“Oh give me a home, where the buffalo roam, where the deer and the antelope play. Where seldom is heard a discouraging word and the skies are not cloudy all day.”– Home on the Range by Gene Autry.
If you’re looking for wide open prairies and an endless sky, look no further than North Dakota! This beautiful state is home to the ruggedly intriguing Theodore Roosevelt National Park. This park is split into two units the North and South Unit, woven together by the Little Missouri River.
*Disclaimer: this post is only about the South Unit because we didn’t make it to the North Unit (50 miles away from each other).
If you’re coming from the East on I-94, I would highly recommend stopping by the Painted Canyon Visitors Center before entering the rest of the park. This is a great way to acclimate yourself to some of the sites and I find the park rangers always have great tips.
Once you’ve taken the exit off 94, you’ll enter the tiny town of Medora, ND. If you’re visiting in the summer you’ll find Medora is a hopping tourist town full of little shops and stores that each offer something unique. If you’re visiting in any other season— Medora is basically deserted.
Once you pay your fee and enter the park, you’ll see the South Unit Visitors Center–>stop here and use the bathroom–trust me! There will not be another bathroom along the scenic drive for many, many more miles. Theodore Roosevelt’s Maltese Cabin
Here’s a map of the South Unit’s loop for reference:
Once you’re on the road, you’ll see your first stop is Skyline Vista. My advice would be to keep going and hit it on your return trip. There are so many other more picturesque vistas to see further into the park, you may decide to skip this one after completing the loop.
However, start watching for prairie dog towns! You’ll see them all over the park and they are especially fun to observe with kiddos. Have your kids watch them stand at attention and send out a warning call to others, when they spot you!
Continuing on, you’ll keep seeing spectacular scenery. Around every corner, I almost expected to see Theodore Roosevelt pop out on his horse! This is truly the gateway to the west.
Peaceful Valley Ranch is another neat pull-off if equestrian activities are your interest. Unfortunately the ranch is not currently in operation, but the ranch house building is now listed as a historic site. The NPS has said that they plan to use the space again in the future, so check the Theodore Roosevelt website for updates.
Wind Canyon Trail was one of our absolute favorite stops. The thing I love about this park is how wild and free you feel when exploring it. Wind Canyon is the perfect place to feel that freedom at its peak. Take a look at what I’m talking about below, notice no signs are posted saying “do not climb this hill”. My little explorer absolutely loved climbing the sand dunes.
Boicourt Overlook was a great lunch stop. Although there are no picnic tables, there is a paved trail that led to a bench overlooking a gorgeous set of hills. We sat, ate some sandwiches and then enjoyed a little hike farther down the trail to an unpaved section.
It’s amazing how different the scenery seems to be from hill to hill, dune to dune and butte to butte. The red, gold and orange hues within the rocks add a dramatic flair to the parks canvas.
As you probably have heard, Theodore Roosevelt National Park is home to many bison herds. These massive but intelligent creatures can be seen all throughout the park.
There are also some beautiful herds of wild horses within the park. Check out my video to the left. We had the incredible opportunity to watch them run right beside our car!
Be mindful that these animals are in fact WILD. Keep a respectable distance.
We visited Theodore Roosevelt National Park in October of 2022 and at that time, the last half of the scenic loop in the South Unit was closed due to road erosion. If this is still the case during your visit, once you reach mile marker 24 (Badlands Overlook) you will be required to turn around. You can check the road conditions here while planning your visit.
North Unit Note:
Although we didn’t make it to the North Unit of this park on this specific trip, there are other noteworthy things to view there. Oxbow Overlook, the Riverbend Overlook, and Cannonball Concretions are all popular things to see along the scenic drive in the North Unit.
**Special Notes:
Although this unit of the park is right off I-94, its services are limited. There are no restaurants or lodging options within the park. Yep, get ready to pack a lunch!
If you are visiting in the summer months, Medora does have a campground and a few VERY basic hotel options. Restaurants and ice cream shops do open during the high tourist season, but again these food options are outside the park.
That’s all I have from the great state of North Dakota! I hope you get to venture out here and explore the wild side of Theodore Roosevelt National Park!!