National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Theodore Roosevelt National Park Ridgeline A Guided Nature Trail

Be aware of the following:

Cliff Edges Stairs Rattlesnakes Wildlife Poison Ivy Ridgeline Nature Trail

Lakota people called this land Mako shika, or “land of no good.” French explorers called it les mauvais terres á traverser, “bad land to travel through.” The English name is badlands. It is dry, maze-like, and rugged. Survival can be tough. Even so, many plants and animals do survive and even thrive here. Learn more as you follow the numbered trail posts.

1. Look deeper

As you hike this trail, look closely. these plants and American Indians The juniper trees surrounding you have long used them for food or now are hard to miss. Also notice medicine. Some plants are toxic. the many other plants, including In order to survive, people and chokecherry, crisply scented silver animals had to learn which plants sagebrush, and many grasses and could help or harm them. small flowers. Animals eat most of

Silver sagebrush Choke cherry Prairie wild rose Purple coneflower (Artemisia cana) (Prunus virginiana) (Rosa arkansana) (Echinacea angustifolia) 2. Mako shika

Imagine traveling across the Great places to travel undetected. Now Plains in a covered wagon and imagine yourself as prey, using the coming upon this scene. The name lookouts and hiding places to evade badlands is understandable. Next, predators. Once you get to know imagine yourself as a hunter on this place, you can use the rugged foot—butte tops become good landscape to your advantage. lookouts and valleys become good

Continue straight ahead to follow the guided nature trail.

3. Grasslands

Grasslands look simple at first as bison. In fact, grasslands depend glance, but upon closer inspection on grazers. Grazers fertilize the soil are complex. Hundreds of species with their manure. Their pointed of plants live in the park, most hooves pierce the soil allowing of them grasses and wildflowers. rainwater to find its way into the Grasslands support grazers, ground. By grazing selectively, they animals that eat mostly grass, such help many plant species thrive. 4. Shrubs

Shrubs, like the silver sagebrush Browsers and fires keep shrubs in front of you, provide cover for from overtaking the grasslands. small mammals and birds and are Without them, tree and shrub cover also food for browsers (animals increases, shading out smaller that eat shrubs like deer, elk, and plants and reducing the prairie’s pronghorn.) diversity.

Silver buffaloberry Rubber rabbitbrush Golden currant (Shepherdia argentea) (Chrysothamnus nauseosus) (Ribes aureum)

Continue straight ahead to follow the trail posts in numerical order.

5. Expressway

Travel through the badlands is of introducing plants and animals much faster since the construction that aren’t originally from this of Interstate 94 in the 1960s. area. Some introduced species are Increased travel to and through damaging; others are not. the badlands means more chances

Caution! Steep cliff edges ahead 6. New Neighbors

Not all of the plant species you see nutrients for soil. Plants that have were here 200 years ago. Those been introduced are called non- that were here before European native species. Many non-native settlement are called native species. species blend into the environment The prairie depends on native and do not pose a threat; others species to play their part in the become a problem. These problem environment–as food or shelter species are called invasive species. for animals, or as protection and

7. Invaders

Invasive plants, such as Canada roots. Many invasive plants cannot thistle, often spread quickly and be eaten by native wildlife. Their take over large areas, crowding spread reduces the amount of food out native species. Some invasive available to grazers. Theodore plants, like leafy spurge, slow Roosevelt National Park is actively the growth of nearby plants by fighting to keep invasive species releasing toxic chemicals from their from overtaking the native prairie.

Canada thistle Leafy spurge Smooth brome (Cirsium arvense) (Euphorbia esula)) (Bromus inermis)

Continue straight along the ridge to the next post.

8. Variety

As you look out across the enough water, usually along landscape, notice its diversity: some streams or northern sides of hills areas have trees; some are grassy; where the sun doesn’t dry up and some are seemingly barren. Do moisture as quickly. Grasses are you see a pattern? adapted to drier soils found on the Trees grow where they can get tops and southern sides of hills. 9. Cooling Down

You are entering the north slope and southern slopes. The cooler, of the ridge you’ve been walking wetter conditions of the northern along. Notice there are fewer slopes allow juniper, skunkbush grasses and more trees. Grasses sumac, and dogbane to grow. thrive on the sunnier, drier hilltops

10. Having it All

Imagine living here without areas. You would move between modern conveniences. On a hot habitats to find the food and shelter day, you would find shade in the you need. Many animals depend on cottonwood trees along the river. the mix of habitats of the badlands When hungry, you could find just as people would. For example, edible roots in the grasslands and elk use juniper woods for cover berries in wooded and shrubby and graze in open prairies.

11. Bird Food

In the summer and fall, the shrubs migrations to places further north. and trees around you abound These bountiful berry patches with berries, which feed some of are critical fuel for the migrating the nearly 200 bird species in the birds’ journey. The cover of their park. Some birds live here year- branches provides a protected round, but many migrate here resting spot or a place to nest. for summer or come through on

Western meadowlark Lark sparrow Spotted towhee 12. Burning Up

Fire is a healthy and important part after fire. The grass shoots that of the prairie ecosystem. Together, regrow are fresh and nutritious— fire and grazing keep soils healthy preferred grazing for bison and and stop trees and shrubs from other animals. overtaking the prairie. Do you see Fire is a useful tool for fighting the any evidence here from past fires? spread of invasive plants. Many Native plants are well adapted to invasive species are less tolerant occasional fire. Native grasses have of fire, giving native species an very deep roots which store the advantage in the growing season energy plants need to regenerate following a fire.

A hillside in the park one month after a prescribed burn 13. Setting Fires

The health of the grasslands was Today the National Park Service essential to the Mandan, Hidatsa, prescribes and sets carefully Arikara, and other plains tribes. controlled fires to mimic the To keep the prairie healthy, people natural and human-made fire cycle have been setting prairie fires for that has maintained the prairie over thousands of years. the last few thousand years. 14. Preserving the Balance

Along the Ridgeline Trail you badlands for the benefit of wildlife, have seen how the habitats of the visitors, and the ecosystem we all badlands, when in balance, create share. a place for many species’ survival As you continue to explore, notice and also how delicate that balance how each habitat affects the plants can be. and animals within it and how The National Park Service strives those park residents affect their to preserve the balance of the habitats.

Continue up the hill, then follow the trail to the left. Please return this brochure to the box at the beginning of the trail. Thank you!

This trail brochure was written and produced by the interpretation rangers of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. It was printed using your fee dollars. Thank you for your support!

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