Watford City in McKenzie County, North Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Long X Cattle Trail

Photographed by Bill Coughlin, July 21, 2015

1. Long X Cattle Trail Marker

Inscription.
Abundant grass in North Dakota resulted in cattle being driven in the 1880’s along this trail to the Long X Ranch three miles north of this point. In North Dakota the trail passed through the place that is now the town of New England, then on west of Dickinson and the Killdeer Mountains. The trail crossed the Little Missouri River about a mile southeast of here and then led up the Squaw Creek Valley to your left.

Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles.

Location. Marker has been reported permanently removed. It was located near 47° 36.268′ N, 103° 20.675′ W. Marker was in Watford City, North Dakota, in McKenzie County. It was on Scenic Drive, on the right when traveling north. Marker is located at the Long X Trail Pullout in the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Touch for map. Marker was in this post office area: Watford City ND 58854, United States of America.

We have been informed that this marker is no longer there and will not be replaced. This page is an archival view of what was.

Regionally, this marker was in North Dakota’s Bakken Oil Patch.

It was also in the American Lewis & Clark Corridor,

on the prairies,

and on the Northern Plains.

Globally, it was in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it found itself in what was once Rupert’s Land

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers

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are within 3 miles of this location, measured as the crow flies: North Dakota Badlands (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Long X Trail: A Dusty Trail to Greener Pastures (approx. 0.6 miles away); Cannonball Mystery (approx. 0.8 miles away); The View that Launched a Park (approx. 1.6 miles away); Tilted (approx. 2.1 miles away); Bentonitic Clay (approx. 2.1 miles away); Layers in Time / Portraits in Stone (approx. 2.7 miles away); Work in Progress / Better Together (approx. 2.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Watford City.

Other markers no longer nearby. “Cannon Ball” Concretions (was approx. 0.8 miles away but has been permanently removed); Building From Hard Times (was approx. 1.6 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Slump Formation (was approx. 2.1 miles away but has been permanently removed).

Photographed by Bill Coughlin, July 21, 2015

2. Long X Cattle Trail Marker

Marker in Theodore Roosevelt National Park image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bill Coughlin, July 21, 2015

3. Marker in Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Photographed by Bill Coughlin, July 21, 2015

4. Long X Cattle Trail Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on October 12, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 14, 2015, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 954 times since then and 19 times this year. Last updated on August 19, 2025, by Susan Van Den Bosch of Almond, Wisconsin. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 14, 2015, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.