Theodore Roosevelt – North Dakota

 

Date of Visit: July 17-18, 2013

How we got there: Drove from Yellowstone, nearly 8 hours.

Lodging: Buffalo Gap Guest Ranch

Favorites:

• Horseback ride at Peaceful Valley Ranch, 2-hour ride through the badlands. We encountered wild horses on the route (Peaceful Valley operators have since retired).
• Iconic view from Wind Canyon Trail – Short walk leads to sweeping overview of an oxbow bend in the Little Missouri River.
• Petrified Logs Loop Trail – Trail winds through ancient petrified tree stumps in a remote wilderness section of the park accessed by gravel roads.
• Maltese Cross Cabin – Take a ranger-guided tour of a historic cabin used by Roosevelt before he was president. It’s currently located near the main visitor center in Medora.

Tips: Don’t forget to visit the more rugged and isolated North Unit, located about an hour away from the larger South Unit via U.S. Highway 85.

Next time: See the Medora Musical, because why not.