So to be perfectly honest I had never heard of Theodore Roosevelt National Park (TRNP) until about 6 months ago when I started looking into what route we could take to get to Washington. I was looking at the map and I was like "I didn't know North Dakota had a national park- well maybe we should go check it out." I have lifetime goal of going to every US national park before I die and I figured this would be the only time I would ever be close to North Dakota again so I might as well check this park off the list.
So if you are interested in going to TRNP there are a few things you should know. The first is that the town that surrounds the south unit entrance is called Medora- its basically a tourist town I don't think many people actually live there.
Normally we like to utilize air bnb's when we travel. We like the ability to have our own kitchen and think its typically quieter than a hotel where you have people walking past your door all day/night. Plus it's typically cheaper and you get a little more local color. Anyway, so I began searching air bnb and VRBO for a place in Medora, North Dakota and let me tell you there is nothing.
Disappointed, I started looking at hotels in Medora- my thought was- it's in the middle of nowhere North Dakota, how expensive can it be? Really freaking expensive is the answer. I was totally shocked. The nearest larger town named Dickinson (terrible name) had some hotels that were cheaper but it was 45 min away so I was hesitant and they weren't that much cheaper. So my next conclusion was- I guess we're camping. Max and I like to camp- but hate camping in true camp grounds because we don't own an RV. We like primitive camping where you are in nature and its quiet- you don't have to listen to the sounds of someones dog barking at 5am. I actually did look into renting an RV for this but the nearest place to do it was Rapid City, South Dakota which was our next destination but would've been severely out of the way.
Medora Campground
In the end we went tent camping at Medora Campground, which is just outside the park. I originally thought it would be the best to camp in the national park- but we didn't do this for two reasons 1. park campsites are first come first serve and I didn't know how busy it would be and I didn't want to risk not having a site. 2. there is no running water or electricity on any of the campsites- and listen I understand that is kind of the point of camping but in this case if we are going to hike all day, at the end of the day I'm going to need Max to take a shower if I'm going to have to sleep next to him. So I had Max reserve us a campsite- we got a tent site with power and as a bonus it had wifi (which came in super handy).
Now for people considering doing this just be aware this is a small campground- people are packed in like sardines- see photo above. This is definitely a campground where you just come home to sleep at- you don't really stay here all day. Also we were surprised to find that they do not have campfire areas- rather they just had grills. Luckily we had forgotten to buy firewood as originally planned but we had to get charcoal instead to make dinner.
Max cooking our dinner while also utilizing the wifi
I was impressed they do have wifi- this was the first campground I had ever been to that has wifi- it worked fairly well- we found it worked better when less people were at the campground (no surprise there). I was also impressed that they had coin laundry onsite which I did not know about prior to arriving. They also had multiple sites with electrical hook up- we called them and asked for tent camping site with power and they were able to provide that for us. For this trip I wasn't really looking to "rough" it so to speak- I was more looking to explore TRNP without breaking the bank. Medora campground is probably one of the most expensive campgrounds we've ever been to but it was still way cheaper than any of the other options.
It's not a camping trip without our trusty "Lamp"
TRNP General Info
-There are two "sections" to the park- the north unit and the south unit. There is also the Painted Desert Visitor Center which is considered part of the south unit but is down I-94 a few exits away.
-The south unit entrance is in Medora and is the most visited section of the park. The north unit is about an hour away via I-94 and then north on state highway 85.
-The park is the only national park that "spans time" the North Unit is in the central time zone and the south unit of the park is in the mountain time zone.
- It costs $30 to get into the park which is good for 7 days- or you can get a national parks pass if you plan on traveling to multiple parks
-To see the full park I would recommend spending at least two days- if you plan on doing a lot of hiking I would give yourself a few more days.
- There are Bison and Prairie dogs in both units of the park- they are neat to watch but make sure you give them their space.
-The Little Missouri River runs through the entire park and is responsible for the canyon like aspect you see in the badlands
-Elkhorn Ranch- Teddy Roosevelts Ranch is also considered part of the park. We didn't go to it because it's truely in the middle of nowhere on dirt roads and we heard it wasn't super impressive.
-Make sure you bring plenty of water- Max and I typically bring at least a liter for each person. Also snacks and possibly lunch depending on how long you want to stay in the park.
-Maah Daah Hey Trail- the largest hiking trail in North Dakota (144 miles) runs through both units of the park if you are feeling super ambitious and have some time on your hands.
TRNP North Unit
The North unit of the park is not as popular compared to the South unit just because of location. It is a little bit of a pain in the but to get to and there is literally nothing nearby. But I have to say- I personally liked the north unit better- I thought it was prettier and more to see. Plus because it's not as popular there were less people.
The North unit has a one way road that is completely paved. It is 28 miles round trip. There are many lookout points along the way. We just meandered our way through the park and took our time. There is also a visitor center right as you enter the park. It just has basic information and bathrooms- but it also has a stamp so I was happy.
There is one campground in the North Unit- Juniper Campground. It is a first come first serve basis. There is no water or bathrooms so be prepared if you plan on camping there.
I would definitely recommend stopping at the Cannonball Concretions pullout. These "cannonballs" as they are called are really neat and unique to the park and specifically the north unit. They are basically hard deposits of minerals that are slowly exposed overtime as the rest of the land erodes. This is a cool area to get out and explore for a bit. This is also the trailhead for Buckhorn trail (5.9 miles).
The next lookout I would recommend stopping at is the River Bend Overlook- this gives you a nice panoramic view of the Little Missouri River. There are also trail heads here for the North Archenbach Trail (4.2 miles) and the Caprock Coulee Trail (2.7 miles)
We stopped at Oxbow Overlook which is the end of the of road for the North Unit. There are picnic tables there so we ate lunch. There are also bathrooms here- they are basically a step up from a port-a-potty but they really aren't bad. This is the trail head for the South Achenbach trail (10.4 miles) and the other end of the North Achenbach trail from River Bend Overlook. From here we hiked part of the South Achenbach trail to Sperati Point. This was a beautiful overlook!
Showing off my new hat from my friend Miranda whilst on the trail
This shot has some Christmas card potential- such a pretty view from Sperati point
TRNP South Unit
We did the South Unit the next day- the entrance is right in Medora off I-94.
The visitor center for the South Unit is right as you enter the park. It is worth stoping to get your National Parks stamp. They have a little exhibit on the history of the park which is interesting to check out. They also have a water bottle filler/drinking fountain and bathrooms which we also utilized.
The road into the South Unit is a circle 36 miles round trip. However the last section of the loop was closed while we were there (and will be closed for the next two years) due to reconstruction after a landslide.
One of the first things you see as you get into the South Unit is a Prarie Dog Town. They are all over the south unit. It is neat to pull off and watch them. Be careful- they sometimes run onto the road and you don't want to smoosh them!
The road on the South unit has alot of "hikes" that are basically short paved areas to the scenic overlook. They are typically only 0.1-0.2 miles long.
One of the main areas that I would recommend stopping at is Wind Canyon Trail. It is only 0.4 mile long it is as close to the Little Missouri River as one will probably get without doing a ton of hiking. It had some great views of the park.
We also stopped at and hiked up Buck Hill- which lead to some neat views as well.
Hiking in the South Unit
There are alot of super short trails and then a lot of super long trails in the South Unit. We were trying to find a happy medium. It is also difficult because there aren't any trails that go in a circle- basically unless you have two cars, what you hike out your have to hike back.
Looking at the map Max discovered that there is a Petrified Forest in North Dakota in the South Unit of the park. Apparently it is the 3rd largest concentration of petrified wood in the US. (The first one being petrified forest national park in Arizona- the second one we couldn't figure out). We visited Petrified Forest National Park in 2019 and Max LOVED it- so naturally once he found out about this one we had to go.
Hiking Petrified Forest Trail
So of course the petrified forest part is in the "Wilderness Area" of the south unit- meaning its not super easy to get to. We talked to the Park Ranger at the visitor center and they explained to us that we had to get back on I-94 W and get off at the next exit and drive north on a gravel road for 30 minutes. Be careful when doing this and ask the rangers about the road conditions ahead of time because if they have bad weather the road can be impassible. Keep in mind we were driving a Toyota Corolla that we were essentially treating like a Jeep Wrangler. I was pretty impressed that my car did it! There are small signs for the trailhead on the dirt road- just make sure you are paying attention- we missed one sign and ended up by an oil well before we figured out that we were lost and turned around.
There is a small parking lot at the trailhead with information about the trail. Before you do this make sure you have plenty of water, sunscreen (because there is no shade), snacks, and the nurse in me would recommend some sort of first aid kit because you are really in the middle of nowhere.
There are two petrified forest trails the north and south trail. The park ranger at the visitor center recommend the south trail to us so that's what one we picked. It is a bit strenuous in the beginning because you are basically hiking completely uphill but then it gets less strenuous.
The petrified forest was super interesting- Max was definitely living his best life. We hiked until we ran out of petrified wood to see and then turned around. We didn't do the whole trail because it was super hot outside and we wanted to conserve water. If you are looking for something a little more off the beaten path for TRNP I would recommend this hike. We only saw two other people the entire time we were out there- it was very nice and peaceful.
Painted Canyon Visitor Center
Painted Canyon Visitor Center is considered part of the South Unit but its a few exits east of Medora on I-94. It is only open in the summer but it has a very nice panoramic view of the park. There is no fee to get into this section. I would recommend just stopping by to look at the visitor center (they have a stamp there as well) and the view. It's also a great stop if you are driving through North Dakota and don't actually have time to stop and go to the park itself.
There is a Painted Canyon Nature Trail that is 1 mile roundtrip if you want to do a little hike while you are there. You can also connect into some of the bigger trails from this area by taking the Painted Canyon Trail.
Things to do in Medora Outside the Park
Ok so first I would like to mention that Medora is a typical tourist town and therefore overpriced. Just be aware. We purposely got gas ahead of time before we got to Medora and had groceries pre bought as well to avoid the high prices. We did discover a dollar general off I-94 and US 80 (the intersection to get to the North Unit) that we bought charcoal at.
That being said- there are a bunch of little shops in the downtown area. There are also some cool restaurants and the cowboy hall of fame. For more info check out their website: https://medora.com/
Besides the park what Medora is most famous for is the Steak on a Pitchfork Fondue dinner and the Medora Musical- so we decided to try those.
Steak on a Pitchfork Fondue
Max always likes to try new food while we travel so I saw this and thought "eh, why not." It's definitely a little more on the pricy side. You do get a TON of food though. The food is served buffet style. All of the steak is cooked well done. Was it the best steak I ever had- no not by a long shot- but it was an interesting experience to say the least.
After you get your food at the buffet you just pick a picnic table to sit at. There are volunteers that come and bus the tables.
Medora Musical
Next to the Pitchfork steak fondue is the venue for the Medora Musical. They purposely time it so that you can have dinner and then go to the show.
Now let me preface with this- I am by no means- a country girl. I don't own the boots or the hats, I don't say "ya'll" or "fixin;" and I couldn't pick Brett Eldredge out of a crowd if he came up and shook my hand. That being said the musical was pretty country- I was somewhat pre-warned about this because it said it was the "rootin-est, tootin-est, boot-scootin-est time in Medora."
I appreciated the fact that the cast is young, mostly local college kids that could actually sing. To me- musical was a generous term- I think concert would've been a better term but I understand they like alliteration. There were two songs that actually described the history of Medora the rest were just random country songs and patriotic songs (We sang the national anthem and my country tis of thee and there were fireworks). One song they stole from an actual musical (greatest showman) but they changed the words. Was it interesting- yes. Would I go again- eh probably not. If this sounds like your jam, by all means go, I can appreciate that people would like it but its just not the show for me.
Overall we were super impressed with the park and it exceeded our expectations with its hidden beauty. We would recommend it!
Below is a bunch of pictures in no particular order for your perusal.
We stumbled on herd of bison- this was taken with a regular lens not a telephoto lens like the prairie dog picture below- because they were so close. I am so mad at myself with this picture though because I didn't account for how sunny it was and I over-blew my settings on my camera- thats why the blue sky is so white. Ughhh!
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