Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a gorgeous park in North Dakota. Theodore Roosevelt fell in love with this area after a hunting trip. He moved here after a tragic time in his life to heal and start over. Fun fact, Theodore Roosevelt was responsible for doubling the number of national parks we have today.

Location:

This is not the easiest national park to visit, unless you already live in North Dakota. There are three sections within this park: North Unit, South Unit and the Elkhorn Ranch Unit. The easiest to get to is the South Unit which is right off Highway 94. From the South Unit, the other sections of the park are about an hour away in different directions.

The closest airport is in Dickinson, but they have limited flights. The next best airport is in Bismarck which is a couple hours away.

Drive time from Billings, MT is 4 1/2 hours and from Fargo, ND is 5 hours.

Best Time To Go:

This park is open year round 24 hours a day. Roads may be close due to snow in the winter. Late May through September would be the best time to visit. Out of these months, June is the least crowded. We came in August and the weather was perfect!

Cost:

The park charges $30 per vehicle for a 7 day pass.

Things To Bring:

Sunscreen- If you plan on hiking there is little shade.

Sunglasses or a hat- Again there’s little shade on the trails

Water- It’s always good to carry a gallon of water just in case.

Snacks- There are no food options in the park, so bring snacks.

What To Do:

South Unit Visitor Center–

This is where you need to pay the entrance fee and get a map. They have a small gift shop and bathrooms. Plus the park rangers are always full of helpful information!

Maltese Cross Cabin –

The Cabin is currently closed to tours due to Covid. It’s located behind the visitor center. This cabin was a temporary home for President Roosevelt. It has been moved several times before coming to reside here.

Scenic Drive-

This is a beautiful way to see the park without leaving your car! Gorgeous overlooks, wildlife viewing and beautiful scenery are part of this drive. The drive is a 36 mile loop. When we visited, part of the road was closed from mile 24-28. Not sure how long it will remain that way. Just know you will have to turn around at mile 24 and drive back the same way. We saw bison and prairie dogs along this road.

Prairie Dog Town–

Prairie dogs are abundant here and throughout other areas of the park. They are the cutest little things!! Seriously take a break and just watch them. Drive slowly because they will dart in the road!

Hike–

Here are a few short trails:

• Wind Canyon Trail- .4 mile loop to a river overlook
• Buck Hill- .2 mile round trip- steep trail to an overlook
• Coal Vein- .8 mile loop
• Petrified Forest- 3 miles round trip – hike through an ancient swamp

Wildlife Viewing-

Wildlife is abundant here or so I’ve heard, lol. We came in the middle of the day which is not a great time to spot wildlife. Here are some of the animals you may encounter: deer, elk, wild horses, bison, prairie dogs, badgers, coyotes, bobcats, and unfortunately snakes.

Camping-

Campgrounds are currently closed because of Covid. The Cottonwood Campground is located in the South Unit. Half the sites are reservation only and the other half are first come first served. Its 72 sites fill to capacity each afternoon throughout the summer. $30 a night per site.

Only Have Two Hours? :

Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a great way to spend a couple hours. We stopped at the Visitor Center, did the scenic drive, stopped at most of the overlooks and watched prairie dogs and bison in two hours. If we had more time on our road trip, I would have loved to stay a little longer to do all of these hikes.

For more information visit the park website here.