South Achenbach Trail: From Juniper Campground to the Second River Crossing

I’ve hiked South Achenbach Trail before — that trip report covers the 5-mile-in, 5-mile-out route from Oxbow Overlook. This time I hiked it from the other end, starting at Juniper Campground. Worth noting up front: I did not do the full loop. I went from Juniper down to the second river crossing and back, leaving maybe another 3 to 4 miles from the Oxbow Overlook starting point unwalked.

The Quick Stats

• My hike: about 12.8 miles round trip per my own GPS track, roughly 5.5 hours out — the full South Achenbach loop runs closer to 11.6 miles one-way per AllTrails, so this was Juniper to the second river crossing and back, not a completed loop
• Where: North Unit, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, starting from the Juniper Campground trailhead
• When I hiked it: September 27, 2026

My AllTrails map for this route — note this shows the full loop’s stats; my actual hike was Juniper Campground to the second river crossing and back, about 12.8 miles per my own GPS.

The trailhead sign at Juniper Campground, the other end of South Achenbach from where I started last time.

It was a great day for a hike. Fall colors are out a bit, nothing too crazy — they’ll probably peak in a couple weeks, I’d guess. I really enjoy this trail, it’s got good scenery and it’s very quiet. I saw one person on the trail the whole day.

The badlands and river valley along South Achenbach, early fall color just starting to come in.

The Rattlesnake

Not much for wildlife on this one, though I did see one big old bull buffalo and a rattlesnake. The rattlesnake was maybe the highlight, ironically — it definitely got my blood going.

It was the middle of the day and I was hiking back toward Juniper when I heard it rattle right next to me, maybe a couple feet off trail to my right. It’s the first time I’ve ever heard one in the wild in person, but I knew the sound, and it definitely scared me. I jumped left a bit just to get distance right away, and walked a little further before turning around. I thought, ahh, it’s just gotta be the classic bull snake hiss. Nope — it was indeed a rattlesnake.

I wanted to get close to get a good picture, but I also didn’t want to get close at all. He was doing his natural thing — he warned me he was there initially when I walked by, then was quiet after that, until I threw a stick. Maybe I shouldn’t have done that. It did me no harm, but curiosity got the better of me. I didn’t hit it either — the stick landed just off to the side.

Right after the rattle — you can see the stick I tossed still lying in the grass. The snake itself stayed hidden in the brush the whole time.

Achenbach Spring

I also visited Achenbach Spring for the first time. No wildlife down there, but I could see there was a ton of sign around. It’s also crazy to me that the water is just pouring out of the side of the hill there. I’ve seen that in different places in the mountains, or springs in the Midwest, but it just seems weird in the arid North Dakota landscape.

Achenbach Spring in motion — water seeping steadily out of the hillside.

The Bison, and a Quick Snack

On top of the grassy knolls leading to Oxbow and the river crossing, I came across one big bull bison just hanging out.

A bull bison, just hanging out on the hillside.

We bonded for a bit over the scenery and peacefulness of the day, and then I carried on my way.

My snack break, on the opposite side of Oxbow Overlook from where I usually start this trail.

Another look at the valley from the same stretch of trail.

The River Crossing

The river crossing at Juniper was really muddy this time. Got my feet soaked and covered in mud, but that was all part of it. The water was cold too — I’m assuming it’s spring water, but I’m not totally sure.

I don’t normally hike with trekking poles, but I brought them today just in case of mud at the crossing. Glad I did — they were a huge help.

If you’re planning this hike, good shoes matter. You’re probably going to get wet and muddy at the crossing, so a good pair goes a long way. You could even pack an extra pair of socks and a towel to wipe your feet off after.

All in all, another good hike filled with new things for me.

— Adam