elkhorn Ranch site and right on the MDH trail. That campground is nice with hilly terrain and woods next to neatly mowed grass where you can set up a tent. In fact the National Grasslands people had been out mowing the trail where we were too. We started down the trail from there and quickly came to the Elkhorn Ranch unit of TR Natl. Park. We followed the rules of no mtn. biking and walked the 1/2 mile trail to the old ranch site--old bulidings gone long ago. It was very peaceful and a scenic spot. It would be cool if they would rebuild a replica ranch, but I'm sure there is no budget for that. Next we rode the trail Northbound until we reached the trail's Little Missouri River crossing. There is no bridge, you have to ford across if you want to reach the East side of the river. The folks at Dakota Cyclery and TRNP had all advised against fording as the Spring had been wet and water was high. The vegetation was lush though and the trail was not muddy around there anyway. The trail was grass in many spots but not hard to follow with the many 45 degree top posts with a turtle logo they set along the trail route. So we turned around when we got to the river. We rode back toward the campground and took a shortcut on the county road. A rancher came by in a pickup surprised to see anyone out there at all, so we chatted for a while. He had a nice place down in the river bottom. We discussed the oil boom and judging by his brand new pickup was probably helping him a little or a lot. There are some new oil wells as this are is on the Southwest side of the Bakken trend oil boom area. I didn't find them bothersome at all--the pads are usually located in depressions and surface equipment painted tan to blend in. They are driving North Dakota's extremely healthy economy and the fact is, participating in outdoor sports like mountain biking is completely dependent on availability of oil & gas for many aspects.After talking to the rancher, we rode back to camp on the road to save time. A big tank truck also passed as that is how they get the oil out of the well tanks. Other than that it is very quiet and we spotted deer, pronghorn, bison, pheasant, and many other birds. We were the only ones we saw on the trail and in camp and enjoyed a beautiful and peaceful evening. Great place for solitude it appears.The next day we rode a little ways South on the trail toward the Wannagan camp. Not very far though and we came back to the car. We packed up and drove back to Medora. We stopped back in to Dakota Cyclery, and hired them to shuttle us further South on the newer South portion of the trail. We ate lunch in town then rode their van down to Plumely Draw trailhead. Then we rode the trail all the way back to Bully Pulpit--about 16 miles of trail. The trail is more dirt than grass down here but the scenery was beautiful just the same. Somewhat "crowded" as we passed 4 other bikes on that stretch.Overall, I loved the samples we got of the trail and would love to ride the entire thing some day. It is scenic country with a fun little town in the middle and a place that I would call undiscovered and extremely uncrowded. There is much variety in terrain, if you love to mountain bike you have got to find something to love out here--probably a lot of things to love.

I wish we had more time but the short hike we did on the Maah Daah Hey Trail "wetted" our appetite some day to return and do a longer hike. You can also do mountain biking and horse back rides on this trail through this scenic area.

We helped surface many sections of this trail. They improve it every year. I would start at the north end if I were not going to be able to do the whole trail, it is much more scenic, but also a bit more challenging

and connects to the trails in the Teddy Roosevelt National Park south end. You cannot ride it all in a week and probably not in a month!! our group did 25 miles a day for a week and still had lots to explore when we come back. Stay at Sully Creek Campground, great sites with great corrals and the trailhead to the Maah Daah Hey is right there.

Whether on horse, on foot or on a mountain bike, the Maah Daah Hey Trail is simply an awesome experience. But I will caveat it with you need to be prepared. After it rains, the trail can have some challenging spots but if you are prepared for a remote trail, it is quite beautiful, easily navigated and well marked and well worth trying. Just be prepared for the weather and able to care for yourself. If you are into that kind of scenario, you will not be disappointed. I only wish I could have experienced a longer segment of the trail than I was able.

I've walked a number of segments of the trail, and dream of doing the entire trail some day. Beautiful, quiet, intriguing.

Remote, challenging, rewarding & breathtaking - both scenicly AND aerobically! Bring plenty of water, sunscreen and calories - you will use them all. Detailed maps are helpful (Nat'l Park Service - North & South Units of Theodore Roosevelt Nat'l Park, Dakota Cyclery in Medora, Long X Visitor Center in Watford City). Trust the "turtle posts" (unless they are missing or "cow-tipped") and remember you can USUALLY see the next post from the preceding one. This is about as untamed as it gets - not ALL of North Dakota is flat, as you will soon discover.

Maah Daah Hey apparently is a Mandan Indian phrase meaning "an area that has been or will be around for a long time." Given the trail length (100 miles), diversity, variable challenge, and fun we had on it, I hope it is around for a very, very long time.I had the opportunity to ride this trail with my brother-in-law, 11 year old son and 10 year old niece. We had logged some miles throughout the summer so we were in shape for it which I'm sure helped a bit. We rode different sections over the course of a 3 day stay and enjoyed the varying topography, scenery and sublime singletrack.The trail is easy to follow, watching for signposts with turtles emblazened on them helped guide our way. We started in Medora and would venture off doing longer and longer sections of the trail. It's usually rather rolling terrain that isn't too technical except for some rocky areas or loose sand spots. A really nice ride was from Buffalo Gap campground to Medora, as it covered grasslands as well as buttes, and we felt even more "out there" even though the trail does not seem crowded whatsoever.We were always mindful of the weather as if it rains I've heard the bentonite clay adheres to tires making it challenging to motor through. So far, this was my fourth time on the trail and have not had this problem yet though. Some people may not like the "meadow muffins" (cow dung) that occasionally is on the trail as the trail gets used by range cattle and horses, but this was few and far between.

Beautiful trail, but tough. It was wet the first day, and that is really tough--muddy, slippery,a nd the tires get big because the mud really sticks. Had to clean it off with a power washer at Dakota Cyclery Bey after that, but pretty bumpy im many spots, and it was tough climbing because the step like bumps messed up your rhythm. The trail could definitely use some maintenence, but they are developing a new section of trail to the south and apparently putting the resources there this year, 2010. Dakota Cyclery provides great advice and shuttling (as well as bikes if you need them). Talk to them if you plan to ride the trail.

We rode a small section of the Maah Daah Hey Trail on June 20th, 2009. I'd estimate that this section is about 5 miles long and goes around the town of Medora. We chose this section for the easy access from Medora itself. We parked our vehicle at the Sully Creek Campground and road back into Medora along the golf course road. We then road through town and met up with the trail back by the western Medora Interstate exit. From here, we rode the 5 miles back to Sully Creek on the trail. Be prepared to ford the Little Missouri, as it's the only way across it and the trail goes right through it. At certain times of the year, the river can be 3-4 feet deep and fast flowing. Other times of the year, it is only about a foot deep at it's deepest point.This would be a good length trip for beginners, but those with experience will definately want to ride a much longer section of the trail. For those looking for a longer trailride, you will need to look at riding the Buffalo Gap Trail north of the interstate, as bikes are not allowed on the Maah Daah Hey inside the national park.

Four Dads planned our "mancation" to ride the Maah Daah Hey trail in North Dakota over the week of July 4 in '07. We had serious problems with Great Lakes airlines who fly from Denver to Dickinson, the closest airport to Medora. The bounced two of our party from a flight for an entire day, then did not deliver luggage until the FOLLOWING day. Their customer service is non-existant, so be warned- if you can, stay away from Great Lakes Air! Driving from Dickinson ND to Medora was my first introduction to how beautful the Badlands are. The countryside is simply unmatched and gorgeous. Wild buffalo and antelope were grazing in the grasslands...it is a step back in time to the origin of this great nation. After we got to Medora, we found the Badlands Motel to be a fine place to stay the nights we did not sleep in tents on the trail. It's nothing special, but beds, hot&cold running water and working A/C is really appreciated in July! Most of the town is run by a foundation that hires college kids to provide service, so you get youthful exuberance and genuine attempts at helpfulness as opposed to experienced service from knowledgeable locals- it's a small jump to make mentally, but once you get there, it makes sense. To keep this historic town and beautiful area maintained and servicing tourists, if it has to be a little theme parkish service-wise. The motel was booked solid the week we were there, lots of families of all ages to middle aged couples to the elderly, almost all US citizens travelling thru the Western states, with a few groups (like us) specifically there for mountain biking. The Cowboy Cafe is "the place" for breakfast, we were told. Ranch-style food, you can get your eggs scrambled, sunnyside up or over-easy...don't make the mistake of asking for an omelette, which won me a blank stare followed by, "do you want that scrambled, overeasy or sunnyside up?" which provided us with gales of laughter afterwards. Dakota Cyclery was our outfitter for our ride, renting us a trailer and providing us shuttle services as well as Maverick full-suspension mountain bikes. If you are avid cyclists, you HAVE to try these- you will be hooked! I was blown away with the comfort of the ride whether climbing or descending, in sand, gravel or hardback this was a huge part of making this an amazing ride. The Morlocks who run Dakota Cyclery are wonderful people. They are knowledgeable friends you can trust, and they are sincerely dedicated to helping people have a great time. They even went out of their way to stock nutririon bars and supplements at our request! Jen Morlock spends a good bit of time providing personal guide services to bike tour groups and both she and Loren are on the trail daily it seems- they know every inch and can tell you everthing you need to know. I can't say enough about how great Dakota Cyclery and the Morlocks are, from fixing a hydraulic brake to power-washing our rides for us, they exceeded expectations every step of the way. The trail...I can't say enough about it. Lush, beautiful, ideal. What a mountain bike ride! Rain will definitely stop your ride: you simply can't ride when the trail is wet, the bentonite clay becomes cement on your tires and gears, so don't even try! That being said, we planned to ride five days expecting to lose a day to rain and we ended up being able to ride four days, losing two to weather. But don't let that stop you, just plan for contingencies and understand that when mother nature chooses rain, you have to accept it. The trail was high with lush green grass, and well worn in some places- so every rider is responsible to stay on the trail, prevent further erosion, and help maintain this gorgeous resource. The vistas and views you experience while riding are unbelievable, and the climbs are worth the downhills and scenery!!! As talked about as the MDH is on blogs and mountain bike mags, the trail was empty. In the week or riding, we saw only FOUR other riders. There certainly were others, but we started at one end and rode all the way to the other, while a lot of single day tours ride Devil's Pass or China Wall only. Granted, you can not miss these unbelievable natural wonders, but I feel day trippers missed out on the best part of the trails- the immense expanse, huge vistas, and long rides across ridgelines showing the jaw-dropping beauty the Badlands have to offer. I ended up not using my clipless pedals due to the flexibility I needed in the narrow switchbacks- I only accepted this after an endo, and agreed to ride in hiking boots and flat pedals, much to my personal dismay. However, it made a huge difference and I did not experience a problem riding again. One rider in our group had a bad fall in a ravine when a cow skeleton startled him and drew his eye away from the singletrack, fortunately no broken bones. While the heat was oppressive, it was no deal-breaker that week for us. It was mostly in the 90's and low 100's, so we each packed as much water as we could carry, and I'd advise anyone to do the same. One rider ran dry by afternoon on a hard day, and that was a shock to us all, but reminded us that no matter what, safety and survival comes first. Ultimately, this was a once-in-a-lifetime ride full of beauty and fun! If you don't ride bikes every day of your life, you should train for this ride before you ride MDH!! I did, it made a huge difference. Two of our riders are serious distance cyclists, and had no issues at all. If you are going to camp, using Dakota's Trailer-shuttle is the best way to enjoy the ride. Travel & ride with people you trust and plan well! We certainly enjoyed cold beer & grilling steaks over a firepit under the stars, away from all civilization. If you are going to do single day trips, I'd advise you take a Dakota Cyclery guide. Regardless, maps, water & helmets are required, a sense of humor, direction and adventure are incredibly helpful.