Painted Canyon

We got a relatively early start on this Thursday morning in preparation of putting on quite a few miles, expecting it to be a rather long day. An hour later, we arrived at our first stop: the Painted Canyon.

Painted Canyon is both a Rest Area off Interstate 94 at exit 32 and an overlook of the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park midway between the towns of Medora and Belfield It lies about 8 miles East of the South Unit. As it was mid-morning, the parking lot was fairly busy, but we managed to find spot up front. Tom waited in the truck with the dogs while I set out to explore.

I started out on the paved path that follows a stone and rail fence that keeps you from getting too close to the edge while overlooking the canyon. I found many open vistas between the trees where I could get views on these Badlands. From these vantage points along the rim, I can see how the power of the Little Missouri River carved through the softer rocks, leaving behind this fascinating landscape. The many layers of sediment from millennia ago are now hardened into rock of different thickness, hardness, and color. The layers of rock, with hues of red, brown, tan, and black, combined with the varied greens of the trees and grasses, are what gives the canyon its name.

There are a couple trails that start here at the overlook. One of them is about 2 miles long and connects to a South Unit trail. The Nature Trail is the other one. It is a loop trail that is just under a mile in length, taking you down the steep banks into the valley and brings you back up. Since the day was full of things to see and do, and I am becoming a lazy old geezer, I chose the shorter trail and started down the hill to hike the nature trail at the west end of the overlook. The trail descends quickly through the trees and shrubs that grow near the rim. Stairs have been added to aid in the decent and reduce erosion. Along the way there are several openings in the vegetation granting views of the canyon from different angles. Near the lower elevations of this trail the trees give way to a more meadow-like surrounding. Walking through the grasses and wildflowers and seeing butterflies and bees gathering pollen from the wildflowers, I suddenly noticed movement to my right: a fuzzy little bunny had taken shelter under some tree branches. He bravely munched on his grasses while I took his picture.

Continuing ahead, the weathered rocks rise up right along the trail, sometimes jagged, sometimes smooth. Being up close to the layers, I can see the individual stones or grains making up the layers instead of the mass, the ripples in the surface formed by the water running off. After spending some time in the valley, the trail begins to climb, taking me over the top of some of the rock formations and back into the trees and shrubs. Waiting there are more wildflowers, and more stairs, along the rising trail. I find I am slightly out of breath as I crest the top and head back along the rim trail to the truck. When I got back, Tom took his turn exploring the Painted Canyon.

It was a quiet hike, with only the sounds of nature breaking in. There were only 2 other couples on the trail, so it does not appear to be heavily used, considering all the cars in the parking lot. This harsh, unforgiving landscape has proven difficult to travel through for centuries, but if you take your time, you will find a path through it and you might find yourself stronger on the other side. Theodore Roosevelt found healing, strength, and inspiration during his years living here, we can too.

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