Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Colorful badlands along North Dakota's Little Missouri River, roamed by bison and wild horses, with the Western town of Medora where Roosevelt's ranching years began.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park lies in the Little Missouri River valley of western North Dakota and is made up of three parts: the South Unit, the North Unit and the Elkhorn Ranch Unit. It's known for its layered, colorful badlands and free-roaming herds of bison and wild horses, and it's where the young Roosevelt ran cattle ranches and formed his conservation ideals. Medora, the gateway to the South Unit, is a Western town that comes alive in summer; the visitor center, Maltese Cross Cabin, Chateau de Mores, the Medora Musical and the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, which opened in 2026, are all here. The best season is late May through September: summer days are hot and mornings and evenings cool, and the Medora Musical plays nightly June–September; in September–October the prairie turns gold and crowds thin; winters are bitterly cold and snowy, some roads close, and most businesses in town shut down. Suggested itinerary: on day one, drive the South Unit's Scenic Loop Drive, stopping at overlooks such as Wind Canyon, Buck Hill and Boicourt, and catch the musical in the evening; on day two, head to the North Unit about 110 km away to see the Cannonball Concretions, River Bend Overlook and Oxbow Overlook, or hike the Caprock Coulee Trail; on the way, stop at the Painted Canyon Overlook off I-94. With more time, you can ride or hike a section of the Maah Daah Hey Trail or visit the remote Elkhorn Ranch. Getting there: the nearest airports are Dickinson, about 60 km away, and Bismarck, about 220 km away, and you'll need a car; I-94 runs straight to Medora. Entry is $30 per vehicle for 7 days. Keep your distance when watching wildlife — bison may look docile but can charge suddenly; cell service and supplies in the park are limited, so fill up on gas and bring plenty of water before you go.

Top sights

• South Unit Scenic Loop Drive – A scenic road loop around the badlands of the park's South Unit, with colorful rock layers, prairie dog towns, and bison and wild horses se…
• Painted Canyon Overlook – A canyon overlook right beside Interstate 94, where tiers of red, gray, and yellow badlands stretch out in one view. It's the park's most p…
• Wind Canyon Trail – The most popular short trail on the scenic loop, with wind-carved sandstone canyons and a view over the great bend of the Little Missouri R…
• Medora Musical – A Western song-and-dance show staged in an open-air amphitheater, with real colorful buttes as its backdrop. It's North Dakota's most popul…
• Maltese Cross Cabin – A log cabin where Theodore Roosevelt lived in 1883 while running a ranch in the badlands. It has since been moved to the grounds beside the…
• Chateau de Mores State Historic Site – A 26-room hunting lodge built in 1883 by the French Marquis de Mores, with Victorian furnishings and household items preserved as they were.
• Medora – A Western town with fewer than 100 permanent residents, featuring wooden boardwalks, old saloons and cowboy shops. It is the gateway to the…
• Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library – A presidential library on a hill in the badlands west of Medora, using immersive exhibits to tell Roosevelt's life story and the conservati…
• Oxbow Overlook – The end of a roughly 22 km scenic drive in the North Unit, overlooking a huge bend the Little Missouri River carves through the badlands. I…
• River Bend Overlook – A classic viewpoint on the North Unit scenic drive, where a stone pavilion built by volunteer conservationists in the 1930s overlooks a dra…
• Cannonball Concretions Pullout – Round sandstone concretions scattered beside the North Unit road, looking like giant cannonballs embedded in gray mudstone. A unique geolog…
• Caprock Coulee Trail – The most popular hiking loop in the North Unit, winding past caprock pillars, dry gullies and ridgelines with views over the Little Missour…
• Buck Hill – One of the highest viewpoints in the South Unit. A short paved climb leads to a summit with 360-degree views over the badlands and prairie.
• Boicourt Overlook – A ridge-top viewing trail on the eastern part of the South Unit loop, reaching a cliff edge overlooking badlands hills and prairie within m…
• Peaceful Valley Ranch – A group of 1880s ranch buildings along the South Unit loop road. Grasslands along the Little Missouri often host wild horses and bison.
• Elkhorn Ranch Site – The site of Roosevelt's second ranch, called the "Cradle of the Conservation Movement." Remote, with only foundations and open wilderness l…
• North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame – A Western heritage museum on Medora's main street, covering Native American history, ranching and cowboy sports.
• Maah Daah Hey Trail – A long backcountry trail linking the North and South Units of the park, about 232 km, and one of America's best-known mountain biking and h…

Where to eat

• Theodore's Dining Room – The town's top-tier restaurant, inside the historic Rough Riders Hotel in Medora. Known for its bison shank and steak…
• Pitchfork Steak Fondue – Cowboys cook steaks on pitchforks in hot oil, and the buffet is served on a terrace overlooking the badlands. It's a cl…
• Little Missouri Saloon – Medora's oldest saloon and steakhouse, decorated in 19th-century style. Known for its bison and elk burgers and craft b…
• Farmhouse Café – Medora's top-rated home-style breakfast spot, where caramel rolls, cheese-stuffed hash browns and house-made syrup are…

Itineraries

• Black Hills, Devils Tower & Theodore Roosevelt National Park – Go beyond the classic Black Hills sights to include caves, Devils Tower, and the colorful badlands of North Dakota.