Theodore Roosevelt

Overview

Theodore Roosevelt National Park preserves the rugged badlands of western North Dakota that profoundly shaped the 26th president. Roosevelt arrived in the Dakota Territory in 1883 as a young man and later wrote that his time ranching in this landscape was the transformative experience of his life — without it, he said, he never would have become president. The park's layered buttes, painted canyons, and wide-open grasslands look much as they did when Roosevelt rode through them on horseback. The park has two main units. The South Unit, accessible from the town of Medora, features the 36-mile Scenic Loop Drive winding through colorful badlands formations where bison, wild horses, and pronghorn graze against a backdrop of layered sedimentary cliffs. The Painted Canyon overlook on I-94 provides a stunning introduction. The North Unit, less visited and more remote, has a 14-mile scenic drive through dramatically eroded formations along the Little Missouri River. Medora, the park's gateway town, adds historic charm with nightly Medora Musical performances, Theodore Roosevelt's Maltese Cross Cabin (relocated to the visitor center), and a frontier-town atmosphere. The park's wild horse bands, descendants of ranch horses released decades ago, roam the South Unit and are a major draw alongside the bison herds.

Things to Do

• Drive the 36-mile South Unit Scenic Loop
• Watch for wild horses in the South Unit
• Hike the Caprock Coulee Trail through badlands
• See Roosevelt's Maltese Cross Cabin at the visitor center
• Drive the North Unit scenic road along the Little Missouri River
• Backpack the Achenbach Trail in the North Unit
• Watch bison herds on the grasslands
• Attend the Medora Musical in summer

Wildlife

Keep an eye out for these animals during your visit:

Weather & Best Time to Visit

Continental extremes: summer highs reach 90-100°F, winter lows plunge below -20°F. Spring and fall are mild with occasional severe thunderstorms. Wind is a constant on the open plains.