10 Essential Tips for the Theodore Roosevelt National Park Scenic Drive
Did you know there are bison in Theodore Roosevelt National Park? In this post, we’re answering the 10 questions most asked by those interested in the scenic drive. Make sure to stay until the end so you don’t run out of gas and miss the best sunset in North Dakota. Let’s get started! To watch the video version of this blog click here or continue reading below:
The single most common question park rangers hear at the entrance desk every single morning is
Where to see bison in Theodore Roosevelt National Park?
You pull up to the visitor center ready for your road trip and ask where you can spot the famous bison herds or wild horses at this exact moment. You might expect a static map with guaranteed animal coordinates, but wild animals move unpredictably across dozens of square miles of rugged canyon terrain. Instead of relying on a fixed spot, the secret to finding them comes down to checking ranger logs, keeping your eyes on high ridges during cooler morning hours, and driving slow on the South Unit loop while scanning the landscape with purpose. But, we got lucky and found them in this valley one afternoon on the scenic loop drive. Better to be lucky than good.
before you get too far down the road, there’s a vital navigation question that trip planners ask constantly..
When is the South Unit Scenic Loop Drive open in Theodore Roosevelt National Park?
If you’ve done any research online before your trip, you’ve probably read older forum posts warning about severe road erosion and long-term landslips that split the main drive in half. Drivers naturally panic and ask if they’ll have to turn around halfway through or miss half the scenery. You can breathe a sigh of relief because, following extensive multi-year reconstruction work, the entire 36-mile South Unit Scenic Loop Drive is fully open 24 hours a day except for rare winter road closures. And for all intents and purposes there are no vehicle size limits
Did you know that bison aren’t the only large mammals worth seeing? When you know you’ll ask this next question
Where to see wild horses in Theodore Roosevelt National Park?
Once you actually spot those horses grazing right next to the paved road, a very dangerous temptation sets in. They look peaceful, beautiful, and almost domesticated as they casually walk alongside parked cars, leading many drivers to ask if it’s safe to step out of the vehicle and pet or feed them. However, these are completely feral animals with strong herd instincts that can kick, bite, or charge without warning if they feel crowded. To keep both you and the animals safe, park rules strictly require you to stay inside your vehicle or keep a distance of at least 25 yards (75 feet). We found the horses mainly off I-94 up on the hills. But you may spot them anywhere. Certainly not a place where we could get out and feed them carrots nor would we recommend it.
We’re 3 questions in and every good national park needs a dad joke: Why are the rocks in
the North Dakota Badlands so good at storytelling? Because they have so many layers of history!
Here are dad joke books for great gifts: Dad Jokes Around the Campfire: https://geni.us/bD0Zua 600 Funniest Dad Jokes: https://geni.us/WHYBfDB To view any product mentioned by us in our videos and blog, click this link: https://www.amazon.com/shop/campbrood As an Amazon Associate, we earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Ok let’s continue with number 4.
Once your brood decides to drive the park, you need to budget enough hours and provisions into your day so you aren't rushing past the best viewpoints…
How long does it take to drive through Theodore Roosevelt National Park?
When most people ask they are just discussing the South Unit scenic drive. So, if you look strictly at the raw mileage on a map, it seems like a quick sprint through the badlands, but bison traffic jams, photography pullouts, and short scenic trail walks will quickly double your expected travel time. Driving the South Unit's 36-mile paved loop without stopping takes about 90 minutes but plan on 2 hours or more to fully enjoy the view without being hurried. But if you want to visit the North Unit
make sure you read the rest of this post
Back to wildlife, there’s another popular animal encounter along the scenic road, but finding them requires knowing exactly where to pull over or just knowing what to look for.
Where to find Prairie Dogs in Theodore Roosevelt national park?
As you drive through the badlands, roll down your window and turn off the radio. you'll suddenly hear high-pitched chirping sounds and notice dozens of tiny dirt mounds dotting the grasslands. Drivers constantly wonder where they can guarantee a front-row seat to watch these animated little creatures interact up close. Rather than searching fruitlessly across the vast park, you’ll find expansive, highly active colonies with convenient paved turnouts located directly along the main South Unit Scenic Loop drive shortly after the park entrance. On google maps one such prairie dog town is titled prairie dog metropolis as you see here. But you’ll see others if you keep your eyes open. Be careful if you choose to walk among the dogs. How do the horses and bison not break legs walking and even running among all these holes?
Once you finish driving the main loop, you’ll face a major decision point about the rest of your itinerary…
What is the distance between North Unit and South Unit in Theodore Roosevelt National Park?
Standing at the South Unit entrance in Medora, looking at your map, you’ll notice a second major section of the park sitting further north. Most road trippers ask whether driving all the way up there is really worth the extra time, or if it's just more of the exact same landscape. What many visitors don't realize until they make the trip is that the North Unit features dramatic river bends, far deeper canyons, and significantly fewer crowds—making the 70-mile drive up to the North Unit completely worth it. But one of the best hikes most people miss is in the North Unit. check out this post for more Most Miss this about Caprock Coulee Trail - Don’t be one of them!
If you do choose to drive to the North Unit something strange will happen to your phone that if not understood could ruin your schedule...
Why does the time zone change between North Unit and South Unit in Theodore Roosevelt National Park?
You leave the South Unit in Medora early in the afternoon, drive for about an hour and a half, and check your navigation only to find that you suddenly lost an hour. Confused travelers constantly ask if their phone glitched or if visitor centers are going to close earlier than expected. Can you believe this phenomenon was caused on purpose to help the railroads with freight and passenger expectations? The reality is that the park sits directly across a major time boundary, putting the South Unit in Mountain Time and the North Unit in Central Time. So, if you want to visit the gift shop or visitor’s center or planning on a store in Medora make sure you know the actual time in each location and what time zone your phone is displaying.
As hours pass on these scenic routes, a very practical concern will naturally come up inside your vehicle…
Are there gas stations or food inside Theodore Roosevelt National Park?
You've been driving for hours taking in sweeping vistas, your stomach starts rumbling, and your fuel gauge begins dipping toward empty. Visitors frequently ask where they can pull over inside the park for a quick meal, a fresh cup of coffee, or a tank fill-up. To avoid getting stranded, you need to know beforehand that there are zero commercial gas stations or food vendors inside park borders, meaning you must stock up in gateway towns like Medora or Watford City. If you are in Medora and heading to the North Unit make sure to top off your fuel tank and pack a cooler with snacks, a meal, and plenty of fluids.
Beyond the scenery and wildlife, most people come here for the history, which leads to one of the biggest misunderstandings in the park..
Where is Theodore Roosevelt's original cabin located in the park?
Right behind the South Unit Visitor Center, you'll see a quaint wooden cabin that almost every visitor assumes is Theodore Roosevelt’s famous wilderness retreat. People often ask if this humble structure in Medora was his primary refuge where he grieved and built his conservation ethic. This building was his original cabin in 1883 but did you know the cabin traveled to the World’s Fair in St Louis and the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition before returning in 1959 to the park by the Daughters of the American Revolution. While that visitor center building is his original Maltese Cross Cabin, his other North Dakota residence is located in the Elkhorn Ranch Unit.
As days finish in the badlands, you need to ask
Where is the best place to watch the sunset in Theodore Roosevelt National Park?
The sun starts sinking low, casting rich golden light across the badlands rock layers, and you want to capture that one quintessential, jaw-dropping photograph. Drivers stop and ask rangers for the single best spot to watch the day come to an end. While every pullout offers great views, the undisputed favorite spot for sweeping vistas over the Little Missouri River as the sun dips below the horizon is Wind Canyon Trail. But, we don’t really know because we were in the Medora campground every night by sunset. Why? Because we usually get up early to hike before it gets warm and the trails get busy. So read this post next to continue planning your Theodore Roosevelt National Park adventure.
Comments