Filtering by: Outings
Earth Day Hike from Plumely Draw to Coal Creek
Apr
27
9:00 AM09:00
Outings

Earth Day Hike from Plumely Draw to Coal Creek

Badlands Conservation Alliance is hosting an outing to western North Dakota on Saturday, April 27th, 2024 to celebrate Earth Day. We'll hike 5.5 miles of the Maah Daah Hey Trail in the Little Missouri National Grassland. BCA Executive Director Shannon Straight will be guiding the hike and providing background on the conservation initiatives in the area.

RSVP on Facebook.

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On the Edge of the Wind: Native Storytellers and the Land
Mar
9
10:30 AM10:30
Outings

On the Edge of the Wind: Native Storytellers and the Land

We'll meet in the entrance of the North Dakota Heritage Center at 10:30 am on March 9th, 2024. Calvin Grinnell will be speaking as he accompanies us through the exhibit. The event will last for about an hour, although folks are welcome to stay afterwards. The Heritage Center is open until 5 pm on Saturdays. Admission is free.

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Outing to Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site
Feb
3
9:00 AM09:00
Outings

Outing to Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site

On Saturday, February 3rd, join Badlands Conservation Alliance for our outing to Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site.

During the outing, we'll stop by the Visitor Center to watch their short film. We'll hike the trail to the river and visit the Earthlodge locations.

Dress warm for an outdoor walk, including hiking shoes, and be sure to pack a lunch.

We'll leave from the BCA office parking lot at 9 AM. Please carpool if possible. The drive is a little over one hour. We'll return late afternoon.

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Outing to Elkhorn Ranch with Clay Jenkinson
Oct
15
9:00 AM09:00
Outings

Outing to Elkhorn Ranch with Clay Jenkinson

Clay Jenkinson, Theodore Roosevelt Scholar and Historian, will lead the hike from the Elkhorn Ranch parking lot to the site of Roosevelt's Historic Cabin location. The hiking trail is relatively flat, 1.4 miles out-and-back. Mr. Jenkinson will discuss TR and the Badlands, the building of the Elkhorn Ranch, and the Elkhorn as a shrine to American conservation.

Please RSVP if you plan to attend the Sunday, Oct. 15th hike.

You can RSVP on Facebook or by calling the BCA office at (701) 450-1631.

Rooms are available in Medora at Rough Riders Hotel or AmericInn if you plan to stay the night prior, Saturday, Oct. 14th.

Jenn Morelock of Dakota Cyclery will join the outing and has agreed to use one of her 11-person vans to shuttle folks to Elkhorn Ranch from Chimney Park.

Folks can gather in Chimney Park, just past TRNP entrance, between 8:30–9:00 am to carpool together or join the shuttle.

We'll depart shortly after 9:00 am.

The drive from Chimney Park to the Elkhorn Ranch parking lot is slightly over an hour.

Bring water, lunch and snacks; sunscreen, hat, and other sun and bug protection; please check the weather and dress accordingly, including good hiking shoes.

We'll be back in Medora by mid-afternoon.

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Big Cottonwoods and Bighorns: A North Unit Theodore Roosevelt National Park Weekend for Badlands Conservation Alliance (2023)
Jun
9
to Jun 11
Outings

Big Cottonwoods and Bighorns: A North Unit Theodore Roosevelt National Park Weekend for Badlands Conservation Alliance (2023)

The group campsite is reserved at the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park for a weekend BCA gathering on Friday, June 9 through Sunday, June 11, 2023, in the rugged beauty of this badlands gem.  The day hikes, led by Lillian Crook and Clay Jenkinson, will vary from easy to strenuous including on Saturday at 10 a.m. CT a long way down from Oxbow Overlook to the cottonwood bottoms of the Little Missouri River on the Achenbach Trail, and back up – about five miles roundtrip! Bighorns might be spotted, and some giant cottonwoods are a sure thing. Options might include a moderately challenging hike to Achenbach Hills wilderness, all varied terrain with splendid views of the Park and the Little Missouri National Grasslands surrounding it. Abundant snow of this winter holds promise of spectacular flora and fauna. Participants may arrive on Friday night or the weekend mornings by 10 a.m. CT to rendezvous with BCA in the group site parking area. Evenings will include campfire conservation conversations. BCA’s first hike was in the North Unit in 1999. Let’s celebrate our resiliency. Individuals are responsible for their own meals and snacks, weather and sun & insect protection, and such. Hats, walking sticks, and sturdy shoes or boots are encouraged. Water is available at this non-electric group site. The North Unit is in the Central Time zone and participants will need to pay a personal TRNP entry fee.

More information on the North Unit is available at nps.gov/thro/planyourvisit/north-unit.htm.

In the park, dogs must be on leash and they are not allowed on the trail. You can find more information about pets at nps.gov/thro/planyourvisit/pets.htm.

RVSP please for planning and so we don’t leave you behind to bca@badlandsconservationalliance.org (please leave a phone number in case we need to reach you and don’t have BCA email access). The Juniper group campsite has a maximum of 60 participants so make your plan to attend before this outing fills up!

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Sep
18
11:00 AM11:00
Outings

Autumn 2022 Hike to East Twin Buttes

Badlands Conservation Alliance will host an autumn hike to East Twin Butte on Sunday, September 18, 2022, led by Prairie Fire Pottery’s Tama Smith, a member of the board of directors.

Meet that day at 11 a.m. MT at I 94 Exit 10 (Camels Hump/Sentinel Butte exit) where hikers will car-pool for a moderately difficult day hike. Bring water and snacks and whatever else you need for an all-afternoon adventure. Hiking shoes are recommended.

The approximately 3-hour hike starts off with a gradual prairie grass saunter up to the saddle of East Twin Butte, but once hikers cross over the saddle, the terrain will be more challenging upon entering the Hell Creek geological formation of the western ND badlands.

For more information on the hike and the Twin Buttes area, see the Badlands Conservation Alliance at BadlandsConservationAlliance.org.

RSVPs are needed so we don’t leave anyone behind at the car parking site or can notify participants if plans change. For RSVPs and questions, call 701-260-0326.

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Sep
14
to Sep 15
Outings

Cancelled: Overnight Outing

The September BCA outing has been cancelled.

On Saturday, Sept. 14th, join the group at Buffalo Gap Campground (USFS campground just west of Medora, Exit 18, well signed) by 1 p.m. (Mountain time). We will caravan in cars to the top of Sentinel Butte, departing 1:30 p.m. Board member Connie Triplett will lead this portion of the outing. After butte-top gazing and conversation, the group will continue to Beach for cold drinks (provided by BCA) and a hot kiln!

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National Trails Day
Jun
2
to Jun 3
Outings

National Trails Day

Start: Saturday, June 2 at 11 am MT / 12 noon CT
End: Sunday, June 3 at 12 noon MT / 1 PM CT

A leisurely hike to the Needles Eye in the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park will be led by board member Tama Smith. The group site in Cottonwood Campground has been reserved for Saturday night. With a site limit of 20 people, save your spot by rsvp-ing early to Jan at bcajan@bis.midco.net.

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Sep
15
to Sep 17
Outings

Dakota Nights Festival and More

Friday, September 15, 2017, 7 pm CT - Sunday, September 17, 3 pm CT

Overnight camp at Cottonwood Campground in the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  This is a busy weekend so strongly consider making camp site reservations at recreation.gov or by calling 877-444-6777.  Additional camping within Medora or at Sully Creek State Park 5 miles south of Medora.

This event is a highlight in TRNP’s interpretive year!  Evenings at the Festival will be filled with telescopes and star gazing.  BCA hikes to be determined once the TRNP schedule comes out.

Watch for further details as the dates approach.

Note - Dickinson State University's annual Theodore Roosevelt Symposium immediately precedes our event.  This year the focus is "Theodore Roosevelt: The Naturalist in the Arena."  Festivities begin Thursday evening the 14th with presentations and activities throughout the day on Friday.  A Saturday morning breakfast and short hike usually wraps up in Medora.  BCA encourages you to come early and take in the Symposium.  Watch for developing info here:  http://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Get-Involved/Events/2017%20Theodore%20Roosevelt%20Symposium

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Jun
24
11:00 AM11:00
Outings

Southern Badlands: Tracy Mountain and Ponderosa Pines

Saturday, June 24, 2017, 11 am CT - Sunday, June 25, 2017, 2 pm CT

Overnight camp at US Forest Service Burning Coal Vein Campground south of Medora.  Directions may be found here:  https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/dpg/recarea/?recid=79457  or follow East River Road south from Medora @30 miles.  Watch for brown campground sign. Feel free to arrive Friday evening as desired. Explore begins at 11 am CT on Saturday.

Saturday, June 24th: Tracy Mountain and US Forest Service lands just off the northwest corner of Kendley Plateau Suitable for Wilderness will give us the opportunity to talk about oil and gas development moving into the Southern Badlands.  We’ll visit Dantz Creek, the northern “maker” of Kendley Plateau, and revisit the Loey Butte vicinity.  A side jaunt to the Little Missouri River bottoms will allow for a cool down as temperatures warrant.

Sunday, June 25th: A purely for the fun of it off-trail explore of the Ponderosa Pine Research Natural Area

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