Theodore Roosevelt National Park

The Three Units of the Park

Theodore Roosevelt National Park consists of three separate units, each with distinct character and features.

The South Unit

The South Unit, near the town of Medora, is the most visited section of the park. It contains the park's headquarters, visitor center, and campground. A scenic 36-mile loop drive winds through the unit, offering views of badlands topography, wildlife, and the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum at the north end of the drive.

The South Unit is where most visitors experience the park and where the connection to Theodore Roosevelt is most direct. The landscape here—the broken terrain, the dramatic buttes, the Medora town itself—is the landscape Roosevelt would have known during his years as a rancher in Dakota Territory.

The North Unit

The North Unit, near the town of Watford City, is less developed and less visited than the South Unit, making it an excellent destination for visitors seeking solitude and a deeper wilderness experience. A scenic 28-mile loop drive traverses the North Unit, offering views of canyons, streams, and wildlife. The North Unit is particularly good for seeing bison herds and for photography.

The Elkhorn Ranch Unit

The Elkhorn Ranch Unit is the most historically significant section of the park for Roosevelt enthusiasts. This small, remote unit preserves the site of Roosevelt's Elkhorn Ranch, where he lived during his years as a Dakota rancher (1885–1887). The actual ranch buildings are long gone, but the foundation and landscape remain, and a short trail leads to the site.

Visiting the Elkhorn Ranch site means standing where Roosevelt stood, looking at the same Missouri River bottom, imagining the cattle ranching operation that he managed. For those who want to understand Roosevelt's formative years in Dakota, this site is essential.

Geology and Landscape

The Theodore Roosevelt National Park landscape is a study in geological complexity. The Badlands were formed over millions of years as the erosive power of water cut through layers of sedimentary rock. The result is a landscape of steep buttes, narrow canyons, and sharply eroded pinnacles—a terrain that looks almost lunar in its starkness.

The park encompasses grasslands as well as badlands proper. These shortgrass prairies are home to the animals that Roosevelt hunted and observed: prairie dogs, bison, elk, pronghorn antelope, and mule deer. The landscape shifts dramatically depending on elevation and precipitation, creating diverse habitats in close proximity.

The Little Missouri River winds through all three units of the park, carving its valley through the badlands. Roosevelt lived near the river and used it for transportation and as a source of water for his cattle operations. The river remains a defining feature of the landscape and a draw for visitors interested in floating or fishing.

Wildlife in the Park

The park is home to a remarkable variety of wildlife—much of it the same species that Roosevelt observed and hunted more than a century ago.

Bison: The park is home to more than 400 bison, a thriving herd that represents the recovery of these animals from near-extinction. Roosevelt cared passionately about preserving bison, and the presence of a healthy bison population in the park would have pleased him.

Wild Horses: Feral horses roam parts of the park, descended from domestic animals gone wild. They add a wild element to the landscape and are often seen from the scenic drives.

Elk: A healthy elk population inhabits the park, particularly in riparian areas along the Little Missouri River. Seeing a bull elk in the Badlands provides a visceral connection to the frontier landscape Roosevelt knew.

Prairie Dogs: Large prairie dog towns are visible from some of the park's scenic areas. These social rodents fascinated Roosevelt as a naturalist, and their presence in the park connects visitors to the natural history that Roosevelt so carefully studied.

Other Animals: The park is also home to mule deer, pronghorn antelope, coyotes, foxes, eagles, and numerous other species that give the park its character as a functioning prairie and badlands ecosystem.

Visiting the Park

The park is open year-round, though winter conditions can make some roads impassable. The best visiting season is late spring through early fall, when weather is mild and wildlife is most active.

The scenic loop drives in both the South Unit and North Unit can be driven in a few hours, but visitors can spend days exploring the park through hiking, camping, and wildlife observation. The park has excellent campgrounds in both the South and North Units, and the nearby town of Medora offers lodging and restaurants.

Hiking trails range from short walks to ambitious backcountry routes. A hike to the Elkhorn Ranch site provides direct connection to Roosevelt's history. Other trails offer views of badlands geology, wildlife observation opportunities, and prairie landscape perspectives.

The Park as Roosevelt's Monument

When Theodore Roosevelt National Park was established in 1947, it was designated as a monument to Roosevelt's leadership and his conservation vision. The park preserves the landscape that shaped him and that he, in turn, worked to preserve through his conservation policies and his establishment of national parks and forests throughout the West.

Visitors to the park today can walk the same landscape, see the same animals, and feel the same isolation and grandeur that Roosevelt experienced more than 120 years ago. The park is a living testimony to Roosevelt's conviction that America's natural wonders should be preserved for the benefit of present and future generations.