Situated in southwest North Dakota, Theodore Roosevelt National Park is home to “badlands”, mule deer, wild horses, bison, and prairie dogs (among other critters). In 1883, a young Teddy Roosevelt traveled to the area to hunt bison. He was so struck by the beauty of the landscape and ‘strenuous life’ that he experienced during his visit helped to shape the conservation policy that he held in his presidency. The story alone is intriguing, and it is hard to not be thankful for just how beautiful the land is, and for how it impacted the future president. Our visit was during the pandemic, and the north unit of the park was closed, so our experience was with the south unit. That being said, here are our must do things in the park!
1. Painted Canyon Visitor Center (and hike)
The visitor center is located just off of the highway and serves as a rest area for weary travelers. Just a short walk from the parking lot is a beautiful view of the painted canyon, numerous buttes composed of layers of multi colored deposits of sediment that have eroded over time. Imagine during your visit what a young Teddy would have felt gazing at the scene from the back of his horse. On the far western side of the rest area is a trailhead that goes down into the canyon. While steep in some areas, the trail allows you to see close up some of the amazing formations that developed there. The trail is a 1 mile loop, and there is an area to refill water bottles at the visitor center, as well as picnic tables to rest afterwards.
2. Drive the Scenic Drive
The scenic drive is a 36 mile loop that travels around the park, with many scenic overlooks, the drive itself is amazing. When we went, the last section of the loop was under construction due to heavy erosion, so we had to turn around at mile marker 24. This was perfectly fine however, because we got to get some extra time in the park! Be sure to obey the speed limit, it is there to make sure you do not run into any of the wildlife in the park. Mule deer, bison and prairie dogs frequently cross the roads, and the last thing you want to do is run into any of these animals on a corner.
3. Beef Bottom Corral
Be sure to stop at beef bottom corral, one of the first stops on the loop. This area is one of the largest ‘prairie dog towns’ in the park, many of which are right up on the road and the parking area. We did not see any in the area when we visited, but this spot is also frequented by bison. There are benches at the parking area that you can sit at and watch the prairie dogs put on a show, and we highly recommend that you take a few minutes just to observe them. We were fortunate to see babies playing and vigilant parents keeping watch. Definitely stop here on your drive!
4. Hike the Wind Canyon Trail
This .4 mile loop is by far our favorite place in the park! Just a short walk from the parking area is a canyon that was carved not by the typical water runoff that created the other canyons and buttes in the park, but by wind. Even more impressive is the scenic overlook that sits above the little Missouri River, a vista that, no matter how hard we tried, could not be done justice with a camera. The way the river meanders through prairies and trees and the way the horizon outlines the buttes and hills is amazing. While there, we listened to a pack of coyotes howl nearby while taking in the scenery. We were unable to stay for the sunset, but we suspect that this is the best spot in the park to see the sunset based on the position of the overlook over the landscape.
5. Drive and Climb Buck Hill
The .2 mile trail at the top of this parking area is a short drive off of the scenic drive. The parking area has interpretive signs that explain the significance of the prairie that surrounds the area, mainly that the majority of all prairie land in the country has been converted to farmland or some other use. The trail at the top will give you the opportunity to get to the highest accessible point in the park, giving you a panorama that is hard to beat. The trail is steep, but it is worth it. What is even more amazing is that the top of Buck Hill was once underwater. There is a large rock that once was part of a stream bed according to the interpretive signage.