Tracy Mountain

Tracy Mountain spans 9,756 acres of rolling terrain in the Dakota Prairie Grasslands of North Dakota, with elevations ranging across lowland hills and draws. The landscape is drained by the headwaters of Davis Creek and Little Creek, which carve through Plumley Draw at 2,350 feet. These waterways support the area's riparian corridors and influence moisture patterns across the surrounding uplands, creating distinct ecological zones from the creek bottoms to the drier ridge systems.

The vegetation reflects a gradient from moist riparian areas to arid grasslands. Along Davis Creek and Little Creek, Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) and Black Cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa) form closed-canopy forests with Western Snowberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis) in the understory—a disjunct stand of black cottonwood that represents a significant range extension for this species. On drier slopes and ridges, Rocky Mountain Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum) woodlands dominate, with an understory of Silver Sagebrush (Artemisia cana) and forbs including Narrow-leaved Purple Coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia) and Prairie Rose (Rosa arkansana). The open grasslands are characterized by Mixed-grass Prairie communities dominated by Western Wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii), Needle-and-Thread Grass (Hesperostipa comata), and Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis), with Threadleaf Sedge (Carex filifolia) and Small Clubmoss (Selaginella densa) occupying finer-textured soils.

Large herbivores structure these grasslands through grazing and movement. Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) and Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus) are year-round residents, while American Bison (Bison bison), near threatened (IUCN), move through seasonally. Black-tailed Prairie Dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) create colonies that alter soil structure and vegetation patterns, generating habitat heterogeneity that supports specialized species. The federally endangered Whooping Crane (Grus americana) uses the grasslands during migration. Pollinator communities include the proposed endangered Suckley's Cuckoo Bumble Bee (Bombus suckleyi) and the proposed threatened Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus), both dependent on native forbs. The proposed threatened Western Regal Fritillary (Argynnis idalia occidentalis) larvae feed on prairie violets. Reptiles including the Greater Short-horned Lizard (Phrynosoma hernandesi) and Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis) occupy the grassland matrix. The federally endangered Northern Long-Eared Bat (Myotis septentrionalis) hunts insects above the grasslands and roosts in the cottonwood and juniper stands.

Walking through Tracy Mountain, the landscape shifts noticeably with elevation and moisture. From the creek bottoms, where the sound of flowing water accompanies dense cottonwood and ash forest, the terrain opens into juniper woodland with scattered forbs in bloom. As you climb toward the ridges, the juniper thins and grassland dominates—a sea of needle-and-thread and blue grama interrupted by sagebrush patches and the low mounds of prairie dog towns. The transition from riparian shade to open grassland is abrupt; the temperature and light change within a few hundred meters. In the grasslands, the movement of pronghorn across the horizon and the calls of cranes overhead mark the scale of this landscape. Along Davis Creek and Little Creek, the presence of water creates an oasis of green that contrasts sharply with the drier uplands, supporting the forest communities and the specialized species that depend on them.

Archaeological evidence documents human presence in this region for approximately 11,500 years, spanning the Paleoindian, Plains Archaic, and Plains Woodland periods. The Lakota (Teton Sioux) and Yanktonai bands of the Great Sioux Nation became the dominant powers in the western North Dakota plains by the mid-to-late eighteenth century. The Cheyenne also inhabited and moved through the region during their transition from sedentary agriculture to nomadic horse culture in the eighteenth century. Nomadic tribes including the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Assiniboine hunted bison across this terrain, using the rugged Badlands topography for drives and stalking game. Village-dwelling tribes—the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara—used the area as a seasonal hunting destination and as a corridor in trade networks that connected permanent earthlodge villages on the Missouri River to nomadic groups, exchanging dried meat and hides for agricultural products.

Under the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie, much of this land including the Little Missouri River valley was recognized as territory of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara. The 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie established the Great Sioux Reservation, which included lands in this region. Subsequent executive orders and treaties in the late nineteenth century significantly reduced these holdings as the U.S. government opened the land to ranching and rail development.

Nineteenth-century military expeditions traversed the area near Tracy Mountain during campaigns against the Sioux. General Alfred Sully's 1864 expedition passed through the Badlands near this location following the Battle of Killdeer Mountain.

The lands forming the Dakota Prairie Grasslands were reacquired by the federal government in the 1930s under Title III of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act of 1937 to restore "submarginal" lands devastated by the Dust Bowl. In 1954, management of these "Land Utilization Projects" was transferred from the Soil Conservation Service to the U.S. Forest Service. Prior to this transfer, these grasslands were administered as ranger districts of the Custer National Forest. The Dakota Prairie Grasslands was established as a separate administrative unit of the U.S. Forest Service in 1998 by order of the Chief of the Forest Service, managing four distinct National Grasslands: the Little Missouri, Sheyenne, Cedar River, and Grand River.

Tracy Mountain is a 9,756-acre Inventoried Roadless Area protected under the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule and managed within the Medora Ranger District as a backcountry non-motorized area.

Vital Resources Protected

Headwater and Riparian Integrity in the Little Missouri River Watershed

The Tracy Mountain area contains the headwaters of Davis Creek and Little Creek, which feed into the Little Missouri River watershed—a system currently classified by the U.S. Forest Service as "Functioning at Risk" due to historical degradation from grazing and drought. The roadless condition preserves the riparian and woody draw communities (Green Ash / Common Snowberry Forest and Black Cottonwood stands) that stabilize streambanks, filter runoff, and maintain water temperature and quality. These woody draws are priority restoration areas across the Little Missouri National Grassland; their loss to road construction would eliminate the very habitat structure needed to recover watershed function in this degraded system.

Northern Long-Eared Bat Maternity and Foraging Habitat

The federally endangered Northern Long-Eared Bat depends on the intact woodland structure of the Tracy Mountain area—particularly the Green Ash and Rocky Mountain Juniper woodlands—for maternity roosts and insect foraging. Road construction fragments these woodlands into smaller patches, isolating bat colonies and reducing the continuous canopy connectivity these bats require to move safely between roosts and feeding areas. In a landscape already fragmented by energy development, the roadless condition of Tracy Mountain represents one of the few remaining unfragmented woodland corridors available to this species in the Little Missouri National Grassland.

Mixed-Grass Prairie and Grassland Obligate Bird Habitat

The Western Wheatgrass–Needle-and-Thread–Blue Grama and Plains Reedgrass grasslands of Tracy Mountain provide breeding and foraging habitat for grassland-dependent species including the federally endangered Whooping Crane and the proposed threatened Western Regal Fritillary, as well as grassland obligates like Sprague's Pipit identified as Species of Greatest Conservation Need in North Dakota. These native grasslands are sensitive to edge effects—the creation of road corridors introduces invasive species (leafy spurge, Canada thistle) that degrade forage quality and fragment nesting habitat. The roadless condition prevents the establishment of invasion corridors that would otherwise spread weeds into the interior grassland matrix.

Pollinator Habitat for Suckley's Cuckoo Bumble Bee and Monarch Butterfly

The diverse native grassland and wildflower composition of Tracy Mountain—including the threadleaf sedge and blue grama communities—supports populations of the proposed endangered Suckley's Cuckoo Bumble Bee and proposed threatened Monarch Butterfly, both of which depend on continuous, pesticide-free native flowering plants for nectar and pollen. Road construction introduces soil disturbance that favors invasive weeds over native wildflowers, reducing the floral resources these pollinators require. The roadless condition maintains the botanical diversity and chemical integrity of the grassland that these species depend on for survival.

Threats from Road Construction

Sedimentation and Stream Temperature Increase from Canopy Removal and Cut Slopes

Road construction in the woody draws of Tracy Mountain requires removal of the Green Ash and Black Cottonwood canopy that currently shades Davis Creek and Little Creek, and cutting into hillsides creates exposed soil on slopes that erodes during precipitation events. This combination increases both sediment load—which smothers spawning substrate and clogs fish gills—and water temperature, as the loss of riparian shade allows solar heating of streams. In a watershed already classified as "Functioning at Risk," this sedimentation and thermal stress would degrade the aquatic habitat that depends on the cool, clear conditions these headwater streams currently provide.

Habitat Fragmentation and Edge-Effect Invasion in Grassland and Woodland Mosaic

Road corridors through Tracy Mountain create linear disturbances that fragment the continuous grassland and woodland habitat into isolated patches, reducing the area available to interior-dependent species like the Northern Long-Eared Bat and grassland obligates. The disturbed soil and edge habitat along roads provide entry points for invasive species (leafy spurge, Canada thistle) that spread into adjacent native grassland, degrading forage quality for Whooping Cranes and reducing wildflower availability for Suckley's Cuckoo Bumble Bees and Monarch Butterflies. Once established, these invasive species are difficult to control in a landscape already stressed by drought, making fragmentation a permanent loss of habitat quality.

Culvert Barriers and Hydrological Disruption in Woody Draw Networks

Road crossings of the draw network require culverts that often become barriers to the movement of aquatic organisms and can disrupt the natural flow of water through the riparian system. In the context of the Little Missouri National Grassland's priority need to restore woody draw function, culverts interrupt the connectivity between headwater reaches and downstream riparian habitat, isolating populations and reducing the resilience of already-degraded riparian communities. The hydrological disruption also affects the Green Ash and Common Snowberry Forest communities that depend on consistent soil moisture—altered drainage patterns can stress these woody plants and reduce their capacity to stabilize streambanks and filter runoff.

Chronic Erosion and Soil Disturbance Creating Pathways for Oil and Gas Development

Road construction establishes infrastructure corridors that facilitate subsequent resource extraction activities; in the Little Missouri National Grassland, approximately 16 of 25 roadless areas already have portions under lease for oil and gas development. The disturbed soil and access provided by roads accelerate erosion and create pathways for drilling equipment, increasing the risk of oilfield spills (brine and crude oil) documented in the region since 1975. In Tracy Mountain, where the roadless condition currently limits energy development, road construction would remove the primary barrier preventing industrial development that would further fragment habitat and contaminate the Little Missouri River watershed.

Tracy Mountain encompasses 9,756 acres of hilly mixed-grass prairie and badlands woodland in the Little Missouri National Grassland, North Dakota. The area's roadless condition supports a range of non-motorized recreation that depends on the absence of vehicle access and the resulting quiet, undisturbed backcountry character.

Hiking, Mountain Biking, and Horseback Riding

The Maah Daah Hey Trail (MDHT) passes through Tracy Mountain as part of its 144-mile non-motorized single-track system connecting Theodore Roosevelt National Park's North and South Units. Within the roadless area, hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders can access the Coal Creek Trail (0.7 miles), Coal Creek Spur (0.1 miles), and Survey Monument Trail (0.1 miles), all maintained on imported compacted material. The Coal Creek Campground serves as a primary trailhead, with a solar water well and hand pump available. The Plumley Draw Trailhead, located 2.7 miles away, offers an alternative access point. The Coal Creek Loop features a waterfall and diverse native plant communities within the larger badlands landscape. All motorized vehicles, including e-bikes, motorcycles, and ATVs, are prohibited. The area is open year-round, though services at Coal Creek Campground are limited outside the Memorial Day to Labor Day season. The roadless condition preserves the primitive hiking and riding experience; roads would fragment the trail system and introduce motorized noise into these backcountry corridors.

Hunting

Tracy Mountain lies within North Dakota Deer Hunting Unit 4D and supports populations of mule deer and whitetail deer in the rugged badlands and creek bottoms, making it prime habitat for spot-and-stalk hunting. Bow season typically runs from late August through early January; gun season is a 16.5-day period in early November; youth season occurs in late September. The surrounding Little Missouri National Grassland also supports sharp-tailed grouse, pheasant, Hungarian partridge, and prairie dogs (open year-round with no daily bag limit). Coyote, red fox, gray fox, and badger are present. Baiting for big game is prohibited on National Forest System lands. Permanent tree stands and ground blinds are not allowed; portable equipment must be removed daily or identified with owner information. The roadless designation ensures access only by foot or horseback, preserving the primitive hunting experience and preventing the fragmentation that roads would create in deer habitat and grouse breeding areas.

Fishing

Davis Creek within the roadless area supports small fish including fathead minnows, creek chubs, sand shiners, and flathead chubs (a North Dakota Species of Conservation Priority), though water clarity is low and conditions are murky. The Little Missouri River, located in the broader vicinity, supports channel catfish and sauger but is characterized by silty water and unpredictable fishing quality. Approximately 68 man-made stock ponds exist within the area, though no specific game fish populations are documented for interior ponds. No stocking programs operate within the roadless area. Fishing is subject to North Dakota Game and Fish Department regulations; a valid state license is required for anglers age 16 and older. Access is limited to non-motorized means—hiking or horseback—which maintains the backcountry character of the streams and prevents the erosion and sedimentation that road construction would introduce to these cold-water habitats.

Birding

Tracy Mountain provides habitat for grassland specialists including sharp-tailed grouse, long-billed curlews, and grasshopper, lark, vesper, savannah, and chipping sparrows. Golden eagles and prairie falcons are documented raptors in the region. Badlands-associated species such as say's phoebe, rock wren, mountain bluebird, lazuli bunting, and yellow-breasted chat are present in similar nearby habitats. The area is documented habitat for whooping cranes. Spring (late April to early May) is critical for sharp-tailed grouse breeding; regulations protect leks by restricting surface occupancy within 200 feet. The Central Flyway brings sandhill cranes, American white pelicans, bobolinks, and dickcissels during migration. Winter brings rough-legged hawks, short-eared owls, horned larks, and lapland longspurs to the open prairies. Plumley Draw (elevation 2,350 feet) provides a specific location for observing lowland draw and mixed-grass prairie species. Nearby high-activity birding hotspots include Theodore Roosevelt National Park's South Unit, Talkington Dam, and Buffalo Gap Campground. Non-motorized access via the Maah Daah Hey Trail and foot travel preserves the quiet necessary for observing breeding birds and migrants; roads would degrade habitat connectivity and introduce noise that disrupts breeding and foraging behavior.

Photography

Tracy Mountain's backcountry terrain offers rugged clifftop views and panoramic vistas of the Little Missouri Badlands. A 290-acre black cottonwood disjunct stand on the north side of Tracy Mountain Road represents the only known population of black cottonwoods (Populus trichocarpa) on the Little Missouri River and provides distinctive botanical subjects. Threadleaf sedge (Carex filifolia) flowers from April to May and reaches maximum growth by early June, contributing seasonal color to the mixed-grass prairie dominated by western wheatgrass, blue grama, and needle-and-thread grass. Wildlife photography opportunities include a resident bighorn sheep herd, mule deer populations, soaring golden eagles and other raptors, meadowlarks, and black-tailed prairie dog colonies. The surrounding grassland is recognized for its "big skies" and lack of light pollution, supporting stargazing and astronomical observation. The Tracy Mountain Champsosaur Fossil Site offers specialized paleontological interest. The roadless condition preserves the open landscape and wildlife habitat that make these subjects accessible and undisturbed; roads would fragment habitat, increase human presence, and degrade the visual character that draws photographers to the area.