Badlands National Grassland Sage Creek Loop

The Sage Creek Loop cuts through some of the roughest badlands country in southwestern North Dakota, where the Little Missouri River carved deep arroyos and exposed sandstone formations that’ll test your line choice. This 18-mile circuit starts near Medora and winds through cattle country before dropping into Sage Creek itself — a seasonal waterway that can turn from dust to hub-deep mud after a storm. The old homestead ruins at mile 8 mark the halfway point, where you’ll find the remains of a 1920s ranch that couldn’t outlast the drought.

This is moderate terrain that demands high clearance and 4WD for the creek crossings, especially during spring runoff or after heavy rains. Stock trucks handle it fine in dry conditions, but bring recovery gear and check weather — flash floods turn the creek beds into temporary rivers. Best tackled April through October when the access roads aren’t snow-packed. You’ll earn solitude out here, plus some of the best stargazing in the state once you make camp in the dispersed sites along the rim.