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North Dakota
0.8 mi
Distance
112 ft
Gain
No conditions check on file for this trail yet — always verify current conditions before you go.
Why you'll love it
Coal Vein Trail Post 1: Layers
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No permit or access details on file for this trail — check with the local land manager before you go.
Each layer of rock has its own origin story, told by its color.<br /> <br /> <span style="color:#e74c3c;"><strong>Brick-Red</strong></span><br /> <strong>Clinker</strong> forms when coal veins catch fire and bake the rock above, changing it into this much harder, red rock.<br /> <br /> <span style="color:#ffcc99;"><strong>Brown and Tan</strong></span><br /> <strong>Sandstone, siltstone, </strong>and <b>mudstone</b> are sediments washed down from the Rocky Mountains.<br /> <br /> <strong>Black<br /> Coal</strong> is the remains of ancient plants and animals that lived in Everglades-like swamps.<br /> <br /> <strong><span style="color:#7f8c8d;">Blue-grey</span></strong><br /> <span style="color:null;"><strong>Bentonite clay </strong>is made of ash from distant volcanoes.</span>
Coal Vein Trail Post 3: Bentonite
~0 min drive
Notice the sediment on either side of the trail. Fifty-Five million years ago, volcanoes in the Rockies spewed out ash that blew east. At that time, this area was a vast, tropical swamp. The ash settled in wet areas and became bentonite clay. <br /> <br /> Bentonite looks like…
Coal Creek
~20 min drive
Easy out-and-back creek walk in North Dakota.
Buffalo Gap
~23 min drive
Moderate 11.90-mile out-and-back badlands hike through scenic canyon terrain.
Ice Caves
~46 min drive
3-mile out-and-back hike to natural ice cave formations in North Dakota badlands.
Coal Vein Trail Post 13: Slumping
~0 min drive
The hill in front of you has the appearance of sliding slowly into a jumble. That is exactly what it is doing through a process called slumping.<br /> <br /> When the coal vein burned under this area, cracks formed in the hillside. Rain flowing into the cracks weakens the hill…
Buffalo Gap Loop
~22 min drive
Easy 2.68-mile loop through North Dakota's scenic Buffalo Gap area.
Maah Daah Hey - North Dakota
~60 min drive
Point-to-point badlands trail featuring dramatic formations and prairie views.
Coal Vein Trail Post 14: Grassland
~0 min drive
When the underground coal fire was burning, this area looked more like a wasteland than a grassland. After the fire burned out, prairie plants reclaimed the land slowly over time.<br /> <br /> From a distance, prairie may look plain, but it is actually one of the most diverse…
Summit Viewpoint
~1h 14m drive
Quick out-and-back hike to scenic viewpoint in North Dakota.
Cottonwood
~1h 2m drive
13.86-mile out-and-back badlands hike with expansive prairie views.