USFS National Forest System Trails · North Dakota · Updated June 2026
Dakota Prairie Grasslands Mountain Bike Trails
Dakota Prairie Grasslands earns a Bike Access Grade of B: 100% of its rideable trail miles are open to mountain bikes (no Class-1 e-bike designation on record). Good — a solid majority of rideable miles welcome bikes.
Dakota Prairie Grasslands carries 251 mi of mapped National Forest System trail, of which 250 mi across 27 segments is designated for mountain bikes, typically open Year-round. Class 1 e-bikes are designated on 0 segments (0 mi).
What the USFS data shows for Dakota Prairie Grasslands
Of the 251 mi of mapped trail in Dakota Prairie Grasslands, 99% — 250 mi across 27 bike-designated segments — is open to mountain bikes in USFS travel-management data.
Tread is overwhelmingly compacted aggregate: USFS lists imported compacted material on 58 of 80 surfaced segments (73%).
On the USFS difficulty rating, easy is the most common designation here — 67 of 67 rated segments (100%) — across all uses, not bikes alone.
USFS records a year-round bike season for this forest, though high-elevation trails clear later in practice.
The longest single named bike segment in the data is Maah Daah Hey at 144.98 mi on compacted aggregate, rated easy by USFS and open Year-round.
No Class 1 e-bike designations are recorded here, and no segments carry an ADA-accessibility flag in the same dataset.
Trail surface
- Imported Compacted Material58
- Native Material21
- Ac- Asphalt1
USFS trail class (1 = primitive · 5 = developed)
- Class 379
- Class 41
99% of this forest's mapped trail is bike-designated. Note: USFS records trail grade (steepness), not technical MTB difficulty — we surface grade where present but do not infer a black/blue/green rating from it.
Largest bike-designated trails
| Trail | Miles | Surface | Trail class | Bike season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maah Daah Hey | 144.98 | Imported Compacted Material | — | Year-round |
| North Country National Scenic | 31.04 | Imported Compacted Material | — | Year-round |
| Buffalo Gap | 18.99 | Native Material | — | Year-round |
| Wolf | 8.81 | Native Material | — | Year-round |
| Hankinson Hills | 7.95 | Imported Compacted Material | — | Year-round |
| Cottonwood | 6.98 | Native Material | — | Year-round |
| Blacktail | 6.91 | Imported Compacted Material | — | Year-round |
| Long X | 5.84 | Native Material | — | Year-round |
| Denbigh | 3.21 | Imported Compacted Material | — | Year-round |
| Birnt Hills Loop | 3.04 | Native Material | — | Year-round |
| Bennett | 3.01 | Native Material | — | Year-round |
| Oak Leaf | 2.28 | Imported Compacted Material | — | Year-round |
| Ice Caves | 1.49 | Native Material | — | Year-round |
| Buffalo Gap Loop | 1.34 | Native Material | — | Year-round |
| Buffalo Gap Spur | 1.27 | Native Material | — | Year-round |
| Coal Creek | 0.68 | Imported Compacted Material | — | Year-round |
Every trail in Dakota Prairie Grasslands
All 16 ridable trails in this forest — every trail where USFS data designates mountain-bike or Class 1 e-bike use, grouped by grade-based steepness. Grade reflects slope, not technical difficulty. Each trail links to its full data profile.
Easy grade (13)
Gentle grade band (shallow average slope).
- Maah Daah Hey145 mi · bike
- North Country National Scenic31 mi · bike
- Buffalo Gap19 mi · bike
- Hankinson Hills8 mi · bike
- Cottonwood7 mi · bike
- Blacktail6.9 mi · bike
- Long X5.8 mi · bike
- Birnt Hills Loop3 mi · bike
- Bennett3 mi · bike
- Oak Leaf2.3 mi · bike
- Ice Caves1.5 mi · bike
- Buffalo Gap Loop1.3 mi · bike
- Buffalo Gap Spur1.3 mi · bike
Grade not recorded (3)
No grade band recorded in the USFS data.
- Wolf8.8 mi · bike
- Denbigh3.2 mi · bike
- Coal Creek0.7 mi · bike
Dakota Prairie Grasslands bike-legal trail list (CSV)
Download all 16 bike- and Class 1 e-bike-designated trails in Dakota Prairie Grasslands — name, miles, surface, grade, season, and e-bike class per trail, straight from USFS data.
E-bikes in Dakota Prairie Grasslands
Class 1 on 0 segments · Class 2 on 0 · Class 3 on 0. See full e-bike rules for Dakota Prairie Grasslands →
Where it is
Approximate center of Dakota Prairie Grasslands. USFS trail geometry isn't mapped here — use the ranger district for trailheads.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the bike access grade for Dakota Prairie Grasslands?
- Dakota Prairie Grasslands earns a Bike Access Grade of B: 100% of its rideable trail miles are open to mountain bikes (no Class-1 e-bike designation on record). Good — a solid majority of rideable miles welcome bikes.
- How many miles of mountain bike trail are in Dakota Prairie Grasslands?
- Dakota Prairie Grasslands has about 250 mi of bike-designated trail across 27 segments, out of 251 mi of total National Forest System trail.
- What is the riding season in Dakota Prairie Grasslands?
- Most bike-designated trails in Dakota Prairie Grasslands carry a Year-round season in USFS data; higher-elevation trails clear later.
- Are e-bikes allowed in Dakota Prairie Grasslands?
- Only where designated. Class 1 e-bikes are recorded on 0 segments. See the e-bike rules page for the class-by-class breakdown.
Where to stay near Dakota Prairie Grasslands
Cabins, lodges, and campgrounds near Dakota Prairie Grasslands in North Dakota — compare places to stay for a mountain-bike trip.
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