Theodore Roosevelt National Park: A Complete Family Guide to the Badlands
When we started planning our North Dakota itinerary, we knew Theodore Roosevelt National Park would be the anchor of the entire trip. We had heard it was beautiful, underrated, and full of wildlife, but nothing prepared us for how much we would fall in love with it. The park is rugged, colorful, peaceful, and surprisingly accessible for families. It became the place we kept returning to, the place we talked about the most, and the place that shaped our entire North Dakota experience.
Theodore Roosevelt once said, “I never would have been President if it had not been for my experiences in North Dakota.” After spending time in the park, it is easy to understand why. The landscape is powerful and grounding. It pulls you in and makes you slow down in the best possible way. Even our kids were like, “Wow, this is actually cool,” which is the highest compliment you can get from children who usually only perk up for ice cream or amusement parks.
Here is everything you need to know to plan your own visit, including trails, scenic drives, wildlife, lodging, the best time to go, and tips that made our trip smoother.
Table of Contents
The Anatomy of the Park
One thing that surprises a lot of first-time visitors is that Theodore Roosevelt National Park is not one single connected park. It is divided into three separate units.
South Unit
The most popular and most accessible unit. This is where you will find the Scenic Loop Drive, Medora, Painted Canyon Overlook, prairie dog towns, and many of the classic Badlands views. We hit this part of the park on Day 1.
North Unit
More remote, more rugged, and less crowded. The views here feel bigger and wilder, and the drive into the unit is beautiful. We spent Day 2 here, and it ended up being one of our favorite days of the entire trip.
Elkhorn Ranch Unit
The least visited and the most historically significant. This is where Roosevelt’s actual ranch once stood. There are no visitor services, no paved roads, and no facilities. It is remote and quiet, and many people describe it as the most meaningful part of the park. We did not visit this unit, but it is worth mentioning because it is a powerful place for anyone who wants to connect with Roosevelt’s personal story.
Planning Our Trip Around the Park
We built our entire North Dakota itinerary around visiting Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We added Bismarck because it was the closest airport, Medora because it is the gateway to the park, and a pit stop in eastern Montana because we are trying to visit all fifty states and Montana was right there staring at us like, “Are you going to check me off or not.”
I knew for sure I wanted to visit the South Unit because it is the easiest to access and offers the classic Badlands scenery that North Dakota is known for. I tentatively added the North Unit to the itinerary, but I was not sure if we would make it there. It looked beautiful, but it was farther away, more remote, and I was not convinced the kids would be thrilled about another long drive. Spoiler alert. They loved it, and it ended up being one of the best days of the entire trip
Day 1: The South Unit
The South Unit is the most family-friendly part of the park. It is easy to navigate, full of wildlife, and packed with overlooks and short trails. It has the classic Badlands scenery, tons of wildlife, easy trails, and the Scenic Loop Drive that gives you a full highlight reel of the park without requiring a full-day hike. It is also the closest to Medora, which means you can grab breakfast, head straight into the park, and be looking at bison before your coffee even kicks in.
Our original plan was to visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park on Day 3 of our North Dakota trip. Mother Nature took one look at that plan and said, “Absolutely not.” It turns out we packed a little more than clothes and toiletries in our suitcases. We also brought along some of the hot Florida weather. During our visit, temperatures climbed above 110 degrees each day. The heat was so intense that our horseback riding plans fell through, and we had to shuffle our itinerary like we were playing travel-themed Jenga. It also meant scaling back our hiking plans because no one wants to hike in temperatures that feel like the inside of a toaster.
As soon as we got into Medora, we headed straight into the National Park. The entrance fee was $,30 and your pass is valid for 7 days. We drove into the park and found the perfect picnic spot for a quick lunch before taking on the Scenic Loop. Nothing fancy, just sandwiches, chips, and the kind of excitement that comes from knowing you are about to see bison for the first time.
The Scenic Loop Drive
The Scenic Loop Drive is the heart of the South Unit. It is a thirty-six-mile route that winds through colorful buttes, open grasslands, and wildlife-filled valleys. You can stop at overlooks, trailheads, and pull-offs along the way, and every stop feels different from the last.
South Unit Highlights
Skyline Vista A short walk to a wide open view of the Badlands. Great for sunrise or sunset.
Boicourt Overlook One of the most dramatic viewpoints in the park. You can walk a short paved path or continue onto a longer trail.
Wind Canyon A beautiful spot to watch the sun set over the Little Missouri River.
Prairie Dog Towns You will hear them before you see them. The kids loved watching them pop in and out of their burrows like tiny furry drama queens.
Wild Life Encounters
What we saw:
Bison- Grazing, rolling in the dirt, lounging in the grass. They have zero interest in your schedule.
Wild Horses- One of the most magical parts of the park. Seeing them on the hills feels like stepping into a western painting.
Prairie Dogs- Loud, funny, and full of personality. They are basically the neighborhood gossip of the Badlands.
Mule Deer- Often spotted in the early morning or evening. We spotted them right near the entrance.
Birds of Prey- Hawks and eagles soaring above the buttes.
The wildlife alone makes the South Unit worth visiting.
I went into our park visit with high hopes of spotting wildlife but zero expectations that it would actually happen. I figured we would see a bison in the distance if we squinted hard enough or maybe catch a prairie dog if we were lucky. So when we started seeing bison dotting the horizon, I was super freaking stoked. We ended up seeing bison everywhere. On the hillsides, lying near the road, grazing in pastures, and giving absolutely zero effs about the people watching them. Our coolest sighting was watching a bison roll around in the dirt, which looked exactly like our dogs Parker and Prescott living their best lives.
We were just as excited about literally every other animal we spotted in the park. The wild horses, the birds of prey, the mule deer, all of it felt magical. At one point we even heard a rattlesnake give us a little warning. That was the moment we decided that we would definitely not be going off the trail at any point.
The kids were more excited, however, about the prairie dogs that we found all over the park. They loved hearing them chatter to one another and duck in and out of their tunnels. I have to admit, they were pretty cute… for rodents.
Day 2: The North Unit
After our amazing first day in the South Unit, we woke up excited to see what the North Unit had in store. I had tentatively added it to our itinerary, but I was not sure if we would actually make the drive. It is more remote, less visited, and a little farther from Medora. I figured if the kids were tired or the heat was unbearable, we would skip it. Spoiler alert: we did not skip it. Since we went to the South Unit a day earlier than plan, we decided to head to the North Unit.
The drive from Medora to the North Unit takes about an hour and fifteen minutes. It is easy, scenic, and full of wide open prairie views. By the time we reached the entrance, we were already feeling that quiet, peaceful vibe that everyone talks about. The North Unit feels different from the South Unit. It is wilder, deeper, and more dramatic. The canyons feel bigger, the colors feel richer, and the whole place feels like it has been left untouched for a very long time.
I had read on other travel blogs and on the socials that people had better wildlife experiences in the North Unit than in the South Unit. So I went into the day fully convinced that our minds were about to be blown. I was ready for bison stampedes, wild horses galloping across the hills, maybe even a deer posing majestically like it was auditioning for a nature documentary.
I should have known better than to get my hopes up because we saw literally no animals in the North Unit. Not even from a distance. I take that back. We saw some bugs and a lizard. Everything else was hunkered down, trying to escape the heat, and honestly I could not blame them. If I were a bison, I would also be hiding in the shade and refusing to participate in anyone’s vacation photos.
It was still beautiful, still peaceful, and still absolutely worth the visit. The North Unit scenery is dramatic enough to stand on its own, even without the wildlife showing up for work that day.
The North Unit Scenic Drive
The North Unit has a single main road that leads you through the heart of the Badlands. It is a simple out and back drive, but the views along the way are incredible. Every turn reveals something new, and the overlooks are some of the best in the entire park.
Stops worth planning for
River Bend Overlook This is one of the most iconic views in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The stone shelter perched above the valley looks like something out of a vintage postcard. The Little Missouri River winds below, and the layered buttes stretch out in every direction. It is peaceful, quiet, and absolutely stunning.
Cannonball Concretions This area is filled with perfectly round rock formations that look like giant stone marbles scattered across the hillside. The kids loved this stop because it felt like a natural playground. It is weird, fascinating, and totally worth pulling over for.
Oxbow Overlook The final overlook at the end of the drive. It is a sweeping view of the river and the surrounding Badlands. It is the perfect place to sit for a moment and take in the scale of the landscape.
Trails in the North Unit
The North Unit has fewer short trails than the South Unit, but the overlooks alone make the visit worth it. If you want a longer hike, the Achenbach Trail is the most popular option. It is rugged, remote, and best suited for experienced hikers. We opted to stick with overlooks and shorter walks because the heat was still intense and we were not trying to recreate a survival show.
Day 2 in the North Unit felt like stepping into a completely different world. It was quieter, more rugged, and more dramatic than the South Unit. The kids loved the Cannonball Concretions, we loved the overlooks, and the whole day felt peaceful in a way that is hard to describe. It was the kind of place where you slow down without even trying.
By the time we left, we were so glad we made the drive. Visiting both units gave us a full picture of the park, and it made our trip feel complete.
What’s Coming Next in the Series
This post is part of our full North Dakota road trip series. Each stop will get its own dedicated blog post, and once they’re published, I’ll embed the links right here so you can follow along:
- Enchanted Highway
- Theodore Roosevelt National Park
- Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library
- North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame
- Medora, and more!
And at the end of the series, I’ll share a full itinerary you can use to plan your own North Dakota road trip.
Stay Connected with Us
If you’re enjoying our North Dakota road trip series, make sure you’re following along on all our socials — that’s where we share the behind‑the‑scenes moments, reels from each stop, and all the chaotic‑good family travel energy. 
You can find us on:
Instagram — daily reels, stories, and trip highlights
Facebook — full posts, photo albums, and updates
TikTok — quick travel tips + funny family moments
YouTube — longer travel videos, shorts, and full trip recaps
Follow along as we keep exploring North Dakota — and every other state we pull from the hat next. 
You May Also Like
