Plan your visit
Theodore Roosevelt National Park Trip Planner
Tell us how long you have, who's along, and the season. We'll group it by region so you drive less and see more.
This park's open areas fill about 2 days at an easy pace.
Day 1 South Unit (Medora)
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Painted Canyon Overlook
The badlands view most travelers see, reached from the Painted Canyon Visitor Center at I-94 Exit 32, east of Medora. No entrance fee, and a paved rim area a short walk from the lot makes it the most accessible badlands look in the park. The rim looks out over the homeland of the Mandan (Nueta), Hidatsa (Nuxbaaga), and Arikara (Sahnish). The visitor center there is seasonal and closed in winter.
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Maltese Cross Cabin
Roosevelt's 1883 ranch cabin, moved several times before settling beside the South Unit Visitor Center in Medora in 1959. Self-guided during visitor-center hours, short and indoor, and the most concrete piece of the park's namesake history a family can stand inside, on land that was home to the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara before Roosevelt arrived.
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South Unit Scenic Loop wildlife drive
The park's main wildlife drive: bison, prairie dogs, and a feral horse herd of roughly 200 head live along the 36-mile loop, with numbered pullouts and the Wind Canyon overlook along the way. Bison have the right of way — stay in the vehicle and keep 25 yards. Drive it early or late; wildlife is closer to the road in the first and last couple hours of daylight than at midday.
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Prairie-dog town
Black-tailed prairie dog colonies sit right along the South Unit Scenic Loop, visible from the car — a reliable wildlife stop for kids who want to see something move without a long hike. Keep your distance and don't approach burrows: prairie-dog fleas can carry sylvatic plague.
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Wind Canyon Trail
The shortest hike in the park that reaches a real view: a 0.4-mile loop with about 50 feet of gain, ending at a wind-cut overlook of a Little Missouri bend on the South Unit Scenic Loop. The clearest won't-end-in-a-meltdown hike for younger legs, and a common sunset stop on the loop drive.
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South Unit Scenic Loop at golden hour
Low evening light throws the badlands into relief along the Scenic Loop pullouts — the best light of the day for photos, and the hour bison and horses are most active near the road.
Day 2 North Unit (Watford City)
≈1h 10m drive from South Unit (Medora)
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Oxbow Overlook
The turnaround at the end of the North Unit Scenic Drive, a 28-mile round trip from the entrance, looking down on a wide bend of the Little Missouri. The North Unit sees far fewer cars than the South, and the canyon sight lines here run longer than anything in the South Unit.
If you have more time
Petrified Forest Loop
The third-highest concentration of petrified wood in the United States, per NPS, the fossilized remains of a roughly 60-million-year-old Paleocene forest on the South Unit's west boundary. The full loop runs about 10 miles, reached by gravel road with no services — a longer, harder day than anything else in the South Unit.
Evening in Medora
The 1883 town at the South Unit gate is the only walkable cluster of hotels, restaurants, and services at either unit — the Rough Riders Hotel's dining room, the summer Pitchfork Steak Fondue, and the Medora Musical at the Burning Hills Amphitheatre, a family-aimed stage show running since 1965.
Caprock Coulee Trail
The classic North Unit day hike, a 4.3-mile loop with about 700 feet of gain, climbing out of a coulee onto a ridge with long canyon views. Too much for the youngest hikers, and sized for the older-kid, we-want-the-real-badlands reader. Full sun, no water — carry your own.
Plans by trip length
One day in Theodore Roosevelt National Park
In one day, South Unit (Medora): Painted Canyon Overlook, Maltese Cross Cabin.
Two days in Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Two days adds North Unit (Watford City): Oxbow Overlook.
Best time to visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park
The best time to visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park is spring, summer and fall, when most of the park is open. In winter, South Unit (Medora) and North Unit (Watford City) close with snow.
Trails on this plan
Common questions
How many days do you need for Theodore Roosevelt National Park?
Theodore Roosevelt National Park fills about 2 days at an easy pace — South Unit (Medora), North Unit (Watford City).
Can you see Theodore Roosevelt National Park in one day?
Yes — pick one area: South Unit (Medora) (Painted Canyon Overlook, Maltese Cross Cabin, South Unit Scenic Loop wildlife drive). You'd skip North Unit (Watford City), but it's a full day.
What's the best time to visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park?
Aim for spring, summer and fall; that's when its roads and trails are fullest.
Is Theodore Roosevelt National Park good with young kids?
Yes — the easier, shorter stops work well with little kids: Painted Canyon Overlook, Maltese Cross Cabin, South Unit Scenic Loop wildlife drive, Prairie-dog town.
Is Theodore Roosevelt National Park doable with limited mobility?
Several stops are short and low-effort: Painted Canyon Overlook, Maltese Cross Cabin, South Unit Scenic Loop wildlife drive, Prairie-dog town. Check current trail and road conditions with the park.