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Killdeer Mountain Four Bears Byway, Little Missouri Badlands, North Dakota
Photo: David Becker · CC BY 2.0

Drives North Dakota North Dakota

Killdeer Mountain Four Bears Byway

Veterans Memorial Highway, ND 22, ND 23 · Killdeer → New Town

Leisurely55 mi1 hr3,600 ft climbHigh point ≈ 2,600 ftOne way
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The drive

This is the northern half of the Killdeer Mountain Four Bears Scenic Byway, which runs along Highways 22 and 23 through the Killdeer Mountains and the Little Missouri River badlands. The drive starts at Killdeer and heads north on Highway 22.

About 22 miles north of Killdeer, Highway 22 crosses the Little Missouri River at Lost Bridge. The old bridge there was taken down in 1994, and a plaque and a piece of it stand beside the road near the new one. Little Missouri State Park, with its canyons and colored rock, lies along the byway.

Highway 23 then turns east to the Four Bears Bridge, which carries the road across the Missouri River where it forms Lake Sakakawea, on the Fort Berthold Reservation. The drive ends at New Town. The Three Affiliated Tribes Museum is there, and the Crow Flies High overlook shows the bridge and the lake.

Along the way

  1. Killdeer
  2. New Town (Four Bears Bridge)
Elevation
3,600 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 2,600 ft
KilldeerNew Town
Curves
Mostly gentle curves
KilldeerNew Town
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • Little Missouri State Park lies along the byway, with more than 47 miles of trails for hiking and horseback riding.
  • Check ND Roads for closures and construction before you go.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check ND Roads (North Dakota DOT).

Questions about this drive

How long is the Killdeer Mountain Four Bears drive from Killdeer to New Town?

Killdeer to New Town is 55.1 miles and takes about 1 hr. The whole signed byway is longer, about 64 miles, because it starts north of Manning.

Where is Lost Bridge in North Dakota?

Lost Bridge is on Highway 22 about 22 miles north of Killdeer, where the road crosses the Little Missouri River. The original bridge was dismantled in 1994.

What is the Four Bears Bridge?

It carries North Dakota Highway 23 over Lake Sakakawea on the Fort Berthold Reservation. The current bridge opened to traffic in 2005.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
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Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of Killdeer Mountain Four Bears Byway, from Killdeer to New Town