Theodore Roosevelt National Park & Medora, North Dakota
Use this guide to get an overview of Medora and all of the unique scenery, hiking, and entertainment options that are available in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park and surrounding area.
Visiting Theodore Roosevelt National Park - $30/vehicle or use your America the Beautiful Pass.
Check out this website for a great list of trails with detailed descriptions:
This 150 mile trail traverses the Badlands, Little Missouri National Grasslands, private land and the North and South Units of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Mountain bike some of the best single-track in the world. Multiple campgrounds are located along the trail.
The trail system showcases some of our country’s most unique and breathtaking terrain. Majestic plateaus, jagged peaks and valleys, large expanses of rolling prairie, and rivers intertwine to offer the adventurous outdoor enthusiast a taste of pure, unadulterated wilderness.
The Park is made up of 3 SEPARATE AREAS of land: The Elkhorn Ranch area and the North and South Units.
In 1884, Theodore Roosevelt left for the ND Badlands following the deaths of his wife and mother on the same day. Looking for solitude in a remote area along the Little Missouri River he started ranching and named the site Elkhorn Ranch. There’s not much there anymore except signage.
With its close proximity to Interstate 94 it is the most visited section of the park. The South Unit Visitor Center in Medora, North Dakota features a museum, park film, book store, and Theodore Roosevelt's Maltese Cross Cabin. A 36 mile scenic drive offers wildlife viewing (lots of wild horses), hiking, and fantastic scenery. Hike to the Petrified Forest (3 mile loop or 10.3 mile loop).
Plan for a full day to explore the South Unit.
Visitors get their first real glimpse of the Badlands from the overlook at the Painted Canyon Visitor Center on Interstate 94, east of Medora. The canyon stretches as far as the eye can see into the rugged North Dakota Badlands.
At Theodore Roosevelt's urging, the Maltese Cross Ranch Cabin, now at the entrance of the park,was built during the winter of 1883-84. The Maltese Cross Cabin was originally located about seven miles south of Medora in the wooded bottomland of the Little Missouri River.
While prairie dog "towns" can be found in many areas of the park, the first one encountered is along the road soon after entering the park near Skyline Vista.
It’s a 1 hour drive from the South Unit on Highway 85. A temporary visitor center houses a small book store and has rangers on hand to help orient visitors to the park. The 14 mile (28 miles round trip) scenic drive showcases the North Unit's rugged landscape and offers opportunities to view wildlife. Much less visited, more peaceful, fewer but prettier trails. View the cannonball concretions and the Grand Canyon of the Little Missouri.
***We only saw a handful of cars our entire time at the North Unit. We visited in the afternoon and evening and it was hands down our favorite part of the trip. We saw a ton of wildlife, the sunset by the river was breathtaking, and the cannonball concretion hike was incredibly unique.
There are no dining options in the North Unit - pack your lunch!
Plan for 4-6 hours to explore the North Unit, depending on how much hiking you plan to do.
ENTERTAINMENT in Medora
Visit Shows & Entertainment | Medora, North Dakota for a full listing of shows and ticket information.
Medora Musical at the Burning Hills Amphitheatre. It’s part history lesson, part variety show, part country concert - it has been encapsulating Western spirit since 1965.
***This completely surpassed our expectations. Don’t miss it! Kids under 6 are always free, kids 7-17 are free on Wednesdays and Sundays.
Medora Gospel Brunch
The Perception House - Enjoy the magic and illusions on your tour through the house as gravity and physics are turned on end.
PARKS & Outdoor Activities
Medora’s Children’s Park - Western themed playground. ***The kids loved it!
Playtime with the Roosevelts - Colonel Theodore Roosevelt and his wife, Edith, play late 19th and early 20th century games on the Joe Ferris Store Lawn in downtown Medora on weekday mornings. This free living history event will entertain all ages.
Bully Pulpit Golf Course (***highly recommended by friends as a very unique course with beautiful views).
Transportation Museum - visit this free museum inside the Bully Pulpit Golf Course to learn about Roosevelt’s involvement with the Panama Canal.
Footsteps into Medora's Past is a guided walking tour.
Point to Point Park - mini golf, ziplines, pool and lazy river.
MUSEUMS
Harold Schafer Heritage Center is free and open daily (seasonally) from 10-5.
The downtown shooting gallery is a highlight for the kids. When we visited it was a quarter for 15 shots.
Chateau de Mores State Historical Site - your ticket gives you a 2 hour visit. Kids are free on Wednesdays. Step back in time in this 1880s style 26 room Chateau, and see the frontier hunting home of the Marquis de Mores and his wife, Medora, poised to send out an aristocratic hunting party.
Billings County Courthouse Museum (pioneer day courtroom and jail etc)
DINING
Pitchfork Steak Fondue - every evening the chefs load steaks onto pitchforks and fondue them western style for a steak buffet. On Sundays and Wednesdays you can get 1 free kids meal for every adult meal purchased.
The Teddy Roosevelt Show with brunch or dinner
LODGING
Cottonwood Campground - in the South Unit. Half of the spots are reserved, and half are first come first served. Fills to capacity nightly. Flush toilets, but no showers.
Juniper Campground - in the North Unit. First come first served. Rarely full. Flush toilets, but no showers.
Rough Riders Hotel | Open Year-Round (as we walked around town this hotel looked the nicest)
Wannagan Creek Cabins - gorgeous scenery, just north of Medora. Several cabin options available.
Rough Rider State Park - has a large campground on the Little Missouri River, 6 minutes south of Medora. There’s a trailhead to Maah Daah Hey Trail.
