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Theodore Roosevelt National Park– an Introduction
The Theodore Roosevelt National Park of North Dakota was established in the year 1978. This national park in U.S consists of three areas of badlands in western North Dakota and they are all separated geographically. This U.S national park was named after the U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt as he owned a ranch in the park and worked for a few years on it. That ranch is still kept well preserved in the USA national park. The Theodore Roosevelt Park comprises an area of about 285 square kilometers. The three sections are referred as the North Unit, the South Unit, and the Elkhorn Ranch respectively. The three units are connected by the Daah Hey Trail.
Visiting Theodore Roosevelt National Park
If you are visiting the Theodore Roosevelt Park and do not have much time then first take a drive through the natural splendor in the Scenic Loop One can also keep some time to indulge in taking walking tours along the nature trails long hikes. A scenic drive of the North Unit is also a nice treat.70 miles away. Pay a sojourn to the far away sites of the rustic Roosevelt's Elkhorn Ranch or take a guided horseback trip from the Peaceful Valley Ranch in the South Unit , which is indeed a wonderful thing to do in Theodore National Park.
Camping: There are three campgrounds in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. They are the Cottonwood and Roundup in the South Unit and Juniper in the North Unit. The Juniper Campground and Cottonwood Campground have facilities to accommodate tents, trailers and recreational vehicles. Hook-ups are not available. 12 noon is the check-out time. Both Juniper and Cottonwood Campgrounds have group campsites. It is recommended that one should go for prior reservation. The Roundup Horse Campground is a group site and has the ability to accommodate one group at a time. Horses are permitted at this campground. Maximum group size is 20 people with 20 horses or 30 people without horses.
Guided Tours: The guided tours of Theodore Roosevelt are of varied forms. They comprise, horseback riding, evening campfire, Ranger walks, hikes and talks and several other fascinating options.
Opening Hours
South Unit Visitor Center:
Open daily, throughout the year, from 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. The hours are extended during the summer months. The park remains closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day
Painted Canyon Visitor Center:
Open from April 1 - November 11, from 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Hours are extended during the summer season.
North Unit Visitor Center:
Open daily during mid-April to mid-October and for the remaining years open only on Friday, Saturday, & Sunday. The timings are from 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Remains closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.
Some part of the South Unit Scenic Loop Drive and North Unit Scenic Road may be closed in winter on account of snow and ice.
How to Reach
Air: In order to reach the Theodore Roosevelt National Park by air, one can avail flights from the various towns belonging to the western part of North Dakota and they are, Bismarck, Dickinson and Williston.
Road: The entrance of the South unit and the visitor center are all located in Medora. One can reach it by taking the Interstate 94, which lies at a distance of about 135 miles to the west of Bismarck in North Dakota and in close proximity to Medora. In order to reach the North unit, it is better to take the U.S Highway 85 as it lies just 16 miles south of Watford City. The Elkhorn Ranch unit can be reached by taking gravel roads. There are bus services running along I-9. The bus halts at Medora, which is only three blocks away from the entrance to the South unit of the National Park.
Rail: Williston lying in proximity to the Theodore Park is served by train service via Amtrak.
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