Originally published in Drift Travel April 6, 2024
Escape Adventures is thrilled to offer a 5-day camping and mountain biking tour of the 144-mile-long Maah Daah Hey Trail System (MDH) in North Dakota, showcasing some of America’s most unique and breathtaking terrain. Majestic plateaus, jagged peaks and valleys, large expanses of rolling prairie, and rivers intertwine to offer the adventurous outdoors enthusiast a taste of pure, unadulterated badlands. Located adjacent to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, the MDH is one of the lengthiest stretches of continuous trail in America. Hailed as an IMBA epic, the MDH unfolds on 95% singletrack.
“From the northern unit to the ultra-charming, cowboy-poet town of Medora, we spend five days riding what’s commonly called the most stunning stretch of The Northern Plains,” said Escape Adventures Director, Jared Fisher.
From rolling prairie to endless red-baked buttes, the MDH crisscrosses the least commercial unit in the National Park Service. Accordingly, no national park outside Alaska is better suited for pure, backcountry trekking and wildlife encounters. A day on the trail might bring riders face-to-face with bison, elk, bighorn sheep, wild horses, pronghorn antelope, coyote, and wild turkey.
The MDH is comprised of nine trail units of varying size and difficulty. From north to south, they are the Wolf (8.8 miles), Long X (5.8 miles), Summit (3.8 miles), Overlook (0.3 miles), Maah Daah Hey (144 miles), Bennett (3.2 miles), Cottonwood (6.9 miles), Ice Cave (1.5 miles) and, Buffalo Gap (18.9 miles).
Full Itinerary:
Day 1-2: Meet in Medora. Shuttle to trail just outside Theodore Roosevelt National Park. An introductory ride takes guests on a great sampling of the Badlands. Ride Bennett Trail through high prairie grasses and wooded draws. Spend the evening under a bright blanket of stars, taking in the coyote calls that punctuate the night sky.
Day 3-4: Ride Devil’s Pass. Spectacular views across the Little Missouri River Valley eventually give way to the river itself. Camp near Teddy’s own Elkhorn Ranch. Continue on to Buffalo Gap and Wannagan Creek where riders enjoy quick descents on buff singletrack mixed with petrified Cypress trees. Camp near Wannagan Creek.
Day 5: Ride Buffalo Gap along the outskirts of the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Finish in Medora.
All internal land expenses and services are covered in the cost of the tour. All transportation, food preparation, meals, snacks, non-alcoholic beverages, group supplies and community gear are included. Backcountry permits, licenses, park fees, reservations, and accommodations are also included, along with at least two professionally trained trip leaders, a mobile first aid and mechanic station, spare bikes, and support vehicles.
