Magpie

The Magpie area encompasses 21,281 acres of hilly lowland terrain within the Dakota Prairie Grasslands of North Dakota, with Tower Butte rising to 2,730 feet as its highest point. The landscape is shaped by the headwaters and main channel of Magpie Creek, along with North Creek and Sand Creek, which drain this region and create the hydrological framework that sustains distinct plant and animal communities across the area. Water movement through these drainages supports riparian corridors that contrast sharply with the surrounding upland grasslands and woodlands.

The Magpie area displays a mosaic of prairie and woodland communities shaped by moisture and elevation gradients. Western Mixed-Grass and Short-grass Prairie dominates the uplands, where blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis), needle-and-thread grass (Hesperostipa comata), and threadleaf sedge (Carex filifolia) form the foundation of the herbaceous layer. Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum) and little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) define the Juniper/Little Bluestem Woodland on drier slopes. Silver sagebrush (Artemisia cana) and western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii) characterize the shrubland communities. In riparian zones, plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides) and green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) form the canopy, with western snowberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis) occupying the understory. This vegetation structure creates distinct microhabitats that support specialized wildlife across the area.

The Magpie area supports populations of species adapted to Great Plains grasslands and their associated wetlands. The federally endangered whooping crane (Grus americana) uses the creek corridors and adjacent grasslands during migration. The federally endangered northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) hunts insects above the riparian forest and grassland edges. Grassland-dependent insects include the federally threatened Dakota skipper (Hesperia dacotae) and the proposed threatened western regal fritillary (Argynnis idalia occidentalis), both of which depend on native prairie plants for larval development. The proposed endangered Suckley's cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus suckleyi) pollinates wildflowers across the grasslands. Shorebirds including the federally threatened piping plover (Charadrius melodus) and rufa red knot (Calidris canutus rufa) use seasonal wetlands and creek margins. Larger mammals such as pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), and black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) occupy the grasslands, while prairie rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis) and greater short-horned lizards (Phrynosoma hernandesi) move through both grassland and shrubland habitats. Sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) use the grassland-shrubland transition zones for breeding and foraging.

Moving through the Magpie area, a visitor experiences distinct transitions in vegetation and topography. Walking across the upland grasslands, the low herbaceous layer and scattered juniper create open vistas interrupted by low woody growth. Following Magpie Creek or North Creek into the riparian corridor brings a shift to taller vegetation—the shade of cottonwood and ash canopy, denser understory, and the sound of flowing water. Climbing toward Tower Butte, the landscape transitions from grassland to juniper woodland, with little bluestem becoming more prominent in the understory. The sagebrush shrublands occupy intermediate slopes where moisture is moderate and woody cover remains sparse. Throughout the area, the low elevation and rolling terrain mean that no single vantage point dominates; instead, the landscape reveals itself gradually through movement, with each habitat type occupying distinct positions in the topography and hydrological system.

Indigenous nations—primarily the Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, and various bands of the Sioux (Lakota and Dakota)—inhabited and used this region historically. The Mandan and Hidatsa were semi-sedentary peoples who lived in permanent earthlodge villages along the Missouri River and its tributaries. The Arikara moved into the region later, joining the Mandan and Hidatsa at Like-a-Fishhook Village in 1862 to escape conflict with the Lakota. The Assiniboine, Cheyenne, Crow, and Blackfeet also frequented or traversed the area during various periods of migration and hunting. Archaeological evidence and lithic scatters indicate continuous human presence spanning over 11,500 years, including the Paleoindian, Plains Archaic, and Plains Woodland periods. The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 recognized a vast territory for the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara (MHA) Nation that extended from the Missouri River west beyond the Yellowstone River, encompassing the Magpie area. The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 designated lands west of the Missouri River, including western North Dakota, as part of the Great Sioux Reservation or "unceded Indian territory" where the Sioux retained hunting rights. This region was a theater for the Great Sioux War, and the Magpie area lies near sites of significant 19th-century conflict.

European settlement brought dramatic changes to the landscape. Beginning in the 1880s, large-scale cattle ranching became the primary economic activity across the region. During the "Great Dakota Boom" of the 1870s and 1880s, the area was heavily promoted for wheat farming, though the arid Badlands environment proved challenging for traditional homesteading. The Great Northern Railway, running from Grand Forks to Williston, integrated the region into national grain and livestock markets. Numerous branch lines were constructed to serve small agricultural communities. General Alfred Sully's troops marched through the North Dakota Badlands in 1864, engaging in the Battle of the Badlands, marking the military transition from Indigenous control to U.S. federal authority.

The 1930s brought federal intervention in response to ecological crisis. During the Dust Bowl era, much of the land was acquired by the federal government under the Submarginal Land Program of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration and the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act of 1937. These "Land Utilization Projects" were intended to reclaim overgrazed and eroded lands. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Orders 6909 and 6910 in 1934, withdrawing public lands in North and South Dakota from settlement and entry, reserving them for conservation and grazing projects.

In 1960, these lands were officially given permanent status as National Grasslands under the Multiple-Use Sustained Yield Act. The Dakota Prairie Grasslands, the administrative unit managing the Magpie area, was officially established as a separate unit in 1998 by order of the Chief of the Forest Service. This reorganization separated the management of the grasslands from the Custer National Forest to better focus on prairie ecosystem resources and issues. In 2002, with the signing of the Land and Resource Management Plan, the Forest Service identified specific areas as suitable for wilderness, reducing the acreage managed as "suitable" from approximately 500,000 acres to less than 40,000 acres across the Little Missouri National Grassland.

The Magpie roadless area is presently protected under the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, designating its 21,281 acres as an Inventoried Roadless Area managed within the Medora Ranger District of the Northern Region.

Vital Resources Protected

Northern Great Plains Grassland-Woodland Mosaic Supporting Endangered Pollinators and Grassland Birds

The Magpie area's interlocking patchwork of mixed-grass prairie, silver sagebrush shrubland, and juniper-woodland creates the specific habitat structure required by federally threatened Dakota Skipper butterflies and federally threatened Piping Plovers, both of which depend on intact, unfragmented grassland with minimal disturbance. The area's 21,281 acres of continuous grassland and shrubland provide the large, unbroken territories these species require for breeding and foraging; fragmentation by roads would isolate populations and reduce the connectivity between suitable patches that allows genetic exchange and recolonization after local extinctions. The proposed endangered Suckley's cuckoo bumble bee and proposed threatened Western regal fritillary butterfly similarly depend on native flowering plants in undisturbed grassland and shrubland—species composition and bloom timing that are disrupted by road construction and the invasive species that follow.

Riparian Forest Corridor for Federally Endangered Whooping Cranes and Migratory Waterbirds

The Great Plains cottonwood-peachleaf willow floodplain forest along Magpie Creek, North Creek, and Sand Creek provides critical stopover and staging habitat for federally endangered Whooping Cranes during spring and fall migration, as well as for federally threatened rufa red knots and other shorebirds that depend on riparian woodlands as refuges during long-distance flights. These floodplain forests are rare in the Northern Great Plains and function as linear oases; their integrity depends on the hydrological connectivity of the headwater streams and the absence of edge disturbance that would degrade water quality and canopy structure. Road construction in the headwaters or along riparian corridors would disrupt the very conditions—cool, clear water and intact woody cover—that make these forests functional for migratory species.

Headwater Stream Network Protecting Aquatic Connectivity and Water Quality

The Magpie Creek headwaters and associated drainage network (North Creek, Sand Creek) originate within this roadless area and flow through intact riparian buffers before reaching downstream reaches. These headwater streams are the primary source of cold, sediment-free water that maintains aquatic habitat quality throughout the drainage; the absence of roads means no cut slopes delivering sediment, no canopy removal raising water temperatures, and no culverts fragmenting fish passage. The hydrological integrity of these headwaters is particularly significant in the Northern Great Plains, where water scarcity makes every functional stream system critical for both wildlife and downstream communities.

Unfragmented Habitat for Northern Long-Eared Bat Foraging and Maternity Colonies

The federally endangered Northern Long-Eared Bat requires large, continuous areas of mixed woodland and grassland for foraging on insects and relies on the green ash-mixed forest and juniper woodlands within the Magpie area for maternity roosts and nursery colonies. Road construction fragments bat habitat by creating edge effects that disrupt insect availability, increase predation risk along cleared corridors, and isolate maternity colonies from foraging areas—impacts that are particularly severe for a species already facing population declines from white-nose syndrome. The bat's dependence on interior woodland habitat means that even a single road through the area would reduce the effective habitat available to breeding females.

Threats from Road Construction

Sedimentation and Stream Temperature Increase from Headwater Disturbance

Road construction in the Magpie headwaters would require cut slopes and fill material that expose bare soil to erosion; runoff from these disturbed areas would deliver fine sediment directly into Magpie Creek, North Creek, and Sand Creek, smothering the clean gravel spawning substrate and reducing light penetration that aquatic plants and invertebrates depend on. Simultaneously, removal of riparian vegetation to accommodate road grades and clearing would eliminate the shade that keeps headwater streams cool; even a 2–3°C increase in water temperature can exceed the thermal tolerance of cold-water aquatic species and reduce dissolved oxygen levels. These impacts would cascade downstream, degrading the riparian forest habitat that federally endangered Whooping Cranes and federally threatened rufa red knots depend on during migration.

Grassland Fragmentation and Edge-Effect Habitat Loss for Dakota Skipper and Piping Plover

Road construction would divide the continuous grassland-shrubland matrix into isolated patches, reducing the area available to Dakota Skipper butterflies and Piping Plovers, both of which require large, unfragmented territories for breeding success. The road corridor itself creates an edge effect—a zone of altered microclimate, increased predation pressure, and invasive plant encroachment—that extends into adjacent grassland and reduces the quality of habitat immediately adjacent to the road. For species with small populations already restricted to the Northern Great Plains, this fragmentation increases extinction risk by preventing movement between suitable patches and reducing the total population size that can be supported; once lost, grassland connectivity in this region is extremely difficult to restore due to the dominance of invasive species in disturbed areas.

Invasive Species Establishment and Native Pollinator Habitat Degradation

Road construction creates a linear corridor of soil disturbance that serves as a vector for invasive plant species—particularly non-native grasses and forbs that outcompete native wildflowers that proposed endangered Suckley's cuckoo bumble bees, proposed threatened Western regal fritillary butterflies, and proposed threatened Monarch butterflies depend on for nectar and pollen. Once established along the road, invasive species spread into adjacent grassland and shrubland through seed dispersal and competitive displacement, reducing the abundance and diversity of native flowering plants across the roadless area. The loss of native plant diversity directly reduces food availability for these pollinator species during critical breeding and migration periods, with cascading effects on their population viability.

Hydrological Disruption of Riparian Forest Function

Road fills and drainage structures in the floodplain forest would alter the natural flow of water through the riparian zone, either by impeding water movement (causing localized flooding and waterlogging) or by accelerating drainage (causing the water table to drop and riparian vegetation to decline). These hydrological changes would degrade the structural integrity of the Great Plains cottonwood-peachleaf willow forest that federally endangered Whooping Cranes and other migratory waterbirds depend on for shelter and foraging; loss of canopy cover and understory vegetation would eliminate the specific habitat conditions these species require during migration windows when they are energetically stressed and vulnerable to predation.

The Magpie Roadless Area encompasses 21,281 acres of mixed-grass prairie, juniper woodland, and badlands terrain in the Little Missouri National Grassland. Access to the area is foot or horseback only—no motorized vehicles are permitted. Magpie Campground, located on Forest Service Road 712 approximately 15.5 miles west of Highway 85 near Grassy Butte, serves as the primary trailhead and base camp.

Hiking and Mountain Biking

The Maah Daah Hey Trail (7001), a 144-mile National Recreation Trail, passes through the Magpie unit with 21.8 miles of singletrack rated intermediate (blue) for mountain biking. The trail surface is a distinctive blend of dirt, clay, sandstone, and scoria. From Magpie Campground, the Magpie Trail (7009), a 0.3-mile connector, provides direct access to the Maah Daah Hey system. A day-use parking lot 0.5 miles south of the campground offers trailhead access between Mile Posts 105 and 106. The Ice Caves Trail (7005) is a beginner-rated loop of 1.5 to 2.1 miles, or a 10.5-mile out-and-back from the campground. The trail reaches a high point of 2,562 feet and passes shallow sandstone caves between Mile Posts 108 and 109 of the Maah Daah Hey Trail; these caves can hold ice and snow into mid-July. The Aspen Trail (7014) is a 0.3-mile option. Bentonite clay soil becomes extremely slippery when wet; plan trips during dry conditions. E-bikes and motorized vehicles are prohibited. The annual Maah Daah Hey Trail Run (5K through 100-mile distances) and the Maah Daah Hey 100 mountain bike race (107 miles, typically early August) use this system.

Hunting

The Magpie area is open to public hunting under North Dakota Game and Fish Department regulations. Sharp-tailed Grouse are the primary upland bird target, found on grassy slopes with snowberry and shrubby thickets; the season typically runs mid-September through early January. Mule Deer and White-tailed Deer are managed throughout the National Grassland, and Pronghorn are documented in Magpie Valley. Mountain Lions are present (tracks documented in the valley), and Prairie Dogs may be hunted year-round. Access is by foot or horseback only; motorized vehicle travel is prohibited within the roadless area. Hunting over bait is strictly prohibited on National Forest System lands. Tree stands and blinds must be removed by January 31 and must display an identification tag with the owner's name, address, and telephone number. The roadless condition and absence of motorized access preserve the primitive hunting experience that defines recreation here.

Fishing

Magpie Creek drains the area and supports riparian vegetation, though specific sport fish species for this creek are not documented in official records. The Little Missouri River, located near the Magpie unit, supports channel catfish and sauger, though fishing quality is unpredictable due to silty water. No stocking programs exist for streams within the roadless area. Fishing is subject to North Dakota Game and Fish Department regulations; the general season runs April 1 through March 31. Legal methods include hook and line (maximum two poles in open water, four for ice fishing). The Maah Daah Hey Trail provides approximately 10 miles of non-motorized backcountry access to Magpie Creek and its headwaters. The area is primarily recognized for hunting and hiking rather than as a primary fishing destination.

Birding

The Magpie area supports key grassland specialist species including Baird's Sparrow, Sprague's Pipit, and Chestnut-collared Longspur. Raptors documented in the area include Golden Eagle, Swainson's Hawk, Northern Harrier, Prairie Falcon, and Burrowing Owl. Badlands and riparian species include Black-billed Magpie, Say's Phoebe, Rock Wren, Mountain Bluebird, Lazuli Bunting, Spotted Towhee, and Yellow-breasted Chat. Grassland species such as Marbled Godwit, Upland Sandpiper, Long-billed Curlew, Grasshopper Sparrow, Lark Bunting, and Western Meadowlark are documented residents or breeders. Spring (May–June) is the primary season for viewing breeding grassland birds; Baird's Sparrows sing from grassy slopes, Sprague's Pipits perform high-altitude flight displays, and Sharp-tailed Grouse are active on their leks during early mornings. Migration periods bring Common Nighthawks, Bobolinks, and various sparrow species. Winter hosts wintering raptors such as Rough-legged Hawks and occasionally Snowy Owls. Birding access is via the Maah Daah Hey Trail and surrounding terrain from Magpie Campground; the roadless character requires hiking or horseback riding to reach interior habitats.

Photography

Tower Butte (2,730 feet) provides a grassy summit with panoramic views of the surrounding badlands and juniper-forested slopes, accessible to hikers and horseback riders. The Maah Daah Hey Trail offers expansive views of the North Dakota Badlands, with large sandstone cliffs, boulder-scattered inclines, and rolling mixed-grass prairie uplands providing scenic depth for landscape photography. Magpie Creek and its riparian forests of Plains Cottonwood and Peachleaf Willow serve as focal points in the arid landscape. Spring and summer wildflowers include Prairie Rose, False Sunflower, Pasque flowers, Dakota Buckwheat, Blanketflower, Dotted Gayfeather, and Slender Beardtongue. Green Ash and Plains Cottonwood provide fall foliage displays in late September and October. Wildlife subjects include Bighorn Sheep, Pronghorn, Mule Deer, Sharp-tailed Grouse on their leks, and Black-tailed Prairie Dog towns. Rare species documented in the area include the Dakota Skipper butterfly (June to early July) and Monarch Butterfly. The roadless and primitive character—with no motorized access and no roads—contributes to exceptionally dark skies. The Milky Way, meteor showers, and the Aurora Borealis are visible on clear nights from fall through early spring.