Square Butte
- 10 routes
- 5.9 – 5.12a
- Trad · Sport
- May–Jun, Aug–Oct
- best months
Is Square Butte open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 5 alerts for Dakota Prairie Grasslands.
Firewood Use and Possession Restrictions
Agency alert covering Dakota Prairie Grasslands · USFS · Dakota Prairie Grasslands
Road Closure-NFSR 735A-9
Agency alert covering Medora Ranger District · USFS · Medora Ranger District
Little Missouri National Grassland Fire Closure Order # 01-18-00-26-02
Agency alert covering Dakota Prairie Grasslands · USFS · Dakota Prairie Grasslands
South Dakota Grassland Fire Danger Map
Agency alert covering Dakota Prairie Grasslands · USFS · Dakota Prairie Grasslands
North Dakota Burn Restrictions & Fire Danger Maps
Agency alert covering Dakota Prairie Grasslands · USFS · Dakota Prairie Grasslands
As of · Source: USFS · Dakota Prairie Grasslands. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Square Butte is a climbing area in the Medora Ranger District of the Dakota Prairie Grasslands, managed by the Forest Service. It sits in western North Dakota, about 9 miles from the town of Medora. The most comfortable months for a visit are late spring and early fall. Typical averages from the Medora weather station, about 9 miles away, run from highs near 67°F in May to around 74°F in September. That station sits roughly 960 feet lower than the butte, so temperatures up top run cooler. The Square Butte Bouldering area is just 0.1 mile away. Buffalo Gap campground and the Buffalo Gap Loop hike are both about 6 miles off, and Sentinel Butte, another climbing area, is about 6.4 miles away.
- Square Butte BoulderingRock climbing0.1 mi
- Buffalo GapCamping6.1 mi
- Buffalo Gap LoopHiking6.2 mi
- Sentinel ButteRock climbing6.4 mi
- North BouldersRock climbing6.5 mi
- Buffalo Gap SpurHiking6.8 mi
Maah Daah HeyHikingPhoto: CLS Rob, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)8 mi- Little Missouri National GrasslandLake fishing9 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Best time to visit Square Butte
Best months: May–June and August–October. 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.
Jan
28° / 3°
6 wet · 5 snow
Feb
32° / 8°
5 wet · 4 snow
Mar
44° / 18°
6 wet · 3 snow
Apr
55° / 29°
7 wet · 1 snow
May
67° / 41°
10 wet
Jun
77° / 50°
11 wet
Jul
86° / 56°
9 wet
Aug
85° / 53°
7 wet
Sep
74° / 43°
7 wet
Oct
58° / 30°
7 wet · 1 snow
Nov
42° / 18°
5 wet · 3 snow
Dec
31° / 7°
6 wet · 5 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Medora, ND, 9 mi away at 2,268 ft. The station sits about 1,000 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
