Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Hey everyone!
Corrie and I just got back from a whirlwind trip to a new park for us: Theodore Roosevelt National Park. It’s a full day’s drive from our house, so we packed up the car the night before and hit the road first thing after breakfast. The forecast was calling for mostly clear skies and hot temperatures, although thankfully the record-breaking heat from the week before had finally subsided.
We had most of our food packed and only needed to pick up a few small things in Livingston—including cocktails for our relaxing evenings at camp.
We crossed the state line into North Dakota around 4 p.m. and pulled into our campsite at Cottonwood around 5.
After a quick stop at the prairie dog town and a fast camp setup, my in-laws arrived in their RV. We loaded up and headed out for an evening drive on the scenic loop.
We decided to drive the loop counterclockwise, and it didn’t take long before we came across our first coyote of the trip. One of the first things we noticed was how much redder the coyotes seemed compared to the ones we’re used to seeing in Wyoming. Since there wasn’t any traffic behind us, we took our time watching him wander around the prairie.
After the coyote, the views of the badlands really started showing off. The sandstone formations, colorful sedimentary layers, and intricate patterns carved by erosion made for a pretty spectacular drive.
We stopped at most of the overlooks to get out and take in the views, and between stops we started noticing cars pulled over and people looking at something off in the distance. Wild horses!
I’ve seen wild horses before, back when I worked at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park in college, but that was before I really got into photography. So this was my first chance to actually photograph them.
It was pretty cool watching them in the distance, walking along a ridge in the evening light. Then, on the other side of the road, another horse started making its way up a draw. Not long after, a larger group appeared right behind it. We hung out for about 10 minutes watching them graze near the side of the road before deciding it was time to move on while the light was still good.
A little farther down the road, one of us spotted a bison in the distance, so we pulled over to take a look.
Then, just as we reached the Beef Corral Bottom area, we came upon all the rest of the bison in the park, apparently.
The sound of bellowing filled the air as we sat in the car watching them move across the landscape. With the sun dropping behind the badlands and the bison silhouetted against the evening sky, it was one of those moments where you really don’t need to be doing anything other than sitting there and taking it all in.
Eventually, it got too dark to see much of anything, so we headed back to camp to hang out in the RV with the rest of the family, have a cocktail, and make a plan for the next morning.
Since dogs aren’t allowed on trails in the national park, we decided to spend the morning exploring Theodore Roosevelt National Park’s neighbor, Rough Rider State Park, and hike a section of the Maah Daah Hey Trail. It was supposed to get really hot, so we opted for an early start. The plan was to get our hiking in before the heat of the day and then retreat to camp for cold drinks, shade, and ice cream.
After dinner, we headed back out for another sunset drive and a hike to Wind Canyon Overlook. On the way we saw more beautiful geologic features in the evening light.
We also saw more horses in the same places as the night before, but this time there were more of them.
We thought we had plenty of time, so we were a little pokey on the trail. Then we realized the sun was dropping a lot faster than we expected.
We beelined for the overlook and made it just in time to watch the sun disappear behind the ridge.
It was a fun—and very hot—day of exploring with the family.
The following morning, we packed up and headed home. On the drive out, I noticed the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in the distance. Since we had the dog with us, it wasn’t really worth making the stop this time, but hopefully we’ll get a chance to check it out the next time we’re in the area.
We did make one last stop at the visitor center to pick up a sticker for the cooler, and while we were there, I was sworn in as a Junior Ranger and added my 115th badge to the collection.
All in all, it was a short trip, but a really fun one. As much backcountry camping as we do, there’s something pretty nice about having the car-camping setup, bringing the family along, and having a relatively chill weekend every once in a while.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park definitely deserves a return visit—hopefully with a little more time to explore it next time!
