Canyon views

The Maah Daah Hey Trail offers a truly wild jogging experience through the North Dakota Badlands, where the landscape constantly shifts beneath your feet. You'll navigate varied terrain, from singletrack and dirt paths to rocky sections and bentonite buttes, all while enjoying majestic plateaus, jagged peaks, and expansive rolling prairies. Keep an eye out for wildlife like bison, elk, and wild horses as you pass through unique ecosystems and take in impressive canyon views on this moderate 7.8-mile (12.5 km) route with 660 feet (201 metres) of elevation gain, typically taking about 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Planning your visit means preparing for a challenging and rugged endeavor. The bentonite clay can become extremely sticky and slippery after rain, making progress difficult, and there's minimal cover from the elements in many sections. Cell service is sparse, and water sources are limited, so careful hydration planning is essential. Training on hills is a good idea to get ready for the trail's constant elevation changes.

This continuous single-track trail is renowned as one of North America's most challenging and rewarding, offering a profound sense of wilderness and solitude. It's a shared-use trail, welcoming hikers, equestrians, and mountain bikers, and is part of an extensive system that stretches from the CCC Campground to the Burning Coal Vein campground, passing through Medora. It's a fantastic choice if you're seeking an immersive Badlands adventure.