My roadtrip destination to Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota started as I entered the USA from Manitoba, Canada. I crossed the border and travelled down Route 83. When crossing the border I cannot bring any fruit or vegetables with me so my first stop was at Minot to get groceries.
I also had a few rocks hit my windshield over the last few days so I went looking for a place to fix the rock chips on my windshield. No luck, I checked out a few places but no one had any openings for a few days. Rocks hitting windshields must be a more common occurrence than I thought! The cracks were all really small so decided I could live with them.
While in Minot I explored the Scandinavian Heritage Park. The park and visitor centre museum informed me of the Scandinavian history in this area. The main display in the park is the replica of Gol Stave Church, a stunningly built wooden church. The original church is found in Oslo, Norway. The inside of the church was closed for the season so I could only walk around outside. So beautiful.
My First Free Camping Spot
I drove further down Route 83 and found my first free camping spot at a fish and wildlife area on Audubon lake. This lake is one of the four man made lakes covering 125 acres to provide recreation and storm water management for the surrounding community. It was a quiet spot, good cell service and a great place to rest up for a few days.
From Audubon Lake I veered off Route 83 to head toward the north unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. This was one of the main roadtrip destinations I wanted to explore in North Dakota. I drove along Highway 37 through the countryside to New Town. This lakeside town is a vacation destination and rich in Native American history.
As I continued down the road I saw a Scenic Highway sign and when I see these signs I have to take it. A stunning drive along highway 22 through the rugged badlands. It was well worth it until the road to the national park was closed with a detour several miles out of my way. Oh well, that is part of the adventure of travelling new roads.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Theodore Roosevelt National Park was established in 1947 as a national memorial to honour President Roosevelt. He first came to the Dakota Territory in 1883 to hunt bison. A year later he returned to the area grieving a personal tragedy. He established a cattle ranch, the Elkhart Ranch which ultimately failed but his love of the land brought him back throughout the rest of his life.
I knew the area had stunning scenery and I wanted to see a bison. The national park is divided into three units. The driving distance between the North and South units is 68 miles (109 km). Then the Elkhart Ranch unit is another hour and half drive from Medora.
I toured the north unit first. Just beyond the park gates I was greeted by a majestic bison. I then drove the 28 mile (45 km) round trip Scenic Drive. A drive that gave me the scenery I wanted to experience and several herds of bison to admire. Both River Bend and Oxbow overlooks were well worth the drive.
Cannon ball Concretions was the most intriguing stop for me. The cannon balls were formed when sand grains from an ancient river deposit were cemented together by minerals dissolved in ground water. Really cool to see the round rock laying on the ground and hanging on the sides of the huge buttes.
My Second Free Camping Spot
The cost to entering the park was well worth seeing the bison and touring the park. I didn’t want to pay for a campsite (me being on a budget) so I headed just outside the National Park gates. The free camping area I found had only 3 designated spots, so I was very happy it was off season. After an evening walk along what I think was an old bison trail I spent a quiet night at my campsite. The next morning I drove the 68 miles (109 km) to Medora and the south unit of the National Park.
Roadtrip Destination to the South Unit
The south unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park is the most visited of the 3 units. The 36 mile (58 km) Scenic Loop is just off Highway 94 so easily accessible. Part of the loop was closed for maintenance so it was more of an in and out drive for me. A lovely scenic road where I was able to admire the scenery and more bison. My wish of seeing bison was overflowing. They were so docile, standing or laying along the roadside. The vehicles didn’t seem to disturb them at all.
Most of the bison in this area were killed in the 19th century when Europeans hunted them to near extinction. By the 1880’s there were fewer than 100 bison in the wild. In 1956 they brought 29 bison back to the park where they are able to roam freely and have been able multiply over the years. Thankfully today they are no longer on the extinction list.
All the overlooks were expansive and beautiful. The one I enjoyed the most was Buck Hill. A short hike to the top where I had a stunning 360 degree view of the badlands. I could see towards the Painted Canyon Visitor Centre and Overlook. I did not realize this until I visited it the next day and saw where Buck Hill was located. Very cool to identify the area I hiked the day before in the distance.
Medora & My Third Free Camping Spot
I stopped off at Medora which is known as a vacation spot, the gateway to the National Park and has a famous outdoor theatre. Due to me being there in October the theatre was closed for the season. It was a very quiet little town and when I looked up the population which is only 117, I realized why. No grocery store to purchase some food was the biggest disappointment for me.
Just a 15 minute drive from Medora I was in the Missouri National Grasslands where I found my third free camping spot. My spot had stunning views of both the sunset and sunrise, a really lovely area to be for a few days.
My roadtrip destination to see Theodore Roosevelt National Park was checked off my list. I truly enjoyed the beautiful scenery, hikes, scenic overlooks and mostly all the majestic bison. A roadtrip I would recommend to everyone to make.