Big Plateau and Ekblom Trail Loop

The small ranch parking lot is the access for Ekblom Trail. Follow it about a quarter mile to the first Little Missouri crossing. At low water, route accounts describe stepping stones; when the river is higher, you may have to wade. You cross again before returning to the ranch, so decide whether both crossings are safe before committing. Water levels change, and an old report or photo cannot tell you today's conditions. There is no approved drinking-water source in the backcountry; carry what you need for the whole walk.

Beyond the first crossing, Ekblom is mostly level and passes through grassland and a prairie dog town. Prairie dogs are part of the route's appeal, but wildlife sightings are never guaranteed; bison also use the wider area. The loop turns onto the Maah Daah Hey and gradually climbs toward the plateau. The walking is exposed in places, and the approach steepens for a short stretch. Take your time on the descent if loose or uneven ground slows you down.

The top opens into broad grassland with views across the broken badlands in every direction. The trail crosses the plateau before dropping back toward Ekblom. A wide photo works best with a strip of trail in the foreground; it shows the scale of the tableland better than a frame filled only with distant ridges. Direction changes whether you climb or descend the steep pitch, but it is part of the loop either way.

The ridges show layers of soft sediment worn into buttes and gullies by water. Some dark red caps are clinker: sediment baked hard by burning coal beneath it, so it resists erosion better than the surrounding rock. That contrast helps explain the abrupt shelves and steep-sided knobs along the walk.

Peaceful Valley is more than a parking point. Eldridge “Gerry” Paddock settled here in 1883; Benjamin Lamb acquired ranch rights here in 1885 and built the surviving house complex. The Olsen family later ran a dude ranch, with guided rides to nearby scenery continuing until 2014. Three surviving ranch buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, so give them a look before or after the hike. Pets are not allowed on park trails. A day hike needs no overnight backcountry permit; overnight camping does.