Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Theodore Roosevelt National Park covers three separated chunks of the North Dakota Badlands, but the South Unit is the one almost every visitor sees — its entrance is at the western edge of Medora. A 36-mile scenic loop road takes in painted hills, prairie dog towns, and bison that often stand placidly on the asphalt. Bring patience and stop for the wildlife: bison, wild horses, elk, pronghorn, and bighorn sheep are all regularly seen.

The badlands themselves are eroded river-cut country, all banded clays and coal seams that smoulder when struck by lightning. Painted Canyon Overlook on Interstate 94 gives the best dramatic introduction without leaving the highway, and the visitor centre there is a good first stop. Inside the park, short hikes from the loop road — Wind Canyon, Boicourt Overlook, and the Coal Vein Trail — are easy and rewarding. Allow at least a full day; an early start gives the best wildlife viewing and softer light on the hills.

things to do sight park wildlife
A story
Roosevelt first came to the Badlands in 1883 to hunt bison and ended up buying into a cattle ranch. After his wife and mother both died on the same day in February 1884, he returned to grieve alone on the Elkhorn Ranch and later wrote that without his time in the Dakotas he would never have become president. The park is the only American national park named after a single person.