Sully Creek State Park Backcountry Trail

Sully Creek cuts through some of the most isolated badlands country in western North Dakota, following Theodore Roosevelt’s old hunting routes through fossil-rich formations and prairie dog towns. The trail winds past the historic Sully Creek Post Office site and Bullion Butte, where Roosevelt himself once camped, offering glimpses of petrified wood scattered across eroded bentonite hills that glow orange at sunset.

This moderate route requires high-clearance 4WD for creek crossings and loose shale sections, especially after rain when the bentonite turns slick as grease. Best tackled April through October when water levels are manageable and the rattlesnakes are predictable. Pack extra water and fuel—cell service dies past the park boundary, and the nearest gas is 40 miles back in Medora. You’ll earn solitude few North Dakota overlanders ever see, plus some of the state’s best fossil hunting.