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Little Missouri National Grassland
Little Missouri National Grassland is located in western North Dakota, USA. At 1,033,271 acres (418,150 ha), it is the largest grassland in the country.[1] Enclaved within its borders is Theodore Roosevelt National Park, which is managed by the National Park Service (and therefore not included in the preceding statistics). The Little Missouri National Grassland was once a part of the Custer National Forest, but is now a part of the Dakota Prairie Grasslands, a National Forest unit consisting entirely of National Grasslands. A predominant feature of the grassland is 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.
The boundaries of the grasslands on certain maps can be misleading. Within the boundaries of the national grassland are significant portions of 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.
White Butte, North Dakota's highest point, is located in the extreme southeast corner of the grassland, south of the town of Amidon.
The grassland is administered by USDA Forest Service as part of the Dakota Prairie Grasslands from offices in Bismarck, North Dakota. There are local ranger district offices in Dickinson and Watford City.
Activities
Mountain Biking
Areas for Mountain Biking at Little Missouri National Grassland
Campground Camping
Areas for Campground Camping at Little Missouri National Grassland
- Bennett Campground
- Buffalo Gap Campground
- Burning Coal Vein Campground
- CCC Campground
- Coal Creek Campground
- Elkhorn Campground
- Magpie Campground
- Sather Lake Recreation Area
- Summit Campground
- Wannagan Campground
RV Camping
Areas for RV Camping at Little Missouri National Grassland
Lake and Pond Fishing
Areas for Lake and Pond Fishing at Little Missouri National Grassland
Day Hiking
Areas for Day Hiking at Little Missouri National Grassland
- Bennet Creek Trail
- Bennett Campground
- Birnt Hill Over Look Trail
- Birnt Hills Trail
- Buffalo Gap Campground
- Burning Coal Vein Campground
- CCC Campground
- Cotton Wood Creek Trail
- Long X Trail
- Maah Daah Hey Trail
- Magpie Campground
- Summit Campground
- Sunset Trail
- Wannagan Campground
- Wolf Trail
Backpacking
Areas for Backpacking at Little Missouri National Grassland
Horse Riding
Areas for Horse Riding at Little Missouri National Grassland
Small Game Hunting
For information on use of “Motorized Vehicles,” click here.
To download the Little Missouri prairie dog map, click here.
Things to consider while shooting prairie dogs.
Geocaching & Letterboxing
Target Shooting
Interpretive Areas
Areas for Interpretive Areas at Little Missouri National Grassland
Picnicking
Areas for Picnicking at Little Missouri National Grassland
Group Picnicking
Areas for Group Picnicking at Little Missouri National Grassland
Alerts & Warnings
- Campground Closure - CCC Campground, CCC Maah Daah Hey and Long X Trailheads
- Road Closure- National Forest System Roads #747 and 7471 Medora Ranger District
- Magpie and Whitetail Road Closures - Medora Ranger District
- Dakota Prairie Grasslands Emergency Fire Closure Order
- Firewood Use and Possession Restrictions