Prairie Dog Town via Buckhorn Trail

An easy, short hike delivering you to the doorstep of a prairie dog town.

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Prairie Dog Town via Buckhorn Trail Details

There are number of prairie dog towns in the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Some can be viewed at lookouts along the Scenic Drive, or you can take the first part of the Buckhorn Trail and hike into the middle of one. To access Buckhorn Trail, go to the Caprock Coulee Nature Trail on the Scenic Drive. At the Caprock Coulee trailhead, turn to the right to access the Buckhorn Trail. At the next junction take a left, which will lead you north ona grassy trail toward toward the prairie dog town. The home of a prairie dog community is called a dog town because prairie dogs are very social and live together in large groups. Squirrel-like rodents, prairie dogs spend most of their day eating the prairie vegetation and keeping an eye out for predators. You may see them perched atop mounds for a better view, or hear them communicating with a series of barks and yips as an alert for possible danger. While some may consider prairie dogs a pest, they play an important role in the prairie habitat by keeping the vegetation trim for larger animals to access as food, and offering empty burrows as a home for other critters, such as the burrowing owl. Prairie dogs also are an important food source for predators such as foxes, coyotes, and eagles. It is prohibited to feed prairie dogs or approach park wildlife. Turn around and head back the same way to keep your hike short, or continue along the Buckhorn Trail Loop for another 10 miles.

Difficulty

Low

Distance

0.75 miles

Estimated time

1 hour

Region

N/A