Dakota Prairie Grassland North Unit Loop

This forgotten corner of the Dakota Prairie National Grassland offers some of the state’s most isolated backcountry driving, where oil boom traffic gives way to endless prairie silence. The loop connects a web of minimum maintenance roads through the North Unit’s deepest coulees and highest ridges, passing crumbling homestead foundations and rusted windmills that mark failed dreams from the early 1900s. The route drops into Spring Creek Coulee before climbing back onto the prairie divide, offering commanding views of the Yellowstone River valley.

Easy to moderate difficulty on mostly maintained gravel, though wet weather can make clay sections impassable. Any high-clearance vehicle works in dry conditions, but 4WD helps in spring mud or after storms. Best driven May through September when roads are most reliable. No permits required, and dispersed camping is allowed throughout the grassland. Bring all water and expect no cell service for miles. This is classic Great Plains solitude where you can drive for hours seeing more pronghorn than people.