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National park in North Dakota, United States
Photo: Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a national park in North Dakota, in the Badlands of the Little Missouri River. The terrain also includes open prairie and hard wood draws. It is home to bison, prairie dogs and many other wildlife species. The park is named for the 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt, who spent many formative years in the area and became devoted to the conservation of the nation's natural resources.
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It was here in the North Dakota badlands in 1883 that Roosevelt first arrived to hunt bison. Before he left, he had acquired primary interests in the Maltese Cross or Chimney Butte Ranch. Roosevelt thrived on the vigorous outdoor lifestyle, and at the Maltese Cross, actively participated in the life of a working cowboy. The Maltese Cross Ranch cabin was about seven miles (11 km) south of Medora in the wooded bottom-lands of the Little Missouri River. At Roosevelt's request ranch managers Sylvane Ferris and Bill Merrifield built a 1½-story cabin complete with a shingle roof and cellar. Constructed of durable ponderosa pine logs that had been cut and floated down the Little Missouri River, the cabin was considered somewhat of a "mansion" in its day, with wooden floors and three separate rooms (kitchen, living room and Roosevelt's bedroom). The steeply pitched roof, an oddity on the northern plains, created an upstairs sleeping loft for the ranch hands.
A number of items in the cabin today belonged to Theodore Roosevelt. Those that did not are from the same time period and would be typical furnishings of the day.
During Roosevelt's presidency, the Maltese Cross cabin was exhibited in Portland, Oregon and St. Louis. It was then moved to the state capitol grounds in Bismarck. In 1959, the cabin was relocated to its present site and renovated. Further preservation work was undertaken in 2000.
This 36 mi paved drive takes you through the heart of the park. Allow about 2 to 3 hours to enjoy the scenic pullouts and short walks along the route, maybe a little longer if you come across a herd of bison or feral horses.
A particularly large and active prairie dog town.
A short walk to an overlook of the Little Missouri River, Medora, and the surrounding badlands.
A short but steep 0.3 mi loop to along the cliffs of the Little Missouri River to a hilltop overlook.
The South Unit's most expansive view of the badlands landscape.
A short walk up the second-highest point in the park, with 360-views of the badlands and surrounding prairies.
This 14 mi one-way paved road starts at the base of the badlands near the river, then climbs up to the prairie overlooking the large wilderness area where the Little Missouri bends eastward. Allow about 1.5-2 hours to explore the pullouts and short walks.
Large hard spherical boulders emerge here from the soft cliffs. When mineral-rich water seeps through porous layers of earth, deposited minerals glue together the surrounding sediments, building these concretions much like a pearl.
A 0.7-1.4 mi interpretive trail describing the plant life growing along the shores of the Little Missouri River.
A stone shelter built by the CCC upon the most dramatic viewpoint in the North Unit.
This viewpoint at the end of the road, above an oxbow bend of the river, is a gateway to the wilderness area below.
In 1884 Roosevelt selected the location for a second ranch, naming it the Elkhorn. He purchased the rights to the site 35 miles (56 km) north of Medora from the previous occupant for $400. Roosevelt's last known visit to the Elkhorn was in 1892. He sold the ranch and buildings to Sylvane Ferris in 1898. Gradually the buildings were stripped of their furnishings and, according to a local stockman, by 1901 "every scrap of the Elkhorn Ranch had disappeared with the exception of a couple of half rotted foundations." In his writings, Roosevelt often referred to the Elkhorn as his "home ranch". His vivid descriptions of it, and of ranch life, enable his readers to imagine how things must have been.
10.4 mi loop to one of the largest petrified forests in the U.S., with extensive paleontological deposits from the Paleocene era. Fossils of several plants, freshwater snail species, and vertebrates including crocodile-like creatures called champsosaurs, crocodiles and alligators, turtles and fish.
Year-round. 72 sites, 1 group site. 37 sites can be reserved in advance via recreation.gov, 36 sites are first-come, first-served. Cottonwood Campground is the South Unit's only campground. Pull-through sites are available. A group site is available and reservations are accepted beginning March 1. No hook-ups for water, sewer or electrical. No showers. A picnic table and grill are at each site. Flush toilets with running cold water and water faucets spaced throughout the campground are available from May through September. Each site, except the group site, is limited to a maximum of 6 people. The group site is for 7 to 20 people.
Year-round. 48 sites, 1 group site. All sites except for the group site are first-come, first-served. Juniper Campground is the only campground in the park's North Unit. No showers or hook-ups for water, sewer or electrical. A dump station is available from May - September. There is no water available from October through April. Flush toilets with running cold water and water faucets spaced throughout the campground are available. A picnic table and grill are at each site. Pull-through sites are available. Each site is limited to a maximum of 6 people, except the group site. The group site is for groups of 7 to 60 people.
Open May 1 to October 31. 1 group site. Roundup is the park's only camping facility in which horses are permitted. This private campsite is located in the park's South Unit. It is reserved by one group at a time; space is not be shared among different parties. Reservations for Roundup begin each season on the first business day in March at 8AM MST. Roundup can accommodate up to 20 people and 20 horses or 30 people if camping without horses. Maximum stay: 5 days. The campground is gated; the lock combination is given to registered campers when they arrive at the park entrance.
By plane
Air service is available into the western North Dakota towns of Bismarck, Dickinson and Williston.
By train
Train service via Amtrak is available into Williston, North Dakota.
The North and South Units each have long scenic drives with numerous pulloffs and trailheads. Off the road, the options are hiking, biking, and horseback riding. There is no public transportation.
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Dickinson · Regional · DIK
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