Fall colors in the Badlands — Sunday Snapshots

Theodore Roosevelt ranched in these hills from his Elkhorn Ranch which is a couple miles south of this image.

Fall colors by the Little Missouri River

This week, we took a little photo safari drive along the Little Missouri River from west of Grassy Butte, south to Camels Hump. We started on the east side of the Little Missouri River, then found a low water level to cross over. But that’s another story, yet to come.

The Little Missouri River cuts through the North Dakota Badlands. North of the historic Elkhorn Ranch, on either side cottonwood display fall colors of yellow.

A monoculture of cottonwoods lines the Little Missouri River in the North Dakota Badlands. They are just coming into their peak yellow this week, Elsewhere they are dispersed among the green of the conifers that are prolific in the North Dakota Badlands.

Yellow is the predominant color of fall along the Little Missouri River in the North Dakota Badlands. A few green trees are yet to catch up to the yellow.

Short time

There’s not much time left, this fall to see the changing colors. They started turning a bit earlier than usual. In some places in the North Dakota Badlands, late summer drought stressed the trees and pushed them to their colors a little earlier. There has been no killing frost, yet. Aspens, a few ash, and cottonwoods create a uniform color this fall.

Tomorrow (Monday, September 24) we’ll give you four suggestions where you can see fall colors in the North Dakota Badlands this week.

Here’s a tip on where to go this fall to get more than you bargained for in the North Dakota Badlands — rugged, beautiful, colorful.

People who like to see a variety of photos from the North Dakota Badlands like to browse through this gallery.

Sign up to get a note in your inbox when a new article is posted. Or follow us on Facebook. Lots of adventures, coming from Devils Pass and the Little Missouri River. You’ll be surprised these locations exist in the state that too many people falsely assume is flat and uninspiring. You’ll be able to show them it’s not!

Mike Kopp

Love to tell stories -- romantic, nostalgic stories of our explorations in the Northern Plains. 15 years a television reporter/anchor, 12 years radio news director, 3 years newspaper editor, 6 years documentary producer -- a lifetime of communication.