Outdoor recreation still plentiful in western North Dakota

BY SCOOTER PURSLEY

Did you know there is more to western North Dakota than oil, gas, trucks, pipelines and booked-up hotels?

Listening to media reports from various sources in that last few years, one might be led to believe that these five staples are all that’s out there; that the once scenic country has been completely overrun and that it’s best for travellers to pull up to the Missouri River and stop.

That’s simply not true

Western North Dakota is filled with opportunities for adventure. Try the new boat rentals at Lund’s Landing near Ray or Sakakawea Sunset Lodge/Tailrace Adventures near Riverdale For golfers, there are top-ranked courses like The Links near Ray and Bully Pulpit near Medora, both offering unique lodging nearby If you pre- fer to enjoy the scenic wonder from the back of a horse, Badlands Trail Rides near Killdeer offers rides and cabins with stunning views of the Killdeer Mountains

One of the first things visitors consider when traveling is lodging availability With hotel/motel occupancy rates in Williston now hovering in the 60 to 70 percent range and new properties recently opening, travelers generally do not have issues finding lodging like they did in the days before the Bakken boom Others, like those looking to rough it along the 140-mile Maah Daah Hey Trail, can pitch a tent in the Badlands and watch the stars dance across the night sky before rising early to hike, bike or ride horse along the epic singletrack.

The Maah Daah Hey Trail cuts a path through the heart of the Badlands. The initial trail was 96 miles from the north unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park near Watford City to Sully Creek State Park at Medora. An additional 40 miles was opened to the south this summer from Sully Creek to Burning Coal Veins Campground near Amidon.

“We are very excited about the southern extension of the Maah Daah Hey Trail,” said Mike Jensen, North Dakota Tourism Division’s outdoor promotions manager. “This section of trail will take people into parts of the North Dakota Badlands that few get to see, like wooded areas in the southern Little Missouri Valley, also close to sites such as Bullion Butte, columnar cedars and the burning coal veins”

The trail, already labelled an EPIC Ride by t h e In ter n a t i on a l Mo u n t a i n Bi k i n g As s o c i a t i on b efore t h e ex ten s i on , c a n b e enjoyed by outdoor enthusiasts of all ages as the trail varies in difficulty

Those looking for a little less-strenuous activity can enjoy a night of great dining, live entertainment and luxury accommodations in Medora, or visit Fort Union and Fort Buford near Williston on the Montana-North Dakota border Medora is known as a gateway to the south unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park Visitors can drive the wildlife loop within the park and come back to town for the Pitchfork Fondue and Medora Musical in the evening Then they can bed down in the Rough Riders Hotel downtown

At Fort Union, visitors park in Montana and enjoy the one-time fur trading outpost on the banks of the Missouri River in North Dakota At nearby Fort Buford, see where legendary Sitting Bull surrendered to the U S Army after the Battle of the Little Bighorn, then v isit the adjacent Missour i-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center to learn about history in the area where the two great rivers meet in North Dakota.

Scooter Pursley Information Specialist North Dakota Department of Commerce Tourism Division jpursley@nd gov