After we saw the views from the Ridgeline Trail on an overcast day, we knew we had to return when the skies weren't so dreary. As noted in a
previous post, the 0.6 mile loop trail is rated as easy to moderate and has a couple of benches along the route. If you walk out the spur trail to the second bench, the total hiking distance is 0.7 miles.
The trail is located in the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park near Medora, North Dakota. To reach the trailhead from the visitor center, drive 6.4 miles on East River Road then continue straight an additional 4.1 miles on Scenic Loop Drive. Parallel parking is available on the right side of the road.
The trail initially climbs about 60 feet up from the trailhead utilizing both timber stairs and switchbacks. The first bench is located at the top of the climb. The trail continues across a small ridgetop meadow before crossing a saddle in the ridge and continuing the climb to the summit along the narrow ridgeline. Beyond the summit, a spur trail leads out to a bench at the end of the ridge. Back on the main trail, the route descends quickly by way of a long, winding series of timber stairs into a stand of junipers. The trail then climbs back up to the saddle to complete the loop.
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| Topographic map with GPS route |
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| Elevation profile |
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| Trailhead stairs |
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| First switchback |
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| Continuing to climb |
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| Second switchback |
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| View from the second switchback |
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| More climbing |
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| First bench |
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| View from the bench |
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| Trail across the meadow |
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Looking west from the meadow
with the returning loop trail |
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| Looking southwest from the meadow |
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| Amazing cloud formation |
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| Typical trail conditions |
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| View of the badlands |
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| The goal |
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| Remains of old access road on right |
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| Sheep Creek valley |
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| More stairs on the narrow ridge |
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| Heavily eroded trail |
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| Summit |
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| View west to Square Butte, Sentinel Butte, and Camels Hump Butte |
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| West Twin Butte (2940' 16.1 miles) and East Twin Butte (2901' 15.1 miles) |
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| Layers |
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| Clouds over the badlands |
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| Spur trail |
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| Spur trail conditions |
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| Bench at the end of the spur trail |
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| A pair of feral horses grazing |
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| Another pair of feral horses grazing |
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| Tabletop meadows with Camels Hump Butte (3273' 15.8 miles) |
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| Cell tower above Medora |
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| Square Butte (3303' 11.2 miles) and Sentinel Butte (3430' 17.8 miles) |
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| Returning to the loop trail near the summit |
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| Winding stairs down |
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| A wide switchback to the left |
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| View from the trail |
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| Continuing the turn back to the left |
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| Descending past the edge of the cliff |
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| Switchback to the right |
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| Trail begins to level out |
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| Near the edge |
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| Hitching post or camera stabilizer? |
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| View from the hitching post |
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| Continuing to descend |
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| A few more stairs |
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| Wandering through the woods |
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| Another view from the trail |
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| Ascending without stairs |
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| Following the contours |
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| Footpath |
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| Looking back |
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| Stairs up into the meadow |
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| Rejoining the loop in the meadow |
An entrance fee of $25 admits all the passengers of a single vehicle for seven days to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Other entrance fee options include a Theodore Roosevelt National Park Annual Park Pass for $50, an Every Kid in a Park 4th Grade Pass for free and a variety of America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes providing access to most national park, national forest, and BLM fee areas
- Annual Pass for $80
- Military Pass for free
- Lifetime Senior Pass for $80 or $20 annually for those age 62 and older
- Access Pass for free for visitors with a permanent disability
An entrance fee is not collected at the Painted Canyon Visitor Center.
The park website is
https://www.nps.gov/thro.
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