North Achenbach Trail

North Achenbach is a 5.5-mile, one-way backcountry walk from the eastern access near Caprock Coulee to Oxbow Overlook. It leaves Scenic Loop Drive for open prairie and banded badlands, then follows the Little Missouri river country to the overlook. Plan about four to five hours. Choose it when you can arrange a pickup and want a remote crossing; it is too much route and shuttle planning for a quick stop.

Start at the Caprock Coulee Trailhead parking area on Scenic Loop Drive and finish at Oxbow Overlook. This is a point-to-point hike, not a loop, so arrange a pickup at the other end or bring a second vehicle. Walking back makes it about 11 miles. A published figure for the walk to Oxbow is 4.6 miles; the full connected trail from the eastern access adds about 0.9 mile, for roughly 5.5 miles one way.

Expect steep climbs into and out of the Little Missouri valley on a natural-surface trail. The mapped route rises and falls through open badlands rather than saving all the effort for one summit; expect about 940 feet of total climbing across the route. Oxbow Overlook is the finish and the payoff: the river's bends open out below you.

The pale blue-gray bands are bentonite clay; darker lignite coal and sandstone mark other layers in the North Unit's badlands. Look for pale clay and darker coal bands among the sandstone layers on the buttes.

There are no approved drinking-water sources in the backcountry, so carry all the water you need. Pets are prohibited there. A free backcountry permit is needed for overnight camping, not for a day hike.