Western North Dakota becomes a brilliant kaleidoscope of color in early summer when the grass is still bright green, and the blooming wild yellow clover blooms. In the distance is Sentinel Butte.
Brilliant Summer Colors in Western North Dakota
Brilliant summer colors took us by surprise when we adventured through western North Dakota. Our goal was to find General Custer’s Snow Camp. There he and his troops were caught by surprise when a frigid blizzard swept through the area on May 31, 1876. Until the cold howling winds deposited over a foot of snow, this might have been smilier to the landscape experienced by the 7th Cavalry on their fateful march to the Little Big Horn, Montana.
Cattle roam freely and have the right of way as we drive west on Square Butte Road in western North Dakota. The color of the yellow clover was brilliant on this sunny June day.
Open Range Greeting Committee
The area around Square Butte, a key location for Custer’s march to the Little Big Horn, is open range today. That means cattle are not fenced from the road. In fact, they have the right of way of the road. When we slowly drove through the area, they were curious. They didn’t hesitate to take time to inspect us as we made our way along. What a friendly Greeting Committee!
A drive on Square Butte Road as we searched for Custer’s Snow Camp not only was more colorful than we expected (oh, that blooming yellow clover!) but there was a greeting committee to meet us!
A Most Unexpected Colorful Exploration
Our day became an unexpected colorful exploration as we explored the Square Butte area of western North Dakota. The sky became brilliant blue, with puffy white clouds, and the grasses and crops glowed in many shades of green. Astounding was the bright yellow, blooming yellow wild clover!
Traveling Square Butte Road in June in western North Dakota envelopes one in brilliant greens and yellows when yellow sweet clover blooms. Scenes such as this were part of General Custer’s march through the area on his way to the Little Big Horn battlefield, June 1876.
Driving East on Square Butte Road in June presents landscapes most people would never identify with North Dakota. The greens of the grasses and assorted crops are punctuated by brilliant yellow wild clover.
A Key March Through History
June, 1876 General Custer and his 7th Cavalry made a key march through history here, in the Square Butte area of western North Dakota. Their final destination was the Little Big Horn area of Montana. They camped at the base of Square Butte on May 31, only to wake to snow. They spent two more nights there, under extreme winterish conditions on the first days of June. When the storm subsided, they returned to their fateful march, through scenes such as this.
Bright blue skies on a June afternoon complement the brilliant yellow of blooming wild yellow clover in June in the grasslands and badlands of western North Dakota.
The brilliant greens of early summer in the grasslands and badlands of western North Dakota make room for vivid yellow as wild yellow clover blooms in June. Square Butte, the site of Custer’s Snow Camp (June, 1876).
Camels Hump, in the distance, is a major landmark in western North Dakota. It guided General Custer and his troops as they moved beneath it on their westward march to the Little Big Horn in Montana.
Custer Trail Auto Tour
Experience the beautiful landscapes of western North Dakota badlands and grasslands while learning about the important history which is hidden there. To trace the fateful march of General Custer and the 7th Cavalry to the Little Bighorn Battlefield (1876) follow the Custer Trail Auto Tour. Join us in our exploration of the eastern portion of the trail here: Have you visited the Custer Trail? Check out more information here from North Dakota Tourism.
Discover another beautiful, historically important trail here: The Nux Baah Gaa Trail will surprise you!
Join us on our explorations! The Beautiful Badlands ND Facebook page is a good way to keep up with all that we find going on in the Badlands — kind of a clearinghouse of cool stuff in the Badlands.
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