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National park: Theodore Roosevelt, ND

Theodore Roosevelt: 2 Days of Badlands, Bison Country and TR's Cabin

The South Unit loop, a sunset at Wind Canyon and Painted Canyon on foot

A bend in the Little Missouri River with a trail on the bluff above it, buttes and prairie lit at sunset
Photo: NPS Photo/W. Archer
Length
2 days
Difficulty
Easy
Best months
May–Jun, Sep–Oct
Budget
$$

Two days in Theodore Roosevelt National Park's South Unit: Roosevelt's Maltese Cross Cabin, the Scenic Drive, a sunset hike at Wind Canyon, then Painted Canyon and Peaceful Valley Ranch, with Medora as the base and the North Unit as an optional extra.

  • Step inside Roosevelt's Maltese Cross Cabin
  • Drive the South Unit Scenic Drive past prairie dog towns
  • Catch sunset on the Wind Canyon Trail
  • Walk down into Painted Canyon
  • Visit historic Peaceful Valley Ranch

The story

Theodore Roosevelt National Park is North Dakota's badlands in miniature: striped buttes, cottonwood-lined river bends, prairie dog towns and, in the right season, bison, elk or feral horses on the road. The South Unit sits beside the little town of Medora, which makes two days an easy fit.

Day one starts with the log cabin where Roosevelt lived in 1883, then lunch in Medora and an afternoon on the South Unit Scenic Drive. NPS says to allow at least two hours; the roadside walks at Skyline Vista, Boicourt and Buck Hill each take well under half an hour. The day finishes at Wind Canyon, a short loop that NPS suggests for sunset over the Little Missouri River.

Day two heads east on I-94 to Painted Canyon, where an overlook and a loop under a mile drops you into the colored layers. Back on the scenic drive, Peaceful Valley Ranch adds the human story, a dude ranch with roots in 1883. The North Unit is a long extra: about 70 miles, roughly 1.5 hours each way, so it suits an extra day or an early finish only.

Base yourself at the Rough Riders Hotel in Medora and bring layers; weather and road conditions can change quickly on the plains.

Day by day

Day 1

Roosevelt's Cabin, the Scenic Drive and Wind Canyon Sunset

Start with TR's cabin in Medora, lunch, then the South Unit Scenic Drive and a sunset loop at Wind Canyon.

Must do
Activity10:00 AM · 45 min

Theodore Roosevelt's Maltese Cross Cabin

Roosevelt first came to the Dakota badlands in 1883 to hunt bison and ended up buying into a ranch, and this log cabin was his first home here. It now sits behind the South Unit Visitor Center and is open for self-guided tours during visitor center hours. Pair it with the museum, bookstore and park film, then pick up a map and road update before the drive.

A log cabin in a grassy area with trees and a fence behind it and a sidewalk in front
Photo: NPS Photo/ B. Collins
Time
NPS: 5-20 minutes for the cabin; allow more for the visitor center
Reservation needed
No
Place note
The cabin stands on the grounds of the South Unit Visitor Center (201 East River Road N.).
Maltese Cross Cabin
201 East River Road N., Medora, ND 58645
Hours: Self-guided tours during South Unit Visitor Center hours (see current conditions)
Season: Open for self-guided tours year-round per NPS; ranger-led tours typically summer only.
Open in Google Maps (new tab) Website for Maltese Cross Cabin (new tab) 701-623-4730
Sources (4)
Eat12:00 PM · 1 h 15 min

Lunch at Little Missouri Saloon & Dining

A Medora institution a few blocks from the park entrance. The saloon's own site describes Western fare built around steaks, burgers, bison burgers and brisket, plus a second-level outdoor deck. It is walk-in only (no reservations), so go early for a deck table in good weather. Lunch here sets up an afternoon in the park.

Meal
Lunch
Cuisine
Western, steaks and burgers
Reservation needed
No
Little Missouri Saloon & Dining
440 3rd Street, Medora, ND 58645
Hours: Daily 11:00 AM-1:00 AM per the saloon's site; check seasonal changes
Season: Described by the restaurant as year-round.
Open in Google Maps (new tab) Website for Little Missouri Saloon & Dining (new tab) 701-623-4404
Sources (2)
Must do
Scenic drive1:30 PM · 3 h

South Unit Scenic Drive

The paved road starts at the visitor center and threads through prairie dog towns and broken badlands. Stops NPS describes: Skyline Vista (just over 4 miles in, a 0.1-mile accessible walk), Boicourt Trail (about 16 miles, 0.2 miles paved) and the short, steep Buck Hill climb (about 18 miles; 0.2 miles). The road ends at Badlands Overlook, which NPS calls a good spot for elk or bison.

Road level view of a paved road with two yellow center lines curving toward distant buttes
Photo: NPS Photo/K. Tonkin
Time
NPS South Unit page: at least 2 hours; this plan allows 3 hours with short walks
Best time
Afternoon light; wildlife often at dawn and dusk
Fee
$30
Reservation needed
No
Fee note
Park entrance fee applies; see current conditions
Distance note
NPS gives 24 miles out-and-back on its things-to-do record and 36 miles on the South Unit page; sources disagree, so no mileage is relied on here. Mile markers for stops come from the NPS trail records.
South Unit Scenic Drive (starts at South Unit Visitor Center)
201 East River Road N., Medora, ND 58645
Season: Typically open year-round; sections can close for snow or ice; check current conditions.
Open in Google Maps (new tab) Website for South Unit Scenic Drive (starts at South Unit Visitor Center) (new tab) 701-623-4730
Sources (7)
Must do
Hike5:30 PM · 45 min

Wind Canyon Trail at Sunset

NPS calls the view from here among the most dramatic in the South Unit. A short, unpaved loop follows wind-carved cliffs above the Little Missouri River, then climbs to a lookout over the river bend; NPS suggests it for sunset. Footing is loose in places with widely spaced log steps, and cliff edges are unstable. Sunset is about 6:15-6:25 PM MDT in early October and shifts through the year, so adjust the start time; it is about a 25-minute drive back from Medora.

A bend in the Little Missouri River with a trail on the bluff above it, buttes and prairie lit at sunset
Photo: NPS Photo/W. Archer
Distance
0.4 mi
Elevation gain
52 ft
Route
Loop
Difficulty
Easy to moderate
Permit required
No
Dogs allowed
No
Trailhead
Wind Canyon parking lot, west side of East River Road, about 10.5 miles into the South Unit
Best time
Late afternoon to sunset
Distance note
NPS sources disagree: its things-to-do record says a 0.3-mile loop, its hiking table 0.4 mi (used here), and North Dakota Tourism 0.5 mi. The 52 ft gain is from North Dakota Tourism (not NPS; 0.5 mi basis); NPS gives no gain figure. NPS rates the trail easy (table) and moderate (things-to-do page).
Wind Canyon
East River Road (about 10.5 miles into the South Unit), Medora, ND 58645
Season: Typically open year-round; check current conditions.
Open in Google Maps (new tab) Website for Wind Canyon (new tab)
Sources (5)
Stay

Rough Riders Hotel

Medora's historic hotel, a few minutes from the South Unit entrance, with a lobby hearth and a large private library of books by and about Roosevelt per the hotel's site. Rooms are split between historic and modern styles. Theodore's Dining Room is on site. The site lists check-in 4:00 PM and check-out 11:00 AM; check current rates.

Type
Hotel
Location
Outside the park
Booking
Book / details
Reservation notes
Book through Medora (1-800-MEDORA-1). Check current rates.
Rough Riders Hotel
301 3rd Avenue, Medora, ND 58645
Hours: Check-in 4:00 PM, check-out 11:00 AM (hotel site)
Season: Listed by Medora as open year-round.
Open in Google Maps (new tab) Website for Rough Riders Hotel (new tab) 1-800-633-6721
Sources (3)
Day 2

Painted Canyon and Peaceful Valley

Breakfast at the hotel, then Painted Canyon's overlook and loop trail and a stop at Peaceful Valley Ranch.

Eat7:30 AM · 1 h

Breakfast at Theodore's Dining Room

Breakfast in the Rough Riders Hotel before the short drive to Painted Canyon. Theodore's site lists breakfast daily 7:30 to 10:00 AM, with items like Bison Benedict and chuckwagon pancakes. It is run by the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation. Dinner is a separate, pricier sit-down menu with fewer service days.

Meal
Breakfast
Cuisine
Western American
Reservation needed
No
Place note
The restaurant is inside the Rough Riders Hotel; the site's mailing address is a PO Box, so the hotel's street address is used.
Theodore's Dining Room
301 3rd Avenue, Medora, ND 58645
Hours: Breakfast daily 7:30-10:00 AM per the restaurant's site; check seasonal changes
Season: Listed by Medora as year-round.
Open in Google Maps (new tab) Website for Theodore's Dining Room (new tab) 1-800-633-6721
Sources (3)
Viewpoint8:45 AM · 30 min

Painted Canyon Overlook

Approach from I-94 (exit 32), about 15 minutes from Medora, and the badlands open up all at once. NPS says the buttes show distinct layers of colored rock that give the canyon its painted look, and that you can pick out Buck Hill across the canyon. It is also the park's easiest introduction to the geology that the rest of the day builds on.

A split-rail log fence in front of a wide view of eroded, layered buttes and golden prairie under a blue sky
Photo: NPS
Time
20-30 minutes
Best time
Morning
Fee
$30
Reservation needed
No
Fee note
Park entrance fee applies; see current conditions
Painted Canyon Overlook
I-94 Exit 32, Medora, ND 58645
Season: Typically open with the Painted Canyon area; the visitor center is seasonal; check current conditions.
Open in Google Maps (new tab) Website for Painted Canyon Overlook (new tab) 701-575-4020
Sources (4)
Must do
Hike9:15 AM · 1 h

Painted Canyon Nature Trail

A loop that drops from the rim into the canyon through juniper and across dry washes, then climbs back out. NPS calls it one of the park's most popular trails, a moderate hike with a big payoff, and says several sections are extreme slipping hazards after rain. Wear real shoes and carry water; expect uneven footing and steps.

A trail climbing toward a butte through junipers, with a Painted Canyon trail marker
Photo: NPS Photo/J. Houghton
Distance
0.9 mi
Elevation gain
174 ft
Route
Loop
Difficulty
Moderate
Permit required
No
Dogs allowed
No
Trailhead
About 50 feet north of the picnic shelters at the west end of the Painted Canyon parking lot (I-94 exit 32)
Distance note
NPS trail table lists 0.9 mi (NPS prose says 1 mile loop). The 174 ft gain is from Hiking Project (0.8 mi, 244 ft loss recorded); this is a review-site figure, not NPS, and NPS gives no gain figure.
Painted Canyon Nature Trail
I-94 Exit 32, Medora, ND 58645
Season: Typically open year-round; slick when wet; check current conditions.
Open in Google Maps (new tab) Website for Painted Canyon Nature Trail (new tab)
Sources (5)
Activity11:00 AM · 45 min

Peaceful Valley Ranch

A historic dude ranch on the South Unit scenic drive, and a good place to feel the Roosevelt era. NPS says it began as a cabin built in 1883 and became a tourist ranch after 1915, and that concessioners ran guided horseback rides here until 2014. Today visitors can see the renovated buildings, walk the boardwalk between the ranch house and stable, and picnic.

A white ranch house beside a log building in winter, with trees and buttes behind
Photo: NPS Photo/ A. Myran
Time
30-45 minutes
Best time
Late morning
Fee
$30
Reservation needed
No
Fee note
Park entrance fee applies; see current conditions
Place note
NPS does not say whether the ranch house interior is open; this stop is for the grounds and exteriors.
Peaceful Valley Ranch
South Unit Scenic Drive, Medora, ND 58645
Season: Typically accessible with the scenic drive; check current conditions.
Open in Google Maps (new tab) Website for Peaceful Valley Ranch (new tab)
Sources (2)

Where to stay

Stay

Cottonwood Campground

The South Unit's only campground, about 5 miles from Medora among cottonwoods with buttes in view. NPS says most sites suit tents and RVs (no hookups), and bison sometimes wander through. Sites are reservation-only on Recreation.gov. NPS lists a standard site at $10 per night in the October-April winter rate and $20 in the May-September summer rate.

A campsite beneath cottonwood trees with an open field and buttes in the distance
Photo: NPS Photo
Type
Campground
Location
Inside the park
Price per night
$10 to $20 (as of 2026-10-06)
Booking
Book / details
Reservation notes
NPS API: standard site $20 (May-Sept) or $10 (Oct-Apr); half-price Senior/Access Pass rates. Reservation only via Recreation.gov.
Cottonwood Campground
South Unit Scenic Drive, Medora, ND 58645
Hours: Open year-round (NPS); check-out noon
Season: Open year-round per NPS, with limited winter services.
Open in Google Maps (new tab) Website for Cottonwood Campground (new tab)
Sources (2)

More options

Visitor center

South Unit Visitor Center

Park entrance and orientation stop in Medora: rangers issue backcountry permits and help with trip planning, the theater shows the park film, a museum holds Roosevelt artifacts and the bookstore sells maps and books. Entrance passes can be bought here in the off-season. The Maltese Cross Cabin is steps away.

A manicured native plant garden with a wooden building in the background
Photo: NPS Photo/L. Thomas
Time
20-45 minutes
Reservation needed
No
South Unit Visitor Center
201 East River Road N., Medora, ND 58645
Hours: Seasonal; see current conditions block
Season: Typically open daily with seasonal hours; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.
Open in Google Maps (new tab) Website for South Unit Visitor Center (new tab) 701-623-4730
Sources (2)
Scenic drive

North Unit Scenic Drive (optional extra)

For a second, quieter side of the park, the North Unit is roughly 70 miles from Medora, so treat it as a half-day add-on rather than a stop on this plan. NPS describes a 14-mile out-and-back drive along the Little Missouri River, ending at Oxbow Overlook. It enters near Watford City; the North Unit Visitor Center is at 208 Scenic Drive.

A road curving out of sight around buttes, with yellowish grass on both sides
Photo: NPS Photo/C. Allmendinger
Time
Plan about 1.5 hours of driving each way from Medora plus the drive itself
Best time
Morning or evening for wildlife
Fee
$30
Reservation needed
No
Fee note
Park entrance fee applies; see current conditions
Distance note
The ~70 mile Medora-to-North Unit figure is approximate and not from NPS; confirm in a map app.
North Unit Scenic Drive (starts at North Unit Visitor Center)
208 Scenic Drive, Watford City, ND 58854
Season: Typically open year-round; sections can close for snow; check current conditions.
Open in Google Maps (new tab) Website for North Unit Scenic Drive (starts at North Unit Visitor Center) (new tab) 701-842-2333
Sources (3)

Map of places

  1. Maltese Cross Cabin (opens Google Maps in a new tab) Day 1
  2. Little Missouri Saloon & Dining (opens Google Maps in a new tab) Day 1
  3. South Unit Scenic Drive (starts at South Unit Visitor Center) (opens Google Maps in a new tab) Day 1
  4. Wind Canyon (opens Google Maps in a new tab) Day 1
  5. Rough Riders Hotel (opens Google Maps in a new tab) Day 1
  6. Theodore's Dining Room (opens Google Maps in a new tab) Day 2
  7. Painted Canyon Overlook (opens Google Maps in a new tab) Day 2
  8. Painted Canyon Nature Trail (opens Google Maps in a new tab) Day 2
  9. Peaceful Valley Ranch (opens Google Maps in a new tab) Day 2
  10. Cottonwood Campground (opens Google Maps in a new tab) Option
  11. South Unit Visitor Center (opens Google Maps in a new tab) Option
  12. North Unit Scenic Drive (starts at North Unit Visitor Center) (opens Google Maps in a new tab) Option

Good to know

Current conditions (as of 2026-10-06)

  • Entrance fee: NPS lists $30 per private vehicle (7 days), $25 motorcycle, $15 per person on foot or bike; the park is cashless (cards only) since May 1, 2026. Fees are collected at entrance stations May-September and at visitor centers the rest of the year; no timed-entry permits.
  • South Unit Visitor Center: NPS lists 9:00 AM-4:30 PM daily from 2026-10-01 to 2027-05-24 (8:00 AM-5:00 PM standard); closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. The Maltese Cross Cabin follows these hours.
  • Painted Canyon Visitor Center: NPS lists it closed from about 2026-10-24 to mid-June 2027; the North Unit Visitor Center is 9:00 AM-4:30 PM daily through 2027-05-30.
  • Medora in fall: Medora's site lists Theodore's Dining Room breakfast daily 7:00-10:00 AM (7:30 on the restaurant page), Little Missouri Saloon daily 11:00 AM-1:00 AM, and Rough Riders Hotel and Hotel 1883 open year-round. Some seasonal Medora businesses close for the year; check dates before relying on them.
  • Cottonwood Campground is reservation-only on Recreation.gov, $10 per night at the winter rate (Oct-Apr).
  • NPS alert: for mobile maps, use 201 East River Road N., Medora, ND 58645 to reach the South Unit entrance and visitor center. A separate alert about the Petrified Forest trailhead route does not affect this plan.
  • Wildlife (bison, elk, wild horses, prairie dogs) is not guaranteed on any given visit.

Evergreen tips

  • Keep at least 25 yards from wildlife, including bison (NPS), and never approach animals on the road.
  • Hiking trails here can be slick and dangerous when wet; keep away from cliff edges and wear sturdy shoes.
  • Winter or storm conditions can close sections of the scenic drive; confirm with the park first.
  • Medora has lodging, dining, gas and very limited groceries (NPS); services shrink outside summer. There are no facilities inside the park itself.
  • Painted Canyon is off I-94 at exit 32 (NPS), roughly a 15-minute drive from Medora; check a map for your route.

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Sources

Good to know: distances and drive times are typical figures without live traffic, and where routes are shown the route data comes from OpenStreetMap contributors. Toll amounts are estimates and change often, so check them in the DriftKin planner or with the toll authority before you plan around them. Opening hours, fees, prices, permits and closures also change, so confirm with the park or business before you go.