Theodore Roosevelt National Park lies in western North Dakota, where the Great Plains meet the rugged Badlands. A habitat for bison, elk and prairie dogs, the sprawling park has 3 sections linked by the Little Missouri River. The park is known for the South Unit’s colorful Painted Canyon and the Maltese Cross Cabin, where President Roosevelt once lived. The Scenic Loop Drive winds past several overlooks and trails. Theodore Roosevelt National Park is located in southwestern North Dakota. The park was named for U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt and covers 70,466 acres (just over 110 sq. miles), memorializing his contributions to the conservation of America’s natural resources. The park is comprised of three geographically separated areas of badlands; the North Unit, the South Unit, and the Elkhorn Ranch Unit. The Little Missouri River runs through all three sections.
Established: November 10, 1978
Size: 70,446 acres
Rank: 45
#Visitors in 2018: 749,389
(May 2016) My boyfriend at the time (and now husband) and I visited only the South Unit which can be easily reached from Interstate 94. There are two visitor centers right off I-94, both worth visiting. We stayed at a very nice hotel (Rough Rider) in Medora which is less than a half mile from the park entrance. There is a 36-mile, 2-way paved loop within the park, accessible from the South Unit Visitors Center with several turn outs, scenic overlooks and short hikes, making it a very accessible park. We particularly enjoyed shooting the sunset from Wind Canyon Trail. We took a short (approximately 1/2 mile) along a trail that led to an overlook of the Little Missouri River. We tried to capture the beauty of the landscape as the light changed. Also, in order to capture the scene as we saw it, I had to take several shots of the bend in the river and stitch them together in Photoshop. Even with my 14-24mm wide angle lens, I could not capture it all in one shot. Another great stop is the Painted Canyon Visitor’s Center, located a few miles east of Medora. We took a hike into the Painted Canyon (aptly named for all the beautiful orange colors visible in the badland formations), but these is an excellent viewing area right off the parking lot.
The park is home to a wide variety of Great Plains wildlife, many which we saw including bison, feral horses, mule deer, prairie dogs, elk, and several types of birds. I was particularly thrilled to see the horses as I’ve never seen wild horses- actually feral horses. The horses originate from domestic herds and are managed by park officials. It was wonderful to watch these horses and think of what it must have been like for the early settlers and Indians to capture and tame these beautiful animals.
I also love capturing detail shots of the various geological formations we saw; sandstone erosions, pillars, capstones, etc. The patterns and colors were endless.
