Blacktail

The Blacktail area encompasses 8,620 acres of rolling prairie and riparian woodland within the Dakota Prairie Grasslands in North Dakota. The landscape is defined by the Lower Whitetail Creek headwaters and Whitetail Creek, which drain through a series of draws and valleys before joining the Little Missouri River system. These waterways originate in the upland prairie and carve shallow channels through the hilly terrain, creating distinct moisture gradients that shape the distribution of plant communities across the area.

The vegetation reflects a mosaic of prairie and woodland communities tied to topography and water availability. On the drier uplands, Western Wheatgrass–Needle-and-Thread Grass Mixedgrass Prairie dominates, with narrowleaf puccoon (Lithospermum incisum) and scarlet globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea) flowering among the grasses. Silver Sagebrush–Western Wheatgrass Shrubland and Big Sagebrush–Western Wheatgrass Shrub-Steppe occupy intermediate slopes. In the draws where moisture collects, Green Ash–Chokecherry–Snowberry Hardwood Draw communities develop, with green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) and chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) providing structure above a dense understory of western snowberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis). Along Whitetail Creek itself, Plains Cottonwood–Rocky Mountain Juniper Riparian Woodland forms a narrow corridor, with plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides) and Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum) anchoring the streamside.

The area supports a distinctive assemblage of grassland wildlife adapted to prairie and riparian habitats. Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) create colonies in the open grasslands, their burrow systems altering soil structure and hydrology across patches of the prairie. American bison (Bison bison), near threatened (IUCN), graze the mixedgrass prairie alongside mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), which browse woody vegetation in the draws. Coyotes (Canis latrans) hunt across both habitats. The federally endangered whooping crane (Grus americana) uses the open prairie and shallow wetland areas created by Whitetail Creek. Sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) display on open ridges and grassland edges. Prairie rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis) hunt small mammals and birds in the grassland matrix. Pollinator communities—including the federally endangered Northern Long-Eared Bat (Myotis septentrionalis), which hunts insects over the prairie at dusk, and Suckley's cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus suckleyi), proposed for federal endangered status—depend on the flowering plants of the grassland and draw communities.

Walking through Blacktail, the landscape shifts with each change in elevation and moisture. The upland prairie stretches open and wind-exposed, with low sagebrush and grasses underfoot and wide sight lines across rolling terrain. As you descend into a draw toward Whitetail Creek, the vegetation thickens—chokecherry and snowberry close in, and the air cools as you approach the water. The creek itself runs shallow and clear through a corridor of cottonwoods and junipers, their shade creating a distinct microclimate. Climbing back out of the draw, the vegetation opens again, and the prairie reasserts itself. Throughout the area, the calls of sharp-tailed grouse and the movement of prairie dogs mark the grassland's living presence.

The lands now known as the Blacktail Roadless Area were historically a crossroads for multiple Indigenous nations. The Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara occupied the Missouri River basin with territories extending across western North Dakota, while various bands of the Sioux—including the Lakota, Yanktonai, and Dakota—used these grasslands as primary hunting grounds following bison herds. The Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara lived in semi-permanent earthlodge villages along the Missouri River but traveled into the grasslands for seasonal bison hunts and resource gathering. The Lakota and Yanktonai Sioux followed a nomadic lifestyle in tipis, moving across the grasslands to track bison. The region was also valued for Knife River flint, a stone tool material highly valued for crafting implements and traded extensively across the plains. Indigenous peoples constructed camouflaged pits on high points to capture golden and bald eagles for ceremonial feathers. The 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie recognized this territory as belonging to the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara. The 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie later established the Great Sioux Reservation, which included lands in this region, though these rights were subsequently curtailed by the U.S. government. The Lake Traverse Treaty of 1867 established reservation boundaries for the Sisseton and Wahpeton bands in the immediate vicinity of what would become the National Grasslands.

In the 19th century, the region transitioned from Indigenous hunting grounds to landscapes of cattle ranching and resource extraction. The Little Missouri River valley became the center of a major cattle boom due to its ample grass, water, and natural shelter. The Northern Pacific Railway, the first major railroad to reach western North Dakota, passed through the region in the early 1880s, spurring a "war" of townsite platting and company towns. In 1883, the Marquis de Mores founded Medora as a center for regional meat-packing, which included an industrial-scale slaughterhouse operation. During the 1880s, future President Theodore Roosevelt operated two ranches in the Little Missouri Badlands—the Maltese Cross and Elkhorn Ranches. The Winter of 1886–1887 brought a catastrophic series of blizzards that killed approximately 75 percent of the region's cattle, effectively ending the open-range cattle boom and forcing a shift toward smaller, fenced ranching operations.

Federal land management of this area began in the early 20th century. In 1931, the Forest Service established the Denbigh Experimental Forest within the region to study tree survival in the prairie environment. The lands were initially managed as Land Utilization Projects by the Soil Conservation Service before being transferred to the U.S. Forest Service in 1954. In 1960, the Secretary of Agriculture officially designated these lands as National Grasslands, giving them permanent status within the National Forest System. Prior to 1998, the constituent grasslands were managed as ranger districts of the Custer National Forest, based in Billings, Montana. In 1998, the Dakota Prairie Grasslands was officially established as a separate administrative unit of the U.S. Forest Service, providing focused management of four distinct National Grasslands across North Dakota and South Dakota. The Blacktail Roadless Area is now protected under the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule.

Vital Resources Protected

Grassland Habitat for Federally Endangered and Threatened Pollinators and Grassland Birds

The Blacktail area contains the Western Wheatgrass–Needle-and-Thread Grass mixedgrass prairie and associated shrublands that support multiple federally listed species dependent on intact grassland structure. The Dakota Skipper (federally threatened) and Suckley's cuckoo bumble bee (proposed federally endangered) require continuous, undisturbed native grassland with native flowering plants for larval host plants and nectar sources; fragmentation of grassland by roads creates isolated patches too small to sustain viable populations. The whooping crane (federally endangered), a rare visitor to the region, depends on large, unbroken grassland expanses for safe foraging and movement corridors—road construction and the associated human activity it enables would eliminate the landscape-scale openness this species requires.

Riparian Woodland Connectivity for Migratory Bat Habitat

The Plains Cottonwood and Rocky Mountain Juniper riparian woodlands along Blacktail Creek and the Little Missouri River form critical foraging and roosting habitat for the federally endangered Northern Long-Eared Bat, which hunts insects over water and in tree canopies during migration and summer residence. These riparian corridors are narrow, linear features in the surrounding grassland matrix; roads crossing or paralleling them would fragment the continuous canopy structure that allows bats to navigate safely between feeding areas and roosts, and would introduce light and noise disturbance that disrupts their echolocation-based foraging behavior.

Native Grassland and Shrubland Ecosystem for Monarch Butterfly and Western Regal Fritillary Migration

The Big Sagebrush–Western Wheatgrass shrub-steppe and Silver Sagebrush–Western Wheatgrass shrubland provide essential nectar and host plants for the monarch butterfly (proposed federally threatened) and western regal fritillary (proposed federally threatened) during their long-distance migrations across the Great Plains. Both species require continuous patches of native wildflowers and host plants; roads create gaps in vegetation and introduce herbicide use along roadsides that eliminates the flowering plants these species depend on for energy and reproduction during migration windows.

Headwater Integrity and Riparian Buffer Function

The Lower Whitetail Creek headwaters originate within the Blacktail area's hilly terrain and flow through the Green Ash–Chokecherry–Snowberry hardwood draws before joining the larger drainage network. The intact riparian woodland and grassland buffer surrounding these headwaters stabilizes streambanks, filters runoff, and maintains cool water temperatures—conditions essential for aquatic life in this lowland prairie stream system where water temperature and sediment load are naturally variable and sensitive to disturbance.

Threats from Road Construction

Grassland Fragmentation and Loss of Habitat Connectivity for Federally Listed Grassland Species

Road construction through the mixedgrass prairie and shrubland would directly convert native grassland to road surface and associated disturbed edges, reducing the total area available to Dakota Skipper, Suckley's cuckoo bumble bee, and whooping crane. More critically, roads fragment the remaining grassland into smaller, isolated patches separated by the road corridor itself and the edge effects (increased predation, invasive species invasion, altered microclimate) that extend into grassland adjacent to the road; these smaller patches cannot support viable populations of species that require large, continuous grassland areas for breeding and foraging, making local extinction likely even if some grassland remains.

Canopy Removal and Riparian Fragmentation Disrupting Northern Long-Eared Bat Foraging and Movement

Road construction through the riparian woodlands along Blacktail Creek and the Little Missouri River would require removal of cottonwoods and junipers to clear the road corridor and sight lines, eliminating the continuous canopy structure that allows Northern Long-Eared Bats to forage safely and navigate between roosts and feeding areas. The loss of canopy cover over the riparian corridor exposes remaining trees to wind damage and desiccation, and the open road corridor itself becomes a barrier to bat movement—bats avoid crossing open areas where they are exposed to predators and where echolocation is less effective—effectively isolating bat populations on either side of the road.

Roadside Herbicide Application and Invasive Species Establishment Eliminating Native Wildflower Resources

Road maintenance typically includes herbicide application along roadsides to control vegetation, which would eliminate the native wildflowers and host plants (milkweed for monarchs, violets for fritillaries) that monarch butterflies and western regal fritillaries depend on during migration. Simultaneously, road construction and maintenance create disturbed soil conditions that favor invasive plant species over native wildflowers; these invasives spread into adjacent grassland from the road corridor, progressively replacing the native plant community that sustains these federally listed species across the landscape.

Sedimentation and Stream Temperature Increase from Hillslope Disturbance in Headwater Drainage

Road construction on the hilly terrain of the Blacktail area requires cut slopes and fill that expose bare soil; runoff from these disturbed slopes carries fine sediment directly into Blacktail Creek and the Lower Whitetail Creek headwaters, smothering aquatic substrates and reducing water clarity. Removal of riparian vegetation to accommodate road placement eliminates shade over the stream, allowing solar radiation to warm the water—in a lowland prairie stream system where water temperature is already naturally warm and variable, this additional warming stress reduces the ability of aquatic organisms to survive and reproduce, particularly affecting cold-water-sensitive species in this marginal habitat.

The Blacktail Roadless Area encompasses 8,620 acres of mixed-grass prairie and badlands in the Little Missouri National Grassland near Lemmon, South Dakota. The area's roadless character protects quiet backcountry access to the Little Missouri River, Blacktail Creek, and the surrounding grassland habitat that support diverse recreation opportunities.

Hiking, Mountain Biking, and Horseback Riding

The Blacktail Trail (#6001) is a 7-mile loop starting and ending at the Blacktail Trailhead, accessed from Lemmon by traveling south on Highway 73, then east on Forest Road 5626, and north on Forest Road 5740. The marked, graveled trail winds through prairie and badlands formations with interpretive panels explaining the local ecosystem. The Blacktail Lake Loop, an 8-kilometer relatively flat trail near Blacktail Dam, offers an easier alternative rated as "Easy" with no significant elevation gain and is suitable for walking, trail running, and mountain biking. All trails are restricted to non-motorized use only—e-bikes, motorcycles, ATVs, UTVs, and snowmobiles are prohibited. No water is available at the Blacktail Trail site; visitors should come prepared. The roadless condition preserves the non-motorized character of these trails and keeps the surrounding badlands and prairie undisturbed by vehicle traffic.

Hunting

The Blacktail area lies within North Dakota Game and Fish Deer Unit 4D, recognized for producing exceptional mule deer in the rugged badlands and Little Missouri River valley. Mule Deer and White-tailed Deer are the primary big game species; the creek bottoms and badlands around Blacktail Creek and the Little Missouri River are documented hotspots for mule deer. Sharp-tailed Grouse congregate on the bluffs and in juniper-filled cuts and are hunted September 13, 2025 – January 4, 2026. Ring-necked Pheasant and Hungarian Partridge are also present. Tree Squirrels are hunted statewide; Black-tailed Prairie Dogs are present in the grasslands. Deer bow season runs August 29, 2025 – January 4, 2026; gun season in Unit 4D is November 7–23, 2025; muzzleloader season (white-tail only) is November 28 – December 14, 2025. Baiting is strictly prohibited on National Forest System lands. Portable tree stands and blinds are permitted but must be removed by January 31 and tagged with the owner's name, address, and phone number; nailing or screwing steps into trees is prohibited. The terrain is extremely rough country with steep ridges and deep canyons. Access via the Blacktail Trailhead provides non-motorized entry; hunters also access the area via the Little Missouri River corridor or by walking section lines. The roadless condition restricts motorized cross-country travel for hunting or game retrieval, preserving the primitive character and requiring hunters to travel on foot or horseback through unfragmented habitat.

Fishing

The Little Missouri River flows through the grasslands and supports channel catfish, sauger, walleye, and goldeye, though sport fishing quality is unpredictable due to cloudy, silty water. Whitetail Creek is a tributary flowing into the Little Missouri within the area; specific fish species for this creek are not documented. A valid North Dakota fishing license is required for individuals age 16 and older; the season runs April 1 through March 31. Access to internal streams typically requires non-motorized travel—hiking or horseback—since the area is roadless. The Little Missouri River provides scenic riverbank access for fishing, though specific developed access points within the roadless boundary are not named. The roadless condition means anglers reach these waters on foot or horseback, keeping the riparian corridor and streamside habitat undisturbed by vehicle access.

Birding

The Blacktail area supports grassland specialists including Baird's Sparrow and Sprague's Pipit, prized targets for birders in the dry mixed-grass prairie. Raptors documented in the area include Golden Eagle, Prairie Falcon, Ferruginous Hawk, and Northern Harrier. Other prairie species include Sharp-tailed Grouse, Long-billed Curlew, Burrowing Owl, Short-eared Owl, Say's Phoebe, Rock Wren, and Chestnut-collared Longspur. Along the Little Missouri River and hardwood draws, birders can find Yellow-breasted Chat, Lazuli Bunting, Spotted Towhee, Black-billed Cuckoo, and Orchard Oriole. The area is documented habitat for the migratory Whooping Crane and nesting Piping Plover on river sandbars. Spring and summer are peak seasons for grassland songbirds and nesting neotropical migrants; Sharp-tailed Grouse perform mating displays on leks in spring. The area serves as a migration corridor for Sandhill Cranes and Whooping Cranes. Winter highlights include Rough-legged Hawks, occasionally Snowy Owls, Lapland Longspurs, and Horned Larks. The Blacktail Trail provides a 7-mile marked route through prairie and badlands with interpretive panels. The nearest eBird hotspot is the St. Demetrius Ukrainian Catholic Church, located within 24 kilometers and documenting 97 species. The roadless condition preserves interior forest and grassland habitat undisturbed by roads, maintaining the quiet conditions and unfragmented landscape that grassland specialists and migratory species depend on.

Paddling

The Little Missouri River is North Dakota's only designated State Scenic River and the primary paddling resource in the area. The river is characterized by a gentle current with occasional whitewater sections that can splash unexpectedly. Peak paddling season is May and June due to spring rains and snowmelt. A river depth of at least 2.5 feet (699 cfs) at the Medora gauge is required for fair boating; depths of 2.5 to 3.5 feet (699–1,500 cfs) are considered good. By late summer and fall, the river often becomes too shallow, requiring paddlers to drag boats or resulting in the river drying up completely. Common put-in points include Medora and Sully Creek State Park; take-out points include Medora Bridge (for short 3-mile floats), Long X Bridge on U.S. Highway 85 (approximately 107.5 miles downstream), and Lost Bridge on State Highway 22 at Little Missouri Bay on Lake Sakakawea. The Little Wilderness Kayaking Adventure is a documented guided trip departing from Sully Creek State Park to Medora Bridge in June. Overnight paddling trips involving camping within Theodore Roosevelt National Park sections of the river require a free backcountry permit from the National Park Service. The roadless condition preserves the scenic river corridor and riparian woodland habitat, keeping the Little Missouri's banks and badlands landscape undisturbed by road access.

Photography

The Blacktail Trail winds through prairie and badlands formations, offering views of rugged grassland landscape and geological features. The Little Missouri River, carving through soft clay, creates rising buttes, ravines, and plateaus that form abstract landforms against the horizon. Interpretive panels along the Blacktail Trail and at the Blacktail Picnic Area provide context for the surrounding scenery and natural history. Wildflower displays include scarlet globemallow, gumbo lily, and various prairie flowers. The area features green ash, plains cottonwood, Rocky Mountain juniper, and silver sagebrush, with hardwood draws and riparian woodlands providing seasonal color changes. Wildlife subjects include Black-tailed Prairie Dogs (often photographed near burrows), Mule Deer, Pronghorn, and American Bison. Bird species for photography include Sharp-tailed Grouse, upland sandpipers, and Burrowing Owls. The Little Missouri River corridor supports Beavers, various ducks and geese, and occasional Bald Eagles and American White Pelicans. The area is noted for a lack of light pollution, providing clear views of the Milky Way for night sky photography. The roadless condition preserves dark skies and keeps the badlands landscape and river corridor free from road infrastructure, maintaining the visual character that makes the area compelling for landscape and wildlife photography.