North Dakota cycling in numbers
50%
Bike ownership
600+
Miles of trails
14
State parks
45
Bike friendliness score
North Dakota from a cyclist's perspective
North Dakota is the state most cyclists have never considered, and it hides one of American cycling's genuine crown jewels. The Maah Daah Hey Trail runs 144 miles of continuous singletrack through the Little Missouri badlands, the longest unbroken singletrack in the country and an IMBA Epic. Around it spreads a state with more gravel than almost anywhere on earth, four rideable seasons compressed into seven honest months, and roads where meeting a second car counts as traffic.
The west is the headline act. Out of Medora, the badlands stack up in layers of scoria, clay, and juniper, and the Maah Daah Hey threads through all of it past named landmarks like Devils Pass, the China Wall, and the Ice Caves. Theodore Roosevelt National Park's South Unit reopened its full 36-mile Scenic Loop Drive in November 2025 after a six-year closure and a $51 million rebuild, and it is a roller coaster of short, steep climbs past prairie dog towns with bison holding right of way. One honest warning about the badlands: the bentonite clay that makes the singletrack fast when dry turns to unrideable gumbo after rain.
Then there is the gravel. North Dakota's county and township network alone counts roughly 59,000 miles of gravel and another 32,000 miles of unsurfaced road, which is why a fast-growing race scene has planted its flags here: the Badlands Gravel Battle out of Medora, the Lyons-Heart Gravel Classic in Mandan's Heart River country, and a fall closer at Graner Park on the Missouri. US Bicycle Route 30 clips the southwest corner along the old Yellowstone Trail, and the Adventure Cycling Northern Tier crosses the state's top half for riders passing through on coast-to-coast tours.
City riding is better than the stereotype. Fargo scores 67 in the PeopleForBikes 2025 City Ratings, inside the top 200 of more than 3,000 US cities rated, and the metro claims 200+ miles of bike trails along the pancake-flat Red River corridor. Grand Forks matches that 67 thanks to its Greenway, a 2,200-acre riverside corridor with a 20-mile core trail built as flood protection after the catastrophic 1997 Red River flood. Bismarck and Mandan share more than 110 miles of paths along the Missouri, with the purpose-built Harmon Lake singletrack system 10 miles north of town.
The caveats are real and worth naming. North Dakota is one of the windiest states in the nation, and Fargo's average wind speed of about 12.7 mph means there is no such thing as a free flat mile. Winter owns five months of the calendar. The League of American Bicyclists ranks the state 41st for bicycle friendliness, and Adventure Cycling rerouted the Northern Tier back in 2012 to keep touring riders clear of Bakken oil-field truck traffic. Ride here anyway. The state has a 3-foot safe passing law, per-capita federal bike and pedestrian spending that ranks 9th in the nation, and an e-bike law that asks almost nothing of you at all.
North Dakota E-bike Laws
No license, no registration, no insurance, no statewide minimum age. North Dakota wrote one of the lightest-touch e-bike laws in the country back in 2021, and nothing has changed since.
North Dakota adopted the three-class e-bike framework with North Dakota HB 1148, effective August 1, 2021, and wrote one of the lightest-touch versions in the country: no license, no registration, no insurance, no statewide minimum age, and every bicycle path and multi-use path open to all three classes unless a local government posts otherwise. The 750-watt definition line is the only thing separating an e-bike from a moped that needs plates and a license.
The motor assists only while pedaling and cuts off at 20 mph (N.D.C.C. 39-01-01(19)(a)).
The motor may propel the bike without pedaling but ceases to assist at 20 mph (N.D.C.C. 39-01-01(19)(b)).
Assist while pedaling up to 28 mph; a functioning speedometer is required equipment (N.D.C.C. 39-10.1-09).
E-bikes are excluded from North Dakota's motor vehicle definition, so operator licensing never reaches them (N.D.C.C. 39-01-01(47)).
No title, no plate, no registration for a compliant e-bike of any class (N.D.C.C. 39-05-02.2).
E-bikes sit outside the state's financial responsibility law — coverage is on you (N.D.C.C. 39-16-01).
North Dakota skipped the model law's age floor: no minimum age for any class, including Class 3 (N.D.C.C. ch. 39-10.1).
Riders under 18 must wear a helmet on a Class 3 (N.D.C.C. 39-10.1-09); no statewide rule for Class 1 or Class 2 at any age.
Where You Can Ride
- Roads & bike lanesAll three classes ride as bicycles with the rights and duties of drivers — plus a stop-as-yield rule on roads with two or fewer lanes (N.D.C.C. 39-10.1-02, 39-10.1-05.1).
- Shared-use pathsAll three classes may ride any bicycle path or multi-use path unless a government entity with jurisdiction posts otherwise (N.D.C.C. 39-10.1-09).
- SidewalksNo statewide prohibition — sidewalk rules are local ordinance territory, and Fargo bans riding on its downtown Broadway sidewalks.
- State parksNorth Dakota Parks and Recreation publishes no formal e-bike restriction; on US Forest Service land the Maah Daah Hey is a non-motorized trail, which keeps e-bikes off it.
- Out-of-class e-motosOver 750 watts or no operable pedals means motorcycle or off-highway-vehicle rules: registration, license, and insurance to be street-legal, and no right to bike paths.
Effective August 1, 2021 under North Dakota HB 1148. Statutes: N.D.C.C. 39-01-01(19), 39-10.1-09, 39-05-02.2, 39-16-01, 39-10.1-05.1. Cities and park districts can add their own path and trail restrictions — check signage where you ride. Last reviewed July 2026.
North Dakota Cycling Weather
Seven honest months from April to October, July skies that are clear three days out of four, and a wind that never fully clocks out. Plan around it and the season delivers.
Sunny days a year
Riding season
Apr - Oct
North Dakota Cycling Destinations
Maah Daah Hey Trail
The Maah Daah Hey is the longest continuous singletrack in America: 144 miles of turtle-post-marked trail from Burning Coal Vein Campground south of Medora to the CCC Campground near Theodore Roosevelt National Park's North Unit. The riding is almost entirely singletrack across bentonite clay, and the route collects the badlands' greatest hits along the way, including Devils Pass, the China Wall, and two crossings of the Little Missouri River. Ten fenced campgrounds with water pumps sit roughly every 20 miles, with volunteer-maintained cache boxes filling the gaps. Most riders stage out of Medora and take four to five days, treating it as a bikepacking trip rather than a ride. Respect the weather window: dry clay is fast and tacky, wet clay is gumbo that stops wheels dead. This is a trail for strong intermediate riders and up, and it rewards every mile of preparation.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park South Unit Loop
The full 36-mile Scenic Loop Drive is back. A four-mile section slumped down an embankment in 2019 and closed the circuit for six years; a $51 million rebuild reopened the complete loop in November 2025, and many older guides still have not caught up. Starting from the Medora Visitor Center, the road follows the Little Missouri River for six easy miles, then climbs into the badlands past prairie dog towns, Scoria Point, and Badlands Overlook. The profile is pure roller coaster: repeated short, steep pitches rather than one long pass, adding up to roughly 2,500 feet of climbing. Free-roaming bison and wild horses use the same pavement you do, and the only services are in Medora, so carry everything. All paved and dirt park roads are open to bikes; the hiking trails are not.
Harmon Lake Recreation Area
Ten miles north of Mandan on Highway 1806, Harmon Lake is central North Dakota's purpose-built singletrack hub: 19 miles of sustainably designed trail in four named loops. The 9-mile Otter Creek loop circles the lake, crossing the dam and a floating bridge, at a 2 percent average grade that makes it one of the most beginner-friendly real singletrack rides anywhere. Epic Loop adds 5 miles on the west side, with Chutes and Ladders and the Blue Sky Trail rounding out the system. The riding flows through open prairie and tree groves, smooth enough for a first-timer and fast enough to keep experienced riders entertained. A campground, boat ramp, and vault toilets sit on site, and the season runs roughly May through October.
Fargo-Moorhead Red River Trails
The Fargo-Moorhead metro claims more than 200 miles of bike trails, and the backbone is the paved riverfront corridor tracing the Red River between Fargo, Moorhead, and West Fargo. The signature stretch runs about 26 miles with roughly 30 feet of total gain: this is the flattest honest riding in America, laid across the bed of glacial Lake Agassiz. Lindenwood Park, Fargo's largest riverside park, connects to Moorhead's Gooseberry Park by a pedestrian bridge over the river, and dirt riders get MB Johnson Park's 4 miles of singletrack plus the jumps and log features of Gooseberry Mound. It suits families, commuters, and anyone chasing long, fast, zero-climbing miles. Two things to know: the wind is the hill here, and riverside segments close during spring floods.
Sheyenne River Valley National Scenic Byway
North Dakota's only National Scenic Byway is the state's answer to anyone who calls it flat: 63 miles from Baldhill Dam and Lake Ashtabula north of Valley City south through Kathryn and Fort Ransom to Lisbon, tracing a glacial valley up to 330 feet deep and a mile wide. The road rolls constantly as it drops into and climbs out of the valley, passing Valley City's Hi-Line Bridge, Fort Ransom State Park, and 41 interpretive panels of Native American and pioneer history. One honest caveat: roughly 17 miles south of Fort Ransom are gravel, easy work on 28mm-plus tires or a gravel bike, a grind on race wheels. Services cluster in Valley City, Kathryn, Fort Ransom, and Lisbon with long exposed gaps between, so the 15-mile Valley City to Kathryn stretch makes a fine half-day out-and-back.
Pembina Gorge & Frost Fire Park
In the state's far northeast corner, the Pembina River carves the largest continuous undisturbed forest in North Dakota, and two venues share the valley. Pembina Gorge State Park offers 16-plus miles of trail through steep wooded cliffs, all open to mountain bikes, with one caveat: OHVs share every trail except the non-motorized Lady Slipper and Blazing Star loops. Next door, Frost Fire Park runs the state's only chairlift-served downhill bike park, with eight gravity trails from green to black diamond, including Uff da, the longest at over a mile, plus full-suspension bike and helmet rentals for anyone who arrives curious and unequipped. Lift service runs Saturdays from mid-July through September. Between the two, Walhalla makes an improbable but genuine mountain bike weekend in a state better known for its horizons.
North Dakota Cycling Events
From the Maah Daah Hey 100 to the CaNDak week-long tour, North Dakota's events serve badlands singletrack, prairie gravel, and small-town hospitality in equal measure.
Badlands Gravel Battle
The season opener of the Badlands Race Series runs on the fast, rugged red scoria roads that lace the badlands west of Medora. Riders choose 40, 80, or 120 miles, plus a 40-mile e-bike category, and the numbers are honest: nearly 8,700 feet of climbing on the long course, dealt out in constant twists, forks, and short walls rather than any single summit. The 80- and 120-mile courses get three staffed aid stations at Wannagan, Elkhorn, and Blacktail; the 40 gets one. Everyone rolls out together at 8:00 AM from Medora with a hard 8:00 PM cutoff, a 12-hour window that keeps the 120 a serious endurance test. The 40-miler is a fine first gravel race in one of the most scenic corners of the northern plains.
Event website
Lyons-Heart Gravel Classic
The Lyons-Heart rolls out of downtown Mandan into the Heart River country, where winding descents through the Lyon's Den and punchy climbs prove in the first hour that North Dakota is not flat. Three options cover the field: a non-competitive 35-mile ride with an e-bike category, a 65-mile race, and a 100-mile race carrying a real prize purse of $1,500, $1,000, and $500 per gender for the podium. All distances are chip timed, and the finish line back on Main Street turns into a party with live music, vendors, and meal and drink tickets included. The 35 suits casual and e-bike riders wanting a scenic day out; the 100 draws regional racers who came to work.
Event website
Maah Daah Hey 100
The flagship of North Dakota cycling: a point-to-point mountain bike race down the Maah Daah Hey Trail through the raw badlands. The full course covers 107 miles with about 13,000 feet of climbing, and the organizers bill it plainly as a ride for the most experienced and disciplined riders only. Everyone else gets a real race too, with 75-, 50-, 25-, and 13-mile options plus youth races, and the 13-to-50-mile distances are genuinely approachable. The race window runs from 6:00 AM to midnight, riders arrange their own transport to the remote start, and a support crew is strongly encouraged. The course record sits at 8 hours 22 minutes, a number that says everything about what the badlands ask of a bike rider.
Event website
CaNDak Bicycle Tour
North Dakota's only fully supported week-long tour carries forward the CANDISC tradition that ran out of Garrison for decades. The 2026 edition loops about 409 miles through the Drift Prairie from Velva through Glenburn, Mohall, Bottineau, Anamoose, and Max, with daily stages of 34 to 86 miles, an optional rest-day loop, and a century option for riders who want one big day. Support is complete: SAG, luggage hauled in enclosed trailers, an on-route mechanic, organized rest stops, and camping in town parks with charging stations. Single-day rides let locals sample a stage. This is touring, not racing; the field skews social and multigenerational, and repeat riders are the norm.
Event website
MDH Buck-Fifty Ultra
The Buck-Fifty flips the race format: riders take on the entire 150-mile Maah Daah Hey Trail point-to-point, from Burning Coal Vein Campground to the CCC Campground near Watford City, in any window they choose between May 1 and October 31. Finish in one day or six, solo or as a team, and for the truly committed there is a doubled 300-mile out-and-back. The format is self-supported singletrack through remote badlands, which means water caches, navigation, heat, and weather management are entirely on you. Bike and run divisions both exist. It suits bikepackers and ultra riders who want the full trail on their own terms, without a mass-start race day dictating the calendar.
Event website
The AlKEMist Gravel Fest
The fall closer of the North Dakota gravel season starts from Graner Park on the Missouri River south of Mandan and climbs out of the river valley onto prairie bluffs via fast descents and minimum-maintenance roads under wide-open October skies. Two distances share the day: the 55-mile AlKemist and the 30-mile Elixir, each with an e-bike category at the same entry fee. The details are dialed for a small event: chip timing, an on-course aid station, a finisher patch, a meal ticket, and a post-race beverage, with aero bars banned to keep the racing about bike handling. It is the right last hard day before a North Dakota winter takes the roads back.
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| Policy Coverage |  | Homeowner/Renters Policy |
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| Crash Damage | Yes | No |
| Theft Coverage | Yes | Limited |
| Theft by Force | Yes | No |
| Theft of Accessories | Yes | Limited |
| Theft Away From Home | Yes | Possibly |
| Vehicle Contact | Yes | No |
| Personal Liability | Yes | Possibly |
| Permissive Use Policy | Yes | No |
| Replacement Rental | Yes | No |
| Event Fee Return | Yes | No |
| Cycling Apparel Coverage | Yes | No |
| Medical Payments | Yes | Possibly |
| Racing Coverage | Yes | No |
| E-bikes | Yes | No |
| Coverage in-transit | Yes | No |
| USAC, USAT and IMBA Member Discount | Yes | No |
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