Park Details
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Go to Park DetailsEstablished as Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park April 25, 1947; North Unit added to memorial park June 12, 1948; redesignated as national park November 10, 1978. Boundary changes: June 10, 1948; June 12, 1948; March 24, 1956; November 6, 1963; November 10, 1978; and September 13, 1995. Wilderness designated November 10, 1978.
Park Details
Location Information
South Unit is near Medora, ND in Billings Co.; North Unit is near Watford City, ND in McKenzie Co.; the remote Elkhorn Ranch site is between the two units along the Little Missouri River.
Address:
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Box 7
Medora, ND 58645
Telephone:
South Unit (Primary park phone number) (701) 623-4466
North Unit (701) 842-2333
Directions:
The North and South units are in western North Dakota. The
South Unit Visitor Center is located in Medora, just off
Interstate 94 and is 135 miles west of Bismarck, North Dakota.
The Painted Canyon Visitor Center is located 7 miles east of
Medora just off I-94. The North Unit Visitor Center is located
16 miles south of Watford City along U.S. Highway 85. The
distance between Medora at the South Unit and the visitor center
in the North Unit is 70 miles via I-94 and U. S. Highway 85.
Transportation:
To Park: Passenger vehicle is the main mode of transportation.
Air service into North Dakota towns of Bismarck, Dickinson and
Williston. Bus transportation along I-94. Train service into
Williston.
In Park: Personal vehicles, bicycles and charter bus.
Operating Hours/Seasons
Open all year; portions of the South Unit Scenic Loop Drive and North Unit Scenic Road may be closed in winter due to snow and ice.
Visitor center operations:
Medora Visitor Center (South Unit):
Open daily, mid-June through
Labor Day, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. MDT. Open daily remainder of
year except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day, 8:00
a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (MT).
Painted Canyon Visitor Center (South Unit):
Open daily mid-June
through Labor Day, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (MDT) plus April to
mid-June and September through mid-November, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30
p.m. (MT).
North Unit Visitor Center:
Open daily, Memorial Day through
September, 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (CDT). Open weekends and most
weekdays the rest of the year except for Thanksgiving,
Christmas and New Year's Day.
Reservations/Permits/Fees
Reservations and Permits:
Camping is on a first-come, first-served basis. Group camping
requires reservation. For the Roundup Group Horse Camp in the South Unit as well as the North Unit Group site,
reservations are accepted beginning the first work day in March.
A free backcountry permit is required for overnight camping.
Reservations for school groups and other educational trips
should be made three weeks prior to planned visit. For
additional information concerning reservations, special use or
filming permits, call (701) 623-4466.
Climate, Recommended Clothing
Summers are warm with temperatures in the 80s and 90s with a few days into the 100s on some years. Evenings can be cool. Average maximum: July is 87.1 degrees and August is 86.7 degrees. Average minimum: July 54.5 degrees and August is 52.4 degrees. Annual precipitation is 15 inches. Winters are generally cold. Recommend layers of clothing, especially in spring and fall. Rain gear in spring. Hat for sun protection is needed in summer.
Facilities and Opportunities
Visitor Center/Exhibits:
Medora Visitor Center at entrance to South Unit.
Painted Canyon Visitor Center 7 miles east of Medora along I-94.
North Unit Visitor Center at entrance to North Unit.
Trails, Roads:
South Unit:
South Unit Scenic Loop Drive; Ridgeline Nature
Trail; Coal Vein Nature Trail; Painted Canyon Trail; Jones Creek
Trail; Petrified Forest Trail; Lone Tree Trail; Paddock Creek
Trail; and Talkington Trail. Connecting with the North and
South Unit is the Maah-Daah-Hey trail which is under
construction and scheduled for completion the fall of 1998.
North Unit: North Unit Scenic Drive; Caprock Coulee Nature Trail; Little Mo Nature Trail; Achenback Trail; North Achenback Trail; Upper Caprock Coulee Trail; Buckhorn Trail; and Prairie Dog Town Trail.
Programs/Activities:
A full compliment of regularly scheduled programs including
talks, evening campfire presentations, nature walks and long
hikes are offered June through mid-September. Guided tours of
Theodore Roosevelt's Maltese Cross Cabin in summer; self-guided
during winter. Ski tours in winter may be offered if snow
conditions permit. Educational programs for schools and groups
may be scheduled throughout the year.
Lodging and camping facilities:
Lodging is not available in the park. Cottonwood
Campground in the South Unit and North Unit Campground in the
North Unit; no reservations; no hook-ups. Group camping
available in both units; reservations required. Lodging plus
camping facilities with RV amenities of water, sewer and
electrical hook-ups are available in the area.
Food/supplies:
None within the park; a variety of restaurants and grocery
stores are available near the park or within a short drive.
Other Concessions/NPS-Managed Visitor Facilities and Opportunities:
Publications, maps, postcards, posters, and other visitor
convenience items are sold in the North Unit, Painted Canyon and
Medora visitor centers by the Theodore Roosevelt Nature and
History Association (Box 167, Medora, ND 58645). Peaceful
Valley Trail Rides, Inc.; concession provides trail rides in the
South Unit. Other business permittees offer trail rides in the
North Unit and canoeing. Additional museums are
located in Medora and surrounding communities.
Accessibility:
All visitor centers, wayside exhibits, campground amphitheaters,
Maltese Cross Cabin are accessible. Both campgrounds have
accessible campsites. First portion of Little Mo Nature Trail
is paved.
Special Needs:
Parking areas at each visitor center for buses and trailers.
Pull-outs along park roads accommodate longer vehicles.
Orientation film shown at Painted Canyon and North Unit visitor
centers can be captioned. Printed text is available at the
South Unit Visitor Center. Access to the Elkhorn Ranch site may
require 4-wheel drive and may be inaccessible at certain times
of the year due to weather and road conditions.
Recommended Activities/Park Use
Visiting park visitor centers with museum and orientation films; visiting the Maltese Cross Cabin near the Medora Visitor Center; joining a guided talk or walk or attending evening programs; driving scenic park roads; wildlife viewing; birdwatching; hiking; and camping.
Park is noted for opportunities to see bison, elk, mule and white-tailed deer, pronghorn antelope, prairie dogs, coyote and other small mammals as well as a variety of birds, including golden eagles. Wild (feral) horses can be seen in the South Unit and longhorn steers in the North Unit.
Visitation
Highest in June, July and August. Visitation is increasing during the shoulder seasons of May and September; lowest November to February.
Basic Visit Recommendations:
South Unit: a minimum of four hours is recommended to visit the
Medora Visitor Center and drive the 36-mile loop road. North
Unit: a minimum of three hours. If time is spent taking one or
both of the short, self-guided nature walks in either unit, add
two hours. Longer hikes take all day. Driving distance between
the North and South Units is 70 miles. At least two days is
recommended to visit both the North and South units plus walk
some of the short nature trails. Topography and landscape are different between the North and South Unit.
Visitor Impacts:
Information concerning park access plus closures for roads,
trails and park sections is available at park entrance stations,
visitor centers and park headquarters. Precipitation from fast
moving prairie storms may limit travel on established trails and
backcountry routes due to slippery conditions or rain-filled
streams and dry washes. The Little Missouri River can prevent
access to the Elkhorn Ranch site. Summer temperatures reaching
into the low 100s can limit travel as can winter blizzard
conditions with extreme cold temperatures.
Special Events Programs
Orientation films are provided year-round. Interpretive talks, walks, hikes, children's activities and evening programs are scheduled early June to mid-September. Special programs may be presented throughout the year. Call the park for specific dates and times at (701)623-4466.
Adjacent Visitor Attractions
Medora Musical (nightly during summer), Little Missouri National Grasslands (drives, sightseeing), Chateau de Mores State Historic Site in Medora (tours), Dinosaur Museum in Dickinson. From Medora, Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site is 125 miles; Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, 135 miles.
Additional Information
Write Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Box 7, Medora, ND 58645 or call (701)623-4466.