North Dakota · Hiking

Wolf

17.5 mi
round trip
1,303 ft
climb
2,535 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Sep
best months

Is Wolf open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 4 alerts for Dakota Prairie Grasslands.

As of · Source: USFS · Dakota Prairie Grasslands. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Wolf is a 17.5-mile out-and-back hike on the Dakota Prairie Grasslands in North Dakota, within the McKenzie Ranger District of the national forest. The trail is a steady climb, with a total of 1,303 feet of gain and loss over the round trip, and the high point reaches 2,535 feet. It is a hard route, and the steepest stretch comes at about 1.3 miles in, with a 10% grade. The trailhead is named Wolf Trailhead and is open year-round. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail has a natural surface. Bikes and horses are both allowed. For timing, late spring and early fall are the most comfortable. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Watford City put May highs around 67°F and September highs around 74°F, while winter highs stay in the 20s. Nearby, Caprock Coulee Trail and the Caprock Coulee Trailhead are about 4.4 and 4.6 miles away, and Ccc Campground is about 7.7 miles out. The Achenbach Trail lies roughly 5.8 miles away.

  • Best time to go · May–Sep

    Best time to visit Wolf

    Best months: May–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      24° / 2°

    2. Feb

      30° / 6°

    3. Mar

      42° / 18°

    4. Apr

      56° / 30°

    5. May

      67° / 40°

    6. Jun

      76° / 50°

    7. Jul

      85° / 56°

    8. Aug

      84° / 54°

    9. Sep

      74° / 43°

    10. Oct

      57° / 31°

    11. Nov

      41° / 18°

    12. Dec

      28° / 6°

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Watford City 14s, ND, 7.5 mi away at 2,027 ft. The station sits about 500 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Caprock Coulee TrailPhoto: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Caprock Coulee Trail

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2.65-mile out-and-back hike in North Dakota's Caprock Coulee with 440 ft elevation gain.

North Achenbach TrailPhoto: Seth Tisue, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

North Achenbach Trail

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Caprock Coulee TrailPhoto: Seth Tisue, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Caprock Coulee Trail

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Achenbach TrailPhoto: Seth Tisue, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Achenbach Trail

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Buckhorn TrailPhoto: MDuchek, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Little Missouri Nature TrailPhoto: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

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Summit Trail

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