Pets allowed
Allowed with Restrictions
Elevation Gain
2,520.00 ft (768.10 m)
Trail type
Loop
Distance
15.00 mi (24.14 km)
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

Tucked away in the Little Missouri National Grasslands is a network of trails that run through North Dakota's stunning badlands. Bennett Camp, one public campground in this area, is a staging point for a 15-mile loop along a section of the Maah Daah Hey Trail. This route utilizes the Bennett and Cottonwood Creek trails and takes hikers on a scenic hiking trip.

Hiking counter-clockwise, the route departs on the Bennett Creek Trail directly across from the trailhead sign and just a few hundred yards from Bennett Camp. For 3 miles, this trail is signed by posts with a deer skull and follows the creek to connect with the Maah Daah Hey (MDH) Trail. Reaching the MDH intersection, turn south and follow the sign toward Magpie Campground.

Along the Maah Daah Hey Trail, hikers enjoy winding creek canyons, climbing up and down buttes and grassy hills, and eventually a wide open mile or two through golden grass-filled plains. Lower elevation areas are filled with small shrub and brush, and upper parts of the terrain have small forest groves. Posts mark the trail and are scribed with a turtle icon and mileage references.

After 5 miles along the MDH trail, the Cottonwood Creek junction is marked and leaf icon posts guide hikers through more open plains. Dipping back down into the canyon, the trail crosses Cottonwood Creek before climbing up and down ridges several more times. Continue the 7 miles of this trail to return back to Bennett Camp.

Wildlife and livestock may be encountered along the trail, and there are numerous gates and several seasonal wells. Because of nearby ranching, be sure to treat and filter all water before consuming. In the winter, this trail sees very little use and provides a very solitary experience. The markers make the trail easy to find even under snow, but with freezing conditions there will be no running water available. Spring, summer, and fall bring warmer temperatures, bright colors, and hot sun, although there is little shade even in the shrubbed areas.

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Summer
Fall
Winter

Congestion

Low

Parking Pass

None

Open Year-round

Yes

Pros

Scenic. Secluded. Wildlife. Pet-friendly.

Cons

Exposed to sun (summer). Exposed to extreme cold (winter).

Trailhead Elevation

2,200.00 ft (670.56 m)

Highest point

2,610.00 ft (795.53 m)

Features

Vault toilet
Backcountry camping
Wildlife
Big Game Watching
Geologically significant
Big vistas
Wildflowers
Horseback riding

Typically multi-day

No

Suitable for

Horseback
Biking

Permit required

No

Location

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