Last Updated: June 22, 2026
Theodore Roosevelt first came to the North Dakota Badlands in 1883 as a young man, drawn by the promise of bison hunting and the wide open West. What he found instead — or perhaps in addition — was a landscape that would shape him profoundly. After losing both his mother and his wife on the same day in 1884, he returned to these rugged badlands to grieve and heal. The land, he later wrote, made him the man he became. It’s impossible to stand in this park and not feel some of that pull yourself.
Medora, North Dakota
Visitor Information — Medora Campground: Located just outside the South Unit entrance in Medora, ND 58645. Phone: (800) 633-6721. Full hookups available. Reservations strongly recommended in summer, particularly during the Medora Musical season. Website: medora.com.
From Montana, we pushed east into western North Dakota and set up at the Medora Campground — perfectly situated with full hookups and just a half-mile from the Roosevelt National Park South Unit entrance. The campground was buzzing with activity thanks to the Medora Musical Revue, an outdoor amphitheater show held every summer that celebrates the Wild West history of the region. The town of Medora itself is charming — a Western-flavored tourist hub that takes its TR history seriously without feeling kitschy.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Visitor Information: Theodore Roosevelt National Park, PO Box 7, Medora, ND 58645. Phone: (701) 623-4466. Admission: $35/vehicle (7-day pass, valid for both units). The South Unit Visitor Center is located in Medora; the North Unit Visitor Center is approximately 68 miles north off US Highway 85 near Watford City. Website: nps.gov/thro.
After becoming President in 1901, Roosevelt channeled everything he had learned from this landscape into action. He established 150 National Forests, 18 National Monuments, 5 National Parks, and 51 Federal Bird Reserves — protecting 230 million acres in total using the 1906 Antiquities Act. The park bearing his name is a fitting tribute: a living, breathing example of exactly what he was fighting to preserve.
North Unit
The park is divided into two separate units 68 miles apart. The North Unit delivers the more dramatic badlands scenery — layers of sedimentary rock banded in rust, gold, and gray, sculpted by the Little Missouri River over millions of years. The 14-mile scenic drive through the North Unit is one of the most visually striking stretches of road in the Great Plains.
The Little Missouri River winds through the heart of the park, carving the badlands formations over geologic time. From the Oxbow Overlook at the north end of the scenic drive, you get an extraordinary bird’s-eye view of the river’s sweeping bends — one of the best vistas in the entire park system and one that stops you cold.
Wildlife in the North Unit was less abundant than in the South, but we still had excellent encounters — Bighorn Sheep picking their way along rocky slopes, Bison browsing the valleys, white-tailed deer in the draws, and Prairie Dog towns scattered across the flats. The North Unit simply spreads the wildlife over a wilder, less-visited landscape.
One of the North Unit’s most unusual geological features is its concretions — spherical masses of harder rock that form when minerals cement sediment around a central core. As the surrounding softer rock erodes away over time, these cannonball-shaped concretions are left behind on the hillsides and valley floors. They look almost too perfectly round to be natural.
South Unit
The South Unit is where the wildlife density really shines. This bison was caught in the headlights of a passing car just after sunset — the kind of image that happens when you’re patient and lucky at the same time.
The South Unit is home to approximately 400 bison. Large bulls can weigh up to 2,000 pounds and stand six feet at the shoulder — and they look every bit of it up close. Unlike some parks where bison sightings require patience and luck, here they are simply part of the landscape at every turn.
Each evening we were there, hundreds of bison would come up from the river bottom to graze and wallow in the prairie dog colony along the road. The ground shook. Dust hung in the golden light. It’s one of the most majestic wildlife spectacles we’ve witnessed anywhere in North America.
The prairie dog towns scattered across the South Unit are endlessly entertaining — and Jake was absolutely riveted. He sat at full attention for what felt like an hour, watching them pop in and out of their burrows and bark at each other. It was one of his highlights of the entire trip.
The South Unit’s rock formations are stunning in their own right — layered buttes and coulees in shades of burnt orange, purple, and gray that shift dramatically in the changing light. At sunset the whole landscape glows. We sat and watched the colors change until the stars came out.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park is one of the very few units in the entire National Park system that allows wild horses to roam free. Since 1970, the Park Service has recognized the horses as a significant historical and ecological part of the landscape — descendants of horses that ranchers left behind in the early 20th century. Seeing a mare with a foal moving across the badlands at dusk is something that stays with you.
A cloudless orange sunset, four wild horses still grazing on the ridge. Some images earn their place in the memory without any help at all.
Bismarck, North Dakota
We passed through Bismarck, the state capital, for lunch and discovered that one of the downtown alleys had been transformed into an open-air gallery — murals covering full building facades celebrating North Dakota’s Native American heritage, agricultural roots, and plains landscapes. Well worth a short walk.
Barnesville, Minnesota
We stopped near Fargo to resupply at Costco and give the motorhome a proper bath — after weeks on the road through the dusty Great Plains, it needed one. The city-run RV park near Barnesville was uncrowded, full-service, and had excellent satellite reception. Jake made the most of it by spending the afternoon stalking the abundant ground squirrels around the park with great enthusiasm and zero success.
Practical Tips
Visit both units. Most visitors only see the South Unit, which makes sense given its proximity to Medora — but the North Unit’s badlands scenery is more dramatic and far less crowded. The 68-mile drive between them is straightforward on US-85 and takes about an hour. Your $35 entrance fee is valid at both units for seven days.
Go at dawn and dusk for wildlife. Bison, wild horses, and deer are most active in the early morning and evening hours. The evening bison migration from the river bottom up to the prairie dog colonies in the South Unit is one of the great wildlife spectacles in the national park system — plan to be there at least 30 minutes before sunset.
Book Medora Campground early. The campground fills quickly during the Medora Musical season (June through Labor Day). Its half-mile distance from the South Unit entrance makes it the most convenient base in the area. Full hookups and good satellite access.
The North Unit scenic drive is 14 miles one way and takes 1–2 hours depending on how long you stop. The Oxbow Overlook at the end of the drive offers one of the most expansive views in the park. Bighorn Sheep are frequently spotted along the canyon walls near the Cannonball Concretions pullout.
Don’t rush through Bismarck. The North Dakota State Capitol building is worth a quick stop — it’s the tallest capitol building in the US — and the downtown mural alley is a surprisingly good find for anyone who enjoys public art.
