If the Maah Daah Hey was in Utah or Colorado, it might rank as the country’s most popular trail. Instead, this 160-mile-long swath of singletrack rambles across the remote badlands of North Dakota, far from the mountain bike masses.
The trail swoops across flat-topped buttes, vast grasslands, and wide-open cattle ranges. Along the way, mountain bikers descend multi-colored striated hills and pass through sandstone hoodoos that—like enormous chess pawns—seem to stand guard over broad valleys. Rarely will you encounter another rider.
Much of the trail is formed from betonite clay, which makes for a fast and smooth surface. But this is no cakewalk: Riding the Maah Daah Hey involves more than 13,000 feet of climbing and descending. "You're in a constant state of up or down," says Nancy Morlock of Escape Adventures, which runs multi-day trips on the trail.
The trail’s remote location and formidable length make solo missions difficult. But you can cruise unencumbered by joining one of Escape’s trips. Guides will lead you between pre-stocked camps, shuttle your gear and even tune your bike each night, leaving you free to groove on the strangely scenic wide-open spaces.
—Stephen Regenold
Length of Trip: 5 Days
Cost: $1,245
Best Time to Go: June, August-September
