While in North Dakota we spent a day at the Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  The 70,000 acre park is located in the western region of the Badlands of North Dakota.  It is made up of three sections: the North Unit, the South Unit, and the Elkhorn Ranch Unit.

The park is named after President Theodore Roosevelt who first came to the North Dakota badlands to hunt bison. He spent many years enjoying this area.  President Truman established the Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park in 1947, the only National Memorial Park ever established. In 1978 the park was renamed the Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

It is a beautiful park with sweeping vistas and miles of dome-shaped hills with layers of multicolored horizontal striped rocks and sediment.  The park has foot and horse trails, wildlife viewing, back country hiking and camping areas. The park is home to a wide variety of wildlife including bison, coyotes, cougars, feral horses, badgers, elk, bighorn sheep, white-tailed deer and mule deer, prairie dogs, and many species of birds including golden eagles, sharp-tailed grouse, and wild turkeys.

While traveling the scenic drives in the park you can stop at the pull-offs and enjoy short trails which lead to beautiful overlooks of the park.  We saw a few horses, many prairie dogs in their little “towns” and a large herd of Bison who were relaxing in a field.  The Bison decided to move to a stream for a cool drink and crossed the road right in front of us.  It was a great photo op!

You drive through the town of Medora to access the south entrance of the park.  It is a touristy little western town with wooden sidewalks, old fashioned ice cream parlors, museums and an amphitheater that puts on productions of the “Medora Musical”.  We had a great time and enjoyed the beautiful park and its wildlife.