Maah Daah Hey Trail: Burning Coal Vein to Rough Rider State Park

Little Missouri National Grassland, Medora Ranger District (south of Medora)

Check before you go. Check before you go: In 2023 the Maah Daah Hey Trail Association reported a collapsed bridge near mile marker 19.5 and a Forest Service closure of the trail between the Toms Wash Trailhead and Forest Road 746 (about mile markers 15.5 to 21.25), with a reroute planned. The Forest Service's trail page listed the trail as open on Sept. 30, 2026, but no source we found confirms the reroute is finished. The Burning Coal Vein campground page also says its water is unavailable for maintenance, with no restoration date. Separately, the Dakota Prairie Grasslands alerts page lists Little Missouri National Grassland Fire Restriction Order 01-18-00-26-08 (Sept. 4 through Dec. 31, 2026), and a June 2026 order restricts campfires whenever fire danger is High or above or during Red Flag Warnings (propane stoves are among the exceptions). A Dakota Prairie Grasslands firewood order (01-18-00-26-09, from Oct. 15, 2026) bans firewood from out of state, from quarantined counties, or from uncertified vendors; onsite dead-and-downed wood is allowed. Confirm with the Medora Ranger District (701-227-7800).

The Maah Daah Hey Trail runs 144 miles across the North Dakota Badlands, from Burning Coal Vein Campground in the south to the CCC Campground south of Watford City, according to the Forest Service. Its southern third, from Burning Coal Vein north to Rough Rider State Park near Medora, was added later and is still widely called “the Deuce,” short for Maah Daah Hey II.

The Dickinson Press reported that a 2.5-mile link starting at the state park finally joined the original trail to this newer stretch; a Blue Sky Trails crew built the link in under three weeks. BPRoutes calls water scarcity the trail’s most challenging aspect, and this section is no exception.

The hike

MTB Project puts the Deuce at 47.2 miles, with about 4,340 feet of climbing between a low of 2,402 feet and a high of 2,937 feet. The Forest Service describes the southern trailhead on the west side of Burning Coal Vein Campground, a small first-come site among columnar juniper and ponderosa pine. A Juniper Spur Trail leaves from its south side.

Heading north, the trail winds through buttes, domes, and scattered trees, marked with posts bearing a turtle. MTB Project’s writer describes wide ridgelines, switchback descents into valleys, and “some grades near 20%,” and counted wet crossings at a marsh, a seep, and a wooded draw that left “damp socks” at most. The Maah Daah Hey Trail Association says the Forest Service sets about 10 to 12 posts per mile; if you go more than 500 feet without one, stop and look, because you may be on a cattle or game path.

BPRoutes lists water caches at the Third Creek, Toms Wash, Bear Creek, and Plumely Draw trailheads. BPRoutes says campground hand pumps are the only other reliable source. Coal Creek Campground, reached by a short spur at about mile 27 according to MTB Project, has 10 sites and a seasonal well. In 2023 the trail association reported a bridge collapse near mile marker 19.5, about 50 feet below the trail, and a Forest Service closure of that section while a reroute was planned.

Near the north end, MTB Project says, the greens of Bully Pulpit Golf Course appear below; The Dickinson Press describes an overlook about 300 feet above the course. The trail then drops to Rough Rider State Park, formerly Sully Creek State Park, on the east bank of the Little Missouri River about 2 miles south of Medora. North of the park, the trail crosses the river toward Theodore Roosevelt National Park; see the next section, Rough Rider State Park to Magpie.

BPRoutes warns that wet bentonite clay becomes “sticky, slippery, and difficult to traverse,” and recommends waiting for it to dry. Summer heat can reach 100 degrees with little shade. The MTB Project writer saw half a dozen rattlesnakes on the road and had one strike at his group on the trail.

Tips

Cache water before you start. BPRoutes says stocking caches takes half a day to a full day; label each jug with your name and a use-by date.
Expect cloudy campground water. BPRoutes calls the hand-pump water technically potable but “very cloudy,” and says Badlands streams clog filters.
Wait out the mud. Don’t hike wet bentonite; it damages the trail and your footing.
Close every gate. The trail association says gates south of Sully Creek are self-closing; report broken ones.
Don’t count on a phone signal. The trail association says there “really isn’t any cell coverage” on parts of the trail.
Check for ticks. MTB Project’s writer reported “a bumper crop.”

Camping

BPRoutes says no trail permit is needed and dispersed camping is allowed on the national grassland, but the trail also crosses private and state land where camping is prohibited; the trail association asks users to stay on the trail there. The Forest Service’s dispersed-camping page allows 14 days in any 30-day period, asks campers to stay 100 to 200 feet from lakes and streams, to avoid active grazing allotments and livestock tanks, and never to approach oil and gas well sites. Burning Coal Vein (8 sites) and Coal Creek (10 sites) are first come, first served. Rough Rider State Park takes reservations up to 95 days ahead, according to North Dakota Parks and Recreation. Check current fire restrictions before using any stove or fire ring.

Inside Intel: No camper accounts recommending a specific site on this stretch were found. A 2023 Fatpacking guided-trip itinerary planned dispersed camps on the first two nights, Coal Creek Campground on the third for its picnic table and pump, and the group camp at Sully Creek at the end.

Trail facts

Distance: 47.2 miles (MTB Project); about 50 miles (The Dickinson Press)
Route type: Point to point, Burning Coal Vein to Rough Rider State Park
Difficulty: Strenuous
Campsites: Dispersed on national grassland; Coal Creek Campground about mile 27; campgrounds at both ends
Water: Hiker-stocked caches at four trailheads; seasonal campground wells (Burning Coal Vein listed as unavailable)
Permits: None for the trail (BPRoutes)
Fires: Subject to 2026 fire restriction orders; check before you go
Dogs: No Forest Service rule found
Trailhead: Burning Coal Vein Campground (south) or Rough Rider State Park (north)
Last verified: October 17, 2026

The Lowdown

Dispersed camps on the Maah Daah Hey:

Much of this stretch allows dispersed camping on the grassland, so you pick your own spot. These side-sleeper tips cover pads, pillows, and choosing your ground.

Get the side-sleeper fixes →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.