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Little Missouri National Grassland

The Little Missouri National Grassland is located in western North Dakota and covers 1,033,271 acres, making it the country's largest grassland. Its predominant features are colorful and beautiful badlands and rugged terrain extensively eroded by wind and water. It is a mixed-grass prairie, meaning it has both long and short grass. Within the national grassland's boundaries, significant portions are state-owned and privately owned land, much of it leased by cattle ranchers for grazing. Overall, in descending order of land area, it is located in parts of McKenzie, Billings, Slope, and Golden Valley counties. 

Scenic Sites

White Butte, Painted Canyon, Horseshoe Hills, and the Maah Daah Hey Trail are all impressive scenic sites in the area. Check out the Epic Adventures page for details. 

Wildlife Viewing

The region is known for grassland and prairie birds commonly seen in the area, such as sparrows, horned larks, and various hawks. These grasslands are home to many target species like Long-billed Curlews, sparrows (Grasshopper, Chipping, Field, Lark, Vesper, Savannah, Spotted Towhee), Short-eared Owls, and Burrowing Owls. Visit the Animals page for more details. 

Management

The USDA Forest Service administers as part of the Dakota Prairie Grasslands from the Supervisor's Office in Bismarck, North Dakota. The McKenzie Ranger District Station manages the Little Missouri National Grassland to the north and the Medora Ranger District Station oversees to the south. 

Recreation Sites

Showing: 1 - 10 of 12 results

Bennett Campground

Site Open
Hiking Horse Riding and Camping Biking Off Highway Vehicles (OHV)
Bennett Campground offers a peaceful, first-come, first-served camping experience within the Little Missouri National Grassland. The campground features 13 campsites suitable for tents or RVs, each…

Buffalo Gap Recreation Area (and Campground)

Site Open
Horse Riding and Camping Hiking Biking
Buffalo Gap Recreation Area (and Campground) offers a rustic camping experience with easy access to the Buffalo Gap Trail. The campground features 35 paved campsites, flush toilets, shower…

Burning Coal Vein Campground

Site Open
Biking Hiking Outdoor Science and Learning Horse Riding and Camping
Burning Coal Vein Campground is a remote campground in the Little Missouri National Grassland near Medora, North Dakota. It offers a peaceful, scenic camping experience with eight spacious sites. The…

CCC Campground

Site Open
Horse Riding and Camping Biking Hiking Picnicking Winter Sports
The CCC Campground is a rustic campground in the Badlands that offers a classic camping experience. It features 38 campsites with picnic tables, fire rings, and grills. The campground also includes a…

Coal Creek Campground

Site Open
Biking Hiking Horse Riding and Camping Off Highway Vehicles (OHV)
Coal Creek Campground is an 11-unit fenced campground with two pull-through camping spurs, picnic tables, fire rings, parking areas, a potable water hand pump, and accessible toilets.  

Custer Snow Camp

Site Open
Outdoor Science and Learning
Custer Snow Camp was named for an unexpected snowstorm that dropped six inches of white sloppy snow on May 30, 1876, delaying Custer and his men for three days.The Custer Snow Camp is part of the…

Elkhorn Campground

Site Open
Off Highway Vehicles (OHV) Horse Riding and Camping Winter Sports Biking Hiking
Elkhorn Campground is a rustic, remote campground known for its scenic canyon views and proximity to the Maah Daah Hey Trail and the Theodore Roosevelt Elkhorn Ranch. The campground offers a sense of…

Initial Rock Interpretive Site

Site Open
Outdoor Science and Learning
On May 28, 1876, Initial Rock was an overnight campsite for George Armstrong Custer's men on their way to the Battle of Little Big Horn on June 25, 1876. Two soldiers, W.C. Williams and F. Neely,…

Magpie Campground

Site Open
Winter Sports Horse Riding and Camping Hiking Biking
Magpie Campground a remote, shaded campground in the Dakota Prairie Grasslands offers a quiet and secluded camping experience. It features 11 single-unit camp spurs with picnic tables, fire rings,…

Sather Lake Campground

Site Open
Picnicking Hunting, Fishing and Shooting Water Activities
Sather Lake Campground offers a peaceful lakeside camping experience with 18 sites in three loops. The campground features a boat dock and a fishing pier and is known for bass, crappie, and trout…

Last updated May 8th, 2025