Oct
12
9:00 AM09:00
Filtering by: Outings
Aug
9
to Aug 10
Ponderosa Pine Hike
Join us for a unique experience in the Ponderosa Pines within Logging Camp Ranch in the Badlands. This is an exclusive offering for BCA members only. Hosts John and Jennifer Hanson welcome BCA members to come hike in the pines and hear BCA's current conservation initiatives. RSVP by July 4th, 2024. Time, details, and a fee to participate TBA. Contact us for more information.
Jun
1
9:00 AM09:00
National Trails Day hike at TRNP South Unit
Join us on Saturday, June 1st, 2024 for a hike to celebrate National Trails Day. We'll meet at Peaceful Valley Trailhead at 9:00 AM MDT to hike a five-mile loop in Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
May
18
9:00 AM09:00
Hike and Camp at Bennett-Cottonwood
Join BCA as we camp in the Badlands and hike in the Little Missouri National Grasslands on the Forest Service Non-Motorized Area of the Cottonwood Trail. We will hike Saturday morning, May 18th, 9 a.m. CT. This will be an out-and-back hike, max 5 miles. For the adventurous, you could choose to hike out to the Maah Daah Hey Trail and loop back to the campground for a longer 13-mile trek.
BCA members and friends are invited to join us to camp at Bennett campground on Friday the 17th and Saturday the 18th.
Apr
27
9:00 AM09:00
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.
Mar
9
10:30 AM10:30
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.
Feb
3
9:00 AM09:00
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.
Oct
15
9:00 AM09:00
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.
Jun
9
to Jun 11
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!
Apr
14
3:00 PM15:00
Meet and Greet with TRNP Superintendent Angie Richman
Join us for a meet and greet with Theodore Roosevelt National Park Superintendent Angie Richman on Friday, April 14th, from 2-4 MT, in Dickinson at Hawks Point, 1226 Signal Butte. This is a members-only RSVP event.
Sep
18
11:00 AM11:00
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.
Sep
14
to Sep 15
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!
Jun
8
to Jun 9
20th Anniversary Celebration and Overnight
Gather with fellow BCAers for an overnight at Cottonwood Campground, Theodore Roosevelt National Park South Unit, near Medora, to celebrate the past two decades and dream about BCA’s future.
Sep
22
to Sep 23
Autumn Overnight: Equinox Under a Full Moon
Boicourt into the Bowl
Saturday, September 22, 2018
12 noon CT / 11 am MT
Long X Divide Adventure
Sunday, September 23, 2018
10 am CT / 9 am MT
Jun
2
to Jun 3
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.
Apr
21
1:00 PM13:00
Work Day in Celebration of Earth Day
1 pm CT / 12 noon MT
Help Theodore Roosevelt National Park do spring clean-up at Cottonwood Campground in the South Unit. No better way to celebrate Earth Day than to give back to our National Park!
Sep
15
to Sep 17
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
Jul
29
to Jul 30
Outing to Short Ranch, East River Road and Magpie (2017)
July 2017: We may spend much of the day with our Short Family tour guide exploring the ranch; but if there is time, the 218-acre Elkhorn Ranch Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park to the north and Twin Buttes Suitable for Wilderness to the south both beckon.
Jun
24
11:00 AM11:00
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
Sep
23
to Sep 25
Autumn Overnight at Dakota Nights Festival
A two-day event with overnight camp to join TRNP’s Annual Dakota Nights Festival.
Jul
23
to Jul 24
Terry Tempest Williams at TRNP
An optional overnight on Saturday. Sunday’s camaraderie and hiking will be topped off by a Theodore Roosevelt Nature and History Association hosted evening with renowned author and activist Terry Tempest Williams at Cottonwood Campground in the South Unit of TRNP.
Apr
16
10:00 AM10:00
Paint ‘em Up Work Day in TRNP
Badlands Conservation Alliance will be celebrating Earth Day this year by helping Theodore Roosevelt National Park “spiff-up” for the 2016 Centennial birthday of the National Park Service.