Twin Buttes

Twin Buttes occupies 13,492 acres of rolling terrain in the Dakota Prairie Grasslands of North Dakota, with East Twin Butte rising to 2,900 feet. The landscape drains through Wannagan Creek and Winter Creek, which originate in the headwaters within the area and carry water through draws and valleys that cut into the surrounding uplands. These creeks and their associated seeps and springs create the moisture gradients that structure the ecological diversity of the region.

The vegetation shifts across the area in response to elevation, aspect, and soil moisture. Mixed-grass prairie dominates the open uplands, where western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii), needle-and-thread grass (Hesperostipa comata), and blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) form the primary cover. Scattered across these grasslands are Great Plains yucca (Yucca glauca) and plains pricklypear (Opuntia polyacantha). In the draws where moisture accumulates, Green Ash / Chokecherry Wooded Draw communities develop, with green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) and chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) providing canopy cover and wild plum (Prunus americana) in the understory. Rocky Mountain Juniper / Little Ricegrass Woodland occupies drier slopes, while Silver Sagebrush / Western Wheatgrass Shrubland occurs on semi-arid upland sites. Narrow-leaved purple coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia) blooms throughout these communities, supporting specialized pollinators.

The federally endangered whooping crane (Grus americana) uses the grassland and wetland margins of this area. The federally endangered Northern Long-Eared Bat (Myotis septentrionalis) hunts insects above the draws and open grasslands. Suckley's cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus suckleyi), proposed for federal endangered status, and the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), proposed for federal threatened status, depend on flowering plants including the purple coneflower. The Western Regal Fritillary (Argynnis idalia occidentalis), also proposed for federal threatened status, uses prairie violets as larval host plants. Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) create colonies that alter soil and vegetation structure across the grasslands, while American bison (Bison bison), near threatened (IUCN), and pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) graze the mixed-grass prairie. Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) browse the woody draws, and prairie rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis) hunt small mammals and lizards in the grassland and shrubland. Greater Short-horned Lizards (Phrynosoma hernandesi) forage on ants in open areas.

Walking through Twin Buttes, the landscape transitions from open grassland to the darker, cooler shade of the wooded draws where Wannagan Creek flows. The sound of water in the creek bottom contrasts with the wind-exposed ridges above, where views extend across rolling prairie. As elevation increases toward East Twin Butte, the juniper woodland becomes denser and the understory shifts from grass to rocky ground. The draws themselves are corridors of green—lined with ash and chokecherry—that concentrate wildlife movement and create refugia during drought. The flowering of purple coneflower in mid-summer draws pollinators and creates visible patches of color against the surrounding grassland and shrubland.

Indigenous peoples have inhabited and used this region for centuries. The Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara—the Three Affiliated Tribes, or MHA Nation—are the primary historical inhabitants of the Missouri River basin and its tributaries, including the Little Missouri River which borders the Twin Buttes area. Archaeological evidence documents Mandan and Hidatsa earthlodge villages dating to at least the 14th century. The broader region served as a crossroads for both sedentary horticultural tribes and nomadic hunter-gatherer groups, including the Assiniboine, known to have hunted bison on the western North Dakota plains, and the Crow, who historically frequented the western buffalo ranges before being pushed further west. The grasslands surrounding the badlands were primary hunting grounds for bison, elk, pronghorn, and mule deer, which nomadic groups relied upon for food, clothing, and shelter. Indigenous peoples used the high bluffs above the Little Missouri River for eagle trapping, concealing themselves in camouflaged pits to catch golden and bald eagles for ceremonial feathers. The badlands also provided essential raw materials including colored clays and soils for paint-making and lithic materials such as Knife River flint for stone tools. High buttes in the area were considered homes of animal spirits and were used for medicine-making rituals and vision quests. Archaeological evidence throughout the surrounding grasslands includes bison processing camps, rock rings from tipi encampments, and lithic scatters.

The arrival of railroads transformed the region's settlement patterns. The Northern Pacific Railroad to the south and the Great Northern Railway to the north were the primary lines that brought settlers to the broader region during the late nineteenth century.

During the 1930s Dust Bowl, the federal government undertook a major land acquisition campaign. Under the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act of 1937, the federal government purchased failing homesteads in this region as part of "Land Utilization Projects" designed to prevent further soil erosion and combat the economic devastation of the Depression. Early land withdrawals were facilitated by Executive Order 6910 in 1934, which withdrew public lands in North Dakota and other states for conservation and development purposes. These acquisitions eventually led to the creation of the National Grasslands in 1960.

Prior to 1998, these lands were managed as ranger districts of the Custer National Forest, headquartered in Billings, Montana. The Dakota Prairie Grasslands was officially established in 1998 as a separate administrative unit by the Chief of the Forest Service, created to focus specifically on the management of grassland resources, which have different ecological and social needs than the montane forests they were previously grouped with. The unit currently manages four distinct National Grasslands: the Sheyenne National Grassland and Cedar River National Grassland in North Dakota, and the Grand River National Grassland in South Dakota. In 1970, Twin Buttes became the only area in North Dakota ever recommended by the U.S. Forest Service for formal Wilderness designation under the Wilderness Act of 1964. The area is protected under the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, with management standards established by the 2001 Land and Resource Management Plan. Today, the area is actively used for livestock grazing, managed by the Medora Grazing Association under U.S. Forest Service permits. The Twin Buttes Traditional Powwow, hosted annually in the area, remains a significant cultural event for the MHA Nation.

Vital Resources Protected

Grassland Habitat for Migratory Pollinators and Raptors

Twin Buttes' mixed-grass prairie and silver sagebrush/western wheatgrass shrubland provide critical breeding and foraging habitat for federally endangered whooping cranes and proposed threatened monarch butterflies, both of which depend on intact grassland structure and native plant diversity for survival. The area's unfragmented grassland matrix allows these long-distance migrants to find the specific plant communities and insect prey they require without navigating around human infrastructure. Loss of grassland connectivity through road corridors would isolate remaining populations across the Great Plains and eliminate the area's function as a stepping-stone habitat for species with continental migration routes.

Wooded Draw Refugia for Forest-Dependent Bat Species

The green ash and chokecherry wooded draws within Twin Buttes support the federally endangered northern long-eared bat, which roosts in tree cavities and hunts insects along riparian corridors. These draws represent rare forest structure in the surrounding prairie landscape, making them disproportionately valuable for a bat species whose populations have declined sharply across North America. The intact canopy and understory complexity of these draws cannot be quickly restored once removed, and fragmentation of wooded habitat increases bat vulnerability to white-nose syndrome and reduces foraging efficiency.

Pollinator-Supporting Native Plant Communities

Twin Buttes' diverse native grassland and shrubland—including western wheatgrass, green needlegrass, needle-and-thread grass, little ricegrass, and silver sagebrush—sustains the proposed endangered Suckley's cuckoo bumble bee and proposed threatened western regal fritillary butterfly, both of which are specialist pollinators dependent on specific native plant phenology and structure. These plant communities have taken decades to establish and maintain their current composition; road construction and the soil disturbance it causes would introduce invasive species that outcompete natives and disrupt the temporal availability of nectar and pollen these insects require.

Headwater Stream Integrity and Riparian Function

Wannagan Creek and Winter Creek originate within Twin Buttes' hilly terrain, and their headwater reaches depend on the area's intact vegetation and soil structure to maintain cool water temperatures, stable banks, and sediment-free spawning substrate. The wooded draws and grasslands surrounding these creeks function as riparian buffers that filter runoff, stabilize banks, and provide shade; road construction in this lowland, hilly terrain would directly intersect these drainage systems and eliminate the vegetation that protects them.

Threats from Road Construction

Sedimentation and Stream Temperature Increase from Slope Disturbance

Road construction on Twin Buttes' hilly terrain requires cut slopes and fill material that expose bare soil to erosion; runoff from these disturbed areas carries fine sediment directly into Wannagan Creek and Winter Creek headwaters, smothering the clean gravel spawning substrate that native fish and aquatic invertebrates require. Simultaneously, removal of riparian vegetation along road corridors eliminates the shade that keeps headwater streams cool; even small temperature increases in these sensitive lowland creeks can exceed the thermal tolerance of cold-water species and disrupt the insect emergence timing that migratory birds—including whooping cranes—depend on for food during breeding season.

Grassland Fragmentation and Edge-Effect Habitat Loss for Ground-Nesting Species

Road construction fragments Twin Buttes' mixed-grass prairie into smaller, isolated patches separated by disturbed corridors; this fragmentation increases the proportion of grassland edge exposed to predation, parasitism, and invasive species invasion, making the remaining habitat unsuitable for area-sensitive species like whooping cranes and western regal fritillary butterflies that require large, continuous grassland blocks. The hilly terrain means roads cannot avoid the core grassland areas—they must cut through them—and the resulting edge effects (increased nest predation, cowbird parasitism, invasive plant encroachment) extend far beyond the road surface itself, degrading habitat quality across the surrounding landscape.

Canopy Removal and Fragmentation of Wooded Draw Habitat for Northern Long-Eared Bats

Road construction through Twin Buttes' green ash and chokecherry wooded draws requires removal of the mature trees that northern long-eared bats depend on for roosting cavities and the riparian insect prey they hunt; because these draws are rare forest patches in a prairie landscape, they cannot be replaced or relocated. Fragmentation of the remaining wooded habitat increases isolation between bat colonies, reduces foraging efficiency by forcing bats to travel longer distances between roosts and feeding areas, and creates edge habitat where predation risk increases and microclimate conditions become unsuitable for a species already stressed by disease and population decline.

Invasive Species Establishment Along Road Corridors and Loss of Native Plant Specialist Pollinators

Road construction creates disturbed soil and a linear corridor of disturbance that invasive plants—particularly aggressive non-native grasses and forbs—colonize more readily than native species; these invasives spread outward from the road into adjacent grassland and shrubland, outcompeting the native western wheatgrass, green needlegrass, silver sagebrush, and other plants that Suckley's cuckoo bumble bees and western regal fritillary butterflies depend on for nectar and larval food. Because these specialist pollinators have narrow host-plant requirements and limited dispersal ability, even partial loss of native plant communities within Twin Buttes would reduce their population viability and eliminate the area's function as a refuge for species already declining across the Great Plains.

Twin Buttes rises from the mixed-grass prairie of the Little Missouri National Grassland as a destination for backcountry hunting, hiking, and wildlife observation. The area's 13,492 acres of roadless terrain—hilly grassland and wooded draws anchored by East Twin Butte at 2,900 feet—support recreation that depends entirely on foot or horseback access. No motorized vehicles are permitted beyond the boundary, preserving the primitive character that defines hunting and backcountry travel here.

Hunting is the primary draw. Sharp-tailed grouse inhabit the buffaloberry thickets on the lower slopes and base of the buttes, with fall offering the best conditions for upland bird hunting. Mule deer and pronghorn occupy the open grasslands and draws, providing backcountry big-game opportunities in terrain described as reminiscent of early hunting experiences. Coyote and jackrabbit are also present. The area falls within North Dakota Game and Fish Department Deer Gun Hunting Unit 4C; hunters must follow state regulations and access the area on foot or horseback from parking areas at the southwest corner of East Twin Butte (via FS Road 730 from I-94 Exit 10) or from the east via Wannagan Creek Road (I-94 Exit 18). Baiting is prohibited on all National Forest lands. Fall is optimal for both hunting and hiking due to cooler temperatures.

Hiking and cross-country travel are the primary non-motorized activities. No formally established trails exist within the roadless area. Visitors typically walk in from the southwest corner of East Twin Butte—a 15-minute walk to the saddle—or traverse the lower slopes and dendritic fingers of Winter Creek on the eastern flanks. The saddle and upper slopes of East Twin Butte offer panoramic views of the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park and the Little Missouri River valley; on clear days, Montana is visible. The area features flat-topped mesas, sandstone caps, and petrified logs, including documented instances of erosion-carved petrified log formations. Seasonal conditions matter: fall provides the best hiking weather, while winter and wet periods can make the terrain impassable.

Fishing is possible but secondary to hunting and hiking. Wannagan Creek and Winter Creek drain the area; the Little Missouri River lies downstream. These waters support channel catfish and sauger, though sport fishing is noted as unpredictable due to silt and water clarity. No stocking programs are documented for the creeks within the roadless area. Anglers must hike in from the same access points as hunters and hikers. The nearest managed fishery is Camel's Hump Lake, approximately 10 miles south, which is stocked with rainbow, brown, and cutthroat trout.

Birding and wildlife observation occur throughout the area's diverse habitats. Sharp-tailed grouse are documented in the buffaloberry thickets. Whooping cranes are known to the area. The surrounding grasslands support Sprague's Pipit, Baird's Sparrow, Chestnut-collared Longspur, and Grasshopper Sparrow, particularly during spring and summer breeding seasons. Golden Eagles and Prairie Falcons hunt the ridges and open country. Fall is a prime season for birding due to cooler temperatures and the presence of sharp-tailed grouse. Photography benefits from the area's panoramic views—the buttes are best photographed as a pair from the east along Wannagan Creek Road—and from seasonal wildflower blooms, petrified wood formations, and wildlife. The region's clear skies and low light pollution support stargazing from nearby Wannagan Campground.

All recreation here depends on the roadless condition. The prohibition on motorized vehicles preserves the primitive hunting experience, keeps trails and ridges quiet for birding and wildlife observation, and maintains the unfragmented grassland and forest-draw habitats that support grouse, deer, pronghorn, and grassland songbirds. Road construction would fragment these habitats, introduce noise and disturbance, and eliminate the backcountry character that defines recreation in Twin Buttes.