Burning Coal Vein Road

The ground stays warm year-round along this remote badlands track where an underground coal seam has been smoldering since the 1950s. You’ll navigate rough two-track roads through the Little Missouri National Grassland to reach the active burn area near Sentinel Butte, where steam still rises from cracks in the earth and the soil feels hot to the touch. The route follows old ranch roads and cattle trails through some of the most isolated country in southwestern North Dakota, passing through colorful clay formations and scattered homestead ruins.

This is moderate difficulty requiring high-clearance 4WD for the final approach roads, especially after rain when the bentonite clay becomes impossibly slippery. Best tackled April through October when roads are passable. No permits needed but respect private land boundaries and carry extra water—services are 50+ miles away. The payoff is witnessing one of North Dakota’s most unique geological phenomena while camping under some of the darkest skies in the region.