Theodore National Park is a remote and often overlooked park located in western North Dakota. In this picturesque park, you’ll see bison roaming the prairies and badlands of the west. While other more populated National Parks can feel congested and busy, if you choose to visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park, you’ll find minimal crowds and maximum amounts of nature. The remote nature of this park gives people the opportunity to explore incredibly natural views and have unique encounters with wildlife. Continue reading this guide to Theodore Roosevelt National Park to plan your own North Dakota vacation.
This park is named after former president Theodore Roosevelt. Teddy was an avid outdoorsman and hunter. When he became president he created five new National Parks and introduced legislation to create national forests, parks, preserves and monuments throughout the country. This conservationist turned president has his legacy live on in this park.
When to Visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park
The park is open 24 hours a day, year round. So you can visit anytime. A visit to Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a great stop along a road trip or as an addition to another Dakota vacation.
However, if you’re planning a specific visit to this park, we recommend visiting in the summer or fall. Winters and springs have unpredictable weather that can make hiking uncomfortable. The temperatures in the summer and fall will be more comfortable for most. We visited in early fall and temperatures were a little too cool for our liking.
Summer is peak season for visitors. Normally, we’d recommend visiting in the shoulder season to avoid the crowds but because this park isn’t very often visited, you can visit in the middle of summer without being too worried about crowds.
Getting There and Around
Theodore Roosevelt National Park is one of the most out of the way parks to visit. Which is probably why it is one of the less visited. It doesn’t require any special transportation, just a lot of driving.
First, you should know that the park is broken into two different sections, the North and South units. The two units of the park are about a one hour drive from each other.
Second, there really aren’t a lot of towns nearby, let alone airports. You’ll find one larger airport close to the park. The Williston International Airport is about 2.5 hours north of the south unit. There are many other smaller airports closer but the ticket prices tend to be more expensive. If you fly, you’ll definitely need to rent a car as you’ll need one to explore the park.
If you do fly and choose to camp, check out our packing list for flying then camping.
Another great option for getting to the park is driving. The south unit is located just off of I-94 on the western side of North Dakota. This major interstate is frequently used to drive across the US. So consider stopping here if you are taking a cross country road trip. You could also consider combining a visit to Theodore Roosevelt National Park with a trip to South Dakota’s Black Hills as it is four hours north of Rapid City, SD.
What to Budget for Your Visit to Theodore Roosevelt National Park
The entrance fee for the park is $30/vehicle. However, if you plan to visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park in addition to other National Parks, consider purchasing the $80 America the Beautiful annual parks pass which will cover entrance into all of the National Parks for a year.
Eateries in the area are limited. The best option for food would be to pack a picnic lunch and cook your own dinners, preferably over a campfire. We recommend you stock up on food in a larger town before entering the park area as groceries and limited and pricy. However, if you do end up eating out, sit down restaurants in the area are around $20/person for dinner.
Hotels in Medora average around $230/night and are limited. Make sure to book your reservations early. Home rentals are limited so if you do find one that you like, book it. If you choose to stay farther away, which we don’t recommend, you’ll find less expensive hotels but increased driving times.
Camping in the parks is the most budget friendly option. Campsites are $14/night in the summer and $7/night the rest of the year. If you camp in the park, check out our tent camping packing list here!
Where to Stay Near Theodore Roosevelt National Park
There are a few campground located within the park. Juniper Campground is located in the North Unit and Cottonwood Campground is located in the South Unit. Juniper Campground is a first come first served campground but Cottonwood campground can be reserved. Both campgrounds are primitive and offer water and flush toilets seasonally and no showers or electric hookups. Also Roundup Group Horse Camp is available to people bringing horses along. Backcountry camping is also allowed most places in the park. However, you do have to obtain a free backcountry permit before camping.
You can also choose to stay in a hotel or home rental outside of the park. We found very few home rentals available in the area so this is not a widely available option. Medora has several hotels to stay in just outside of the South Unit. This town also has several restaurants available and is a great choice for people ending the day in the South Unit.
If you’re ending the day in the North Unit, consider staying in Watford city. This is a smaller city but there are still accommodations and restaurants available.
We stayed in Dickinson as the hotel prices were cheaper. However, we didn’t factor in the large amount of driving this would add to our day. We regretted this decision and would have preferred to stay in Medora.
What to Pack for your Visit to Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Make sure to pack plenty of water for your day in the park. If you visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park, know that there is only water at the visitor centers and the campgrounds.
Make sure to wear comfortable clothing and walking shoes. We didn’t do any hikes over 1 hour (though it’s possible) so we didn’t take day packs with us. However, we did wear comfortable clothes and good walking shoes. We used tennis shoes for these hikes and we’re fine.
Also, as animal spotting is one of the top things to do in the park, make sure to pack binoculars or a spotting scope to watch those far away creatures.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park Itinerary
We think you can see all of this park in one day. We also think that you’ll definitely want to go to both the north and south unit of the park.
Depending on where you’re traveling to and from, you’ll want to divide your day in two and visit each unit allotting half a day in each. We drove to the north unit in the morning and visited that until lunch time and then visited the south unit in the afternoon. This worked really well for us as it put us close to our hotel for the evening. You could also easily flip this around if you wanted to stay near the North Unit.
If you wanted to spend more time in the park so you can move at a slower pace, consider spending two days in the park and spending one day at each unit.
Top Thing to Do in Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Spot Wildlife
Wildlife spotting is one of the best things to do in both the North and South Units. If you are going to visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park, make sure to bring binoculars so that you can spot the wildlife. You’ll see bison, pronghorns, prairie dogs and golden eagles.
Bison were abundant in the park when we visited. We spotted them along the road and at several overlooks. Prairie dogs are another easy animal to spot as they stick to their prairie dog towns. So if you’re looking to spot a prairie dog, head to one of their colonies and enjoy watching their behavior. Other animals are out there but you’ll have to keep your eyes out.
Watch the Sunset
Stay in the park to take in the view as the sunsets over the striped badlands. If you stay for sunset, you’ll also spot lots of animals as they make their way to and from their sleeping areas right before sunset.
Top Things to Do – North Unit
Scenic Drive
Take the 28 mile out and back Scenic Drive. Along the way enjoy beautiful views and stop to see some of the following attractions that make the North Unit a great place to visit.
Cannonball Concretions
The Cannonball concretions are rocks that look like massive cannonballs. They are perfectly spherical and are revealed as erosion wears away the surround soil. So it looks like these cannonballs fell out of the dirt.
Riverbend Overlook
This overlook is just a short walk from the parking area. There is a neat pavilion built by the Civilian Conservation Corps from which you can take in the views of the Little Missouri River.
Oxbow Overlook
This overlook is at the end of the North Unit Scenic Drive. From this overlook, you can take in the views of the oxbow bend (sharp curve) in the Lille Missouri River.
Top Things to Do – South Unit
Scenic Loop Drive
The 36 mile scenic loop is the best way to view all of the top attractions in the South Unit of the park. Most people who visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park spend most of their time in the South Unit along this drive. As of 2020, when we visited, a section of the scenic loop is closed for roadwork. So until this section of the loop is repaired, this loop has become an out and back scenic drive.
Prairie Dog Towns
There are three prairie dog towns that are easily viewable from the scenic drive. You’ll see the little prairie dogs popping out of their mounds as they go about their business. Stop at one or all of these towns to watch these interesting critters.
View the Badlands
Take in the views of the badlands from one of the many scenic overlooks in the park. Our favorite was the Wind Canyon overlook and short hiking trail.
Short Hikes
Explore a few short hikes during your visit to the South Unit. We loved walking the Wind Canyon Trail. But also consider checking out the short Buck Hill trail, Skyline Vista trail and the Boicourt Trail. All of these trails were relatively easy and rewarding with great views.
Go Horseback Riding
Explore the park via horse. If you visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park, you’ll see that there are so many trails that are perfect for horseback riding. If you’d like to experience the park like Teddy himself, consider doing a horseback tour of the South Unit with the Medora Riding Stables.
Painted Canyon Visitor Center
Enjoy the views of the badlands from the Painted Canyon Visitor Center. This is a quick stop located along I-94 and will give you a panoramic view of the park.
Elkhorn Ranch Unit
We should also note that the Elkhorn Ranch Unit of the park is located between the North and South Units. This Unit is the site of Theodore Roosevelt’s ranch. The ranch no longer exists but the foundation is still visible. You can visit this site but the roads are rustic and can be rough if the weather has washed them out. We chose not to visit this section of the park because it wasn’t of interest to us but it is worth noting.
We hope this post has helped you to plan your visit to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. To us, this park was a beautiful piece of nature and was a great place to visit. Please let us know if you have any questions that will help you to plan your trip to Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
