We have our reservations to ride the Maah Daah Hey trail in Roosevelt National Park this memorial week. Near Medora, North Dakota.
I rode it briefly as a stopover on a trip from Minnesota to Montana last year and found it worthy of a trip of it's own.
It is 99 miles long (haven't ridden the whole thing, of course!) with some fantastic badlands. Nicely marked trails that are also used for mountain biking.
It was the most scenic ride I've ever been done and I can hardly wait to do more of it! I am not a camper, so my buddy and I are staying at a ranch that has paddocks.
Posted 2006-05-08 9:04 AM (#41426 - in reply to #41408) Subject: RE: North Dakota: Maah Daah Hey trail
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Posts: 455 Location: Texas
The Maah Daah Hey is an excellent place to ride. If you like camping there are many options depending on the degree of amenities you require. If you don't camp, the options are more limited. Buffalo Gap Ranch is an excellent place to stay. It is on the west side of Teddy Roosevelt National Park on the Buffalo Gap trail. The Buffalo Gap Trail connects to the Maah Daah Hey as a bypass of the park. There is also lodging in the town of Medora (for people and horses), with easy trailer access into TRNP or the MDH trail. The further north on the trail, the more remote from civilization it is. Being from eastern ND, my wife and I try to get out that way a couple times a year. The riding within TRNP is also excellent. Probably more scenic, but probably less solitude.
Posted 2006-05-09 11:12 AM (#41495 - in reply to #41408) Subject: RE: North Dakota: Maah Daah Hey trail
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Posts: 455 Location: Texas
They've got some good food there. They also don't have a problem if you bring your own. We stayed there for five days, and three of them we grilled burgers and brats on the back porch.
Posted 2006-06-04 9:50 PM (#42624 - in reply to #41408) Subject: RE: North Dakota: Maah Daah Hey trail
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Posts: 94 Location: Minnesota
I had a wonderful time in Medora, at the Buffalo Gap Ranch. We already have plans to go back next year. Quite comfortable accomodations and the restaurant came in handy. We rode on the Maah Daah Hey and Buffalo Gap trails, and out of Peaceful Valley in Theodore Roosevelt National Park and Sully Creek. Good weather and cool nights. We rode every day, but max 4 hour rides. Then we did tourist stuff when we were out of the saddle. I will try to post a link for a picture. http://hometown.aol.com/jeanrdh/myhomepage/jean%20maah%20daah%20hey...
Posted 2007-05-21 8:50 PM (#61111 - in reply to #41408) Subject: RE: North Dakota: Maah Daah Hey trail
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Posts: 94 Location: Minnesota
Well, I leave on Friday for my third year trail riding at Medora.
Plan on riding in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, the Maah Daah Hey, and the Buffalo Gap trail.
Staying at Olie's place again for the 2nd year in a row.
Looking forward to spending time with my horse!
Posted 2007-05-22 8:38 AM (#61133 - in reply to #61111) Subject: RE: North Dakota: Maah Daah Hey trail
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Posts: 455 Location: Texas
I will be staying at Olie's in June.
How much of the Maah Daah Hey have you ridden? Just curious. Last fall I spent some time (not on horseback) in the area around Devil's Pass, west of the Magpie campground, and east of the Elkhorn Ranch. I think that area was every bit as rugged and scenic as the Park. I would like to trailer up there and ride for the day, but it is a long haul from Buffalo Gap, as it is on the other side of the river.
Posted 2007-05-22 10:21 PM (#61168 - in reply to #41408) Subject: RE: North Dakota: Maah Daah Hey trail
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Posts: 94 Location: Minnesota
The first year we rode out from Grassy Butte, as we stayed near there. I don't have my map, but I remember the China Wall and Ice Caves formations impressing me greatly. It is a ways from the Bufflao Gap ranch, so not sure if it is worth trailering there when the other scenery is so fantastic, too. Last year we trailered to Sully Creek (easy water crossings -see picture) one day and into Theodore Roosevelt Park one day. The other days we just rode out from Olie's place.
Posted 2007-05-30 4:03 PM (#61498 - in reply to #41408) Subject: RE: North Dakota: Maah Daah Hey trail
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Posts: 23
Location: MN
we are heading to medora on June 7th. we are staying at the Buffalo Gap. We have heard it is a nice place to stay .Previously when we went to ride we stayed at the Little Missouri cabin. That is a very nice cabin to stay too. We have a group of 14 going. We're looking forward to it
Posted 2007-06-18 9:30 AM (#62410 - in reply to #41408) Subject: RE: North Dakota: Maah Daah Hey trail
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Posts: 455 Location: Texas
I just got back from four days of riding in the Little Missouri National Grasslands and Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The weather was great, and it is as green as I have seen it out there. We also saw lots of wildlife.
I have never seen a rattlesnake out there, but this weekend, we saw four of them. We had one horse get bitten, which made for some nervous moments, as we didn't know it was a snake bite at first. Luckily, we were only about 1/2 mile from a road where the horse could be loaded into the trailer. I am not sure what would have happened if it had been a few hours earlier when we were 6 miles through the badlands to any road. The vet and some local ranchers said there has been a lot of snake bites this spring. Another horse with a snake bite on the nose, and a dog, were in the vet office when the horse from our group was there.
I saw elk in TRNP for the first time. It was an unbelievable scene as we approached a prairie dog town with bison grazing in it, a herd of elk grazing slightly beyond that, and a couple wild bachelor stallions running in front of us.
We rode about 50 miles in 3.5 days of riding, and also took time to spend in Medora and took in the pitchfork steak fondue and the Medora Musical. A good time was had by all, with some slight exceptions relating to the rattlesnake bite.
Posted 2007-06-18 11:12 AM (#62413 - in reply to #41408) Subject: RE: North Dakota: Maah Daah Hey trail
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Posts: 326 Location: Gallatin, TN
Hey jdzaharia, you should read the thread on rattlesnake bites in the camp & trail forum. Although we rarely see snakes of any kind where we ride, I am now carrying some small sections of garden hose and vaseline in my saddle bags.
Posted 2007-06-21 9:10 AM (#62589 - in reply to #41408) Subject: RE: North Dakota: Maah Daah Hey trail
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Posts: 455 Location: Texas
I've got a bunch more photos. I have not made the leap from 35mm film to digital, yet, so it gets slightly complicated. The photo developer is putting all my photos on CDs at the same time he develops them. But they were having problems with the machine, so I haven't got any hard copies and the CD he gave me, for the time being, does not have all the photos on it. When I get more, I will probably make an album on this site.
North Dakota: Maah Daah Hey trail
