Take In Incredible Views And Be Spellbound By The Natural Beauty On This Fairy Tale Trail In North Dakota
By Tori Jane|Published August 22, 2022
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Tori Jane
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Tori Jane is a storm chaser, writer, photographer, and the village idiot - in that order. When she's not out and about dancing with the meanest storms on planet Earth for funsies she can be found wandering, shooting landscapes, writing, editing photos, and otherwise up to no good. Legend has it that she can also be occasionally spotted typing up short bios in the third person, but those rumors are unsubstantiated.
It’s no secret that North Dakota is a scenic place. It seems like everywhere you go, you’re surrounded by enchanting wonder and natural beauty in this region that is unrivaled (for the most part). We think one of the best ways to explore this state is on foot via some of its top-notch hiking trails; one favorite hiking trail in North Dakota of ours is the Caprock Coulee Loop Trail, which is nestled inside Theodore Roosevelt National Park and leads hikers on quite the journey. Put on those hiking shoes and pack up some water – we’re going on an adventure. No biggie – it’s only one of the best hikes in North Dakota, after all.
Answer: A coulee is a geological feature formed by water erosion over time. They are steep, narrow valleys like the one you'll be exploring while on the Caprock Coulee Loop Trail.
This hike is technically made up of two trails; the first 0.8 miles of the trek is the Caprock Coulee Nature Trail.
This portion of the hike takes you through all sorts of intriguing natural features, like a front-row seat to the wonders of North Dakota's Badlands. Along the way, you'll also get a rare, up-close look at a wooded area that few travelers ever bother to explore. You might even have it all to yourself!
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Once you finish the Nature Trail portion of the hike, you can either turn around and go back (for a hike that totals 1.6 miles in length), or you can opt to continue onto the second portion (formerly known as the Caprock Coulee Trail) and do the rest of the hike (which spans about 4.1 miles total).
Along the way, you'll find numbered trail posts and pertinent information about the area. You'll learn a lot if you read the posts - this is one of our favorite aspects of this trail.
This particular hiking trail in North Dakota leads adventurers to some of the most breathtaking views of the Missouri River Valley. The journey to the Big River Overlook is moderately challenging, as it's a gradual uphill slope, but worry not - once you reach the high point, the uphill hiking is (mostly) over.
We are hopelessly enamored with the unique geology of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and the Caprock Coulee Loop Trail is the perfect way to appreciate it in full.
If you're fascinated by the geological wonders of North Dakota and would like to know more about the geology of this trail and the features you'll spot along the way, be sure to visit the official NPS.gov website for an in-depth dive into the trail and its geology.
Oh, and we almost forgot to mention - you never know who you'll run into along the way!
From curious bison (DO NOT APPROACH, seriously) to adorable ground squirrels and many species of birds, the "nature trail" angle of this trek is on point. It doesn't get more ecologically diverse in this region.
So, what do you think? Are you ready to embark upon this once-in-a-lifetime adventure? Trust us – it won’t take long for you to totally understand why we think this is one of the downright best hikes in North Dakota (if not THE best hike in North Dakota). For more of the best hiking trails in North Dakota, check out these 12 scenic hikes in North Dakota (one for every month of the year).
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