Regional Description: Riding in North Dakota (ND)

Horseback riding in the USA - © Roland Vidmar / ride77.com

North Dakota is a federal state in the USA which has a size of 183112 square kilometers but only about 670000 inhabitants. As you can see North Dakota is pretty sparsely populated. But it is a great region to explore the countryside from horseback. There are several national parks you can go. North Dakota has a cool, moderate and typical continental climate. During the summer time there are usually heavy thunderstorms because fresh air from the artic area comes together with warm tropical air. Also tornados are usual in the south-east of North Dakota.

During the winter the climate is stable, dry and cold. Best time for horse riding is during spring and autumn. The famous areas to go horse riding are the big national parks. One of the famous examples is the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. In the south unit of the park there are more than 80 miles of marked horse trails. But there are countless unmarked trales as well. They are carved by the park's buffalo herd. Horse riding is permitted in the other areas except for the camping and pickinicking areas and the nature trails.

Also famous is the Sully Creek State Recreation Area. When you are on a trail there, you can use the connections to the park trails to the nearby Little Missouri National Grassland. And in the Little Missouri State Park you will find 25 miles of trails in the terrain of the park. Most of the 6000 acres are only reachable by walking or horse riding. Other hot spots for riding trails with your horse are the Lake Metigoshe State Park, the Turtle Mountain State Forest and the Sheyenne National Grassland. The Sheyenne National Grassland is located in the southeastern North Dakota. The trails there are about 25 miles and are flat. They are open to non-motorized traffic such as horse riding.