Little Missouri National Grassland CCC Road

Built by CCC crews in the 1930s, this network of gravel roads cuts through some of North Dakota’s most rugged badlands terrain, connecting old homestead sites and fossil beds in the Little Missouri National Grassland. The main route follows an old military road established to supply frontier forts, winding through painted canyons and crossing alkali creeks that run red after storms. You’ll pass active coal seam fires that have burned underground for decades, creating lunar landscapes of baked clay and sulfur deposits.

High-clearance vehicles handle this easily in dry conditions, but spring runoff and summer thunderstorms can create axle-deep gumbo that’ll trap you for days. Best tackled from late June through September when creek crossings are manageable. No permits required on grassland roads, but stay on designated routes—the prairie heals slowly from tire tracks. Exceptional dispersed camping along ridgelines offers expansive views of the Little Missouri River valley. You’ll experience the raw loneliness that shaped generations of homesteaders.