Maah-Daah-Hey Trail
WestDakota
Trail descriptions are not to be copied with intention to republish without prior permission. WestDakota is not responsible for errors or omissions. These trails are sometimes difficult to follow and can be dangerous, and riders must be aware that they alone are responsible for their own safety.
This trail rocks! Here is a world-class trail, mostly excellent singletrack, running through shockingly beautiful and remote country. You will appreciate the amazing diversity of terrain. The trail tops eroded ridges, then rockets down canyons and drops through forested coulees or across a grassy hill or valley. Do you enjoy seeing wildlife? Ride quiet and watch for mule deer, coyotes, bluebirds, cottontails, chipmunks, hawks, golden eagles, and horned lizards. Some excited riders after their first Maah-Daah-Hey rush, have proclaimed the trail "the new Moab". The trail is hidden away in remote Western North Dakota, so it has yet to become as popular as other world class trails. Once you get a few miles North of Medora, you can often ride all day without meeting another group. Check out a sampling of the scenery here.
The Maah-Daah-Hey trail itself was completed in 1998, although the four campsites that are located along the trail were not completed until 2002. Check the detailed descriptions linked below for additional campground information. This trail is a 100 mile trail which runs through the rough North Dakota badlands between the North and South units of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. In most places the trail is well marked with wooden "turtle" posts and is obvious. In other places, markers are somewhat scarce, and the trail itself disappears into a pasture or sidehill. Order a map from the U.S. Forest Service (McKenzie District, 701-842-2393 or Medora District, 701-225-5151), and make sure you have it with you. Generally however, the trail is obvious and easy to follow. An introductory trail guide is available on-line in Acrobat .pdf format from the National Park Service site, and detailed trail descriptions, topographic and 3-D maps and elevation profiles are available on this site (see below).
Much of the area the trail runs through could be considered wilderness. You will be on your own, and must be prepared and self-sufficient. In many places, the closest road is several miles cross-country. This road will likely be a remote oil well road or ranch road, and getting to it will not guarantee that you will find help.
Water is generally unavailable, and you will need a lot of it, especially during the summer. If it is above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, bring 80 to 100 ounces per person per 3 hours of riding time. Don't skimp on the water, or you WILL get dehydrated and suffer heat exhaustion.
Take a first aid kit. Know how to use it. And don't get too friendly with the occassional rattlesnake.
Be in good physical shape. Don't start on this trail if you have no off-road riding experience. Don't under-estimate distances. Most people can only comfortably ride 6-12 miles of these type of trails during one hot day, and then will often be too tired to ride the next day. If you aren't ready for technical portions of the trail, get off and walk when you feel uncomfortable. This is better than ending up with a broken leg, arm, or neck. The EMT's probably won't be able to find you out there anyway.
If it has been raining before your ride and the trail is wet, wait. If it looks like it will rain during your ride, wait. When wet, these trails are unrideable. Within 50 feet, your bike tires will be the size of your leg and weigh 25 pounds each. After you carry a bike with tires this large over your shoulder for several miles, slipping with each step, you will wish you had never heard of a mountain bike.
Bring several extra innertubes, a patch kit, a tire pump, the necessary tire changing tools, and possibly even a spare tire. Sharp rocks are a small problem, but cactus are everywhere. Slime your tires. If you don't you WILL have a flat as a result of riding this trail, if not while on the trail, then within the next few days. Multiple flats are common during one day, and it is not uncommon for both tires to go at the same time. Plan on it.
The trail runs through National Grasslands, State Land, and some private land. Most of the public land is rented by ranchers, and most of the trail runs over open range. Expect to see a lot of cattle, including bulls. Respect them, and if you're lucky, they will respect you.
If you need shuttle service, two possibilities are Dakota Cyclery and Little Knife Outfitters, Box 82, Watford City, ND 58854, 1-800-438-6905. Little Knife Outfitters and Dakota Cyclery also have mountain bike rentals. The Dakota Cyclery Mountain Bike Adventure store in Medora is a full service shop, and carries tires, tubes, derailleurs, cables, cassettes, wheels, chains, nutrition bars and gels, eyewear, sunscreen, gloves, helmets, shorts and jerseys, tools, and hydration packs.
If it is hot, take a LOT more water then you think you will need, and don't leave without a map. The trail is normally easy to follow, but hot weather and tough trails can turn an rockin' ride into a mini-disaster if you are unprepared. For example, the following comments are from one of the first riders to try the M-D-H trail during the 1999 season, in late April:
I just returned from biking from the CCC Campground at the North Unit to the Grassy Butte/Beiceigel Creek road. After walking my mountain bike through the North Unit, I could not find the trail and ended up carrying my bike through some of the worst terrain imaginable along the Little Missouri River. I think that this area should be better marked so that people don't get lost like I did. Also, your descriptions of the trails should be a little more realistic, so novices like me don't go out there and end up dying. I guess it would have been more fun if I was in better physical shape and had a better mountain bike. Those cheap Kmart bikes just don't cut it out there. The terrain was pretty much dry the whole way, but I can see how it could get muddy quick with just a little bit of rain. A person just can't seem to carry enough water with. I ran out about half way, and had to drink from the river. I was very dehydrated when my dad finally picked me up.
And a follow-up comment from dad:
My son was on the Maah-Daah-Hey trail this weekend and missed one of your markers. I sat for six hours at the pickup point waiting for him. Apparently the post just south of the Park is hard to see. He only had enough water to make it to the pick up point and ended up drinking river water.
Some cautions: These trails or markers are not installed or maintained by WestDakota, we are simply giving our impressions of the trail. We are amateur riders, yet we are perhaps in above-average physical condition, especially taking into account our age and appetites. Our bikes (Trek 850's) are not ultra-expensive full suspension jobs, but they are not junk either. Most importantly, we are aware of our limitations, we seldom ride the M-D-H alone, and we limit our rides to what can be accomplished easily in one-day. Nonetheless, we have gotten in over our heads. Please - before considering riding a section of this trail give yourself an honest appraisal, read the warnings above and those available from the Forest Service, and remember that you are very alone out there.
Linked here are the detailed riding descriptions for the Maah-Daah-Hey (MDH) trail. The areas are broken down to match those shown on the map. Each area is approximately a comfortable one-day ride for the experienced biker. The "sections" referred to in the descriptions are the square-mile sections referenced on the map.
Click on the selected area on the map to see a more detailed map and the riding details for that portion. Also available are links to a more detailed topographic map, a 3-D map, elevation profiles and GPS waypoint information, along with a downloadeable route file.
ENJOY!
Check out this list of things that are really screwed up and need to be fixed!
[ Area 1 | Area 2 | Area 3 | Area 4 | Area 5 | Area 6 | Area 7 ]
[ Area 8 | Area 9 ]
Read
David Holland's trail diary
from his continuous run of the trail in April, 2003, and check out these two stories on summer Maah-Daah-Hey trail rides!
Southern Maah-Daah-Hey ride
Northern Maah-Daah-Hey ride