Theodore Roosevelt

https://www.nps.gov/thro/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt_National_Park Theodore Roosevelt National Park lies in western North Dakota, where the Great Plains meet the rugged Badlands. A habitat for bison, elk and prairie dogs, the sprawling park has 3 sections linked by the Little Missouri River. The park is known for the South Unit’s colorful Painted Canyon and the Maltese Cross Cabin, where President Roosevelt once lived. The Scenic Loop Drive winds past several overlooks and trails. When Theodore Roosevelt came to Dakota Territory to hunt bison in 1883, he was a skinny, young, spectacled dude from New York. He could not have imagined how his adventure in this remote and unfamiliar place would forever alter the course of the nation. The rugged landscape and strenuous life that TR experienced here would help shape a conservation policy that we still benefit from today. Theodore Roosevelt National Park is located in the Badlands of western North Dakota. There are three units to the park. The South Unit entrance is in the town of Medora, ND off of Interstate 94 exits 24 and 27. The North Unit entrance is on Highway 85 approximately 14 miles south of Watford City, ND. The remote Elkhorn Ranch Unit sits roughly in the middle of the North and South Units and is accessed via gravel roads. Consult park staff for directions to the Elkhorn Ranch Unit. North Unit Visitor Center A small visitor center is located at the park entrance for visitors to the North Unit. Speak with a ranger, receive assistance with any trip planning needs, obtain a backcountry permit, purchase a souvenir at the bookstore, or watch the park film, Refuge of the American Spirit. Restrooms are available at this location. The North Unit entrance is on U.S. Highway 85, approximately 14 miles south of Watford City, ND and 50 miles north of Belfield, ND. The distance by road from Medora to the North Unit is approximately 70 miles. I-94 travelers can access U.S. Highway 85 at Exit 42 in Belfield, ND. Painted Canyon Visitor Center Features: Panoramic views, wildlife viewing, hiking trails, staffed information desk, exhibits and displays, gift shop, picnic shelters, drinking fountain, vending machines, public telephone, and restrooms are wheelchair accessible. Take exit 32 from Interstate 94. The rest stop off of the highway includes two buildings. One is a visitor center and one includes restrooms, as well as a scenic overlook. South Unit Visitor Center Rangers staff the desk, assist visitors with trip planning, and issue backcountry permits. Theodore Roosevelt's Maltese Cross Cabin, located just outside, is open for self-guided tours year-round. Ranger-led cabin tours are offered in the summer. The park film, Refuge of the American Spirit, shows in the theater. A bookstore sells books, postcards, and more. A museum houses artifacts from Theodore Roosevelt's presidency and time in the badlands. The South Unit Visitor Center is located at the entrance to the park's scenic loop drive in the town of Medora, ND. Cottonwood Campground Cottonwood Campground lies inside the park, about 5 miles from Medora, ND. It is the South Unit's only campground. Half the sites are by reservation at recreation.gov while all remaining sites are first come, first served. Most sites are suitable for tents and RVs (no hookups). Cottonwood Campground fills to capacity each afternoon, mid-May through mid-September. Standard Campsite - Summer Rate 14.00 One night in a standard campsite, limited to 1 family or 6 people. Summer rates are in effect May through September. Standard Campsite - Summer Rate - Senior/Access Pass 7.00 One night in a standard campsite, limited to 1 family or 6 people. Summer rates are in effect May through September. This discounted rate applies to sites occupied by a person with a valid Senior or Access Pass. (Note: this does not include Interagency, TRNP, or Military Annual Pass holders.) Standard Campsite - Winter Rate 7.00 One night in a standard campsite, limited to 1 family or 6 people. Winter rates are in effect October through April. Standard Campsite - Winter Rate - Senior/Access Pass 3.50 One night in a standard campsite, limited to 1 family or 6 people. Winter rates are in effect October through April. This discounted rate applies to sites occupied by a person with a valid Senior or Access Pass. (Note: this does not include Interagency, TRNP, or Military Annual Pass holders.) Group Site Rate 30.00 One night in the Cottonwood Campground Group Site by groups of 7 to 20 people. By reservation only - see the Reservations section. Passholder discounts do not apply. Cottonwood Campground Site 53 A campsite beneath cottonwood trees with an open field and buttes in the distance. Primitive campsites offer opportunities to be immersed in nature. Cottonwood Campground campsite 12 A curved gravel parking pad lined with boulders and an adjacent campsite and picnic table. Sites in Cottonwood Campground range from full sun to full shade. Camp Host A bison stands next to an RV and behind a sign reading Campground Host No, he's not really your campground host. But bison do frequent the campground. Be sure to keep a safe distance. Cottonwood Site 74 A campsite in an open, grassy area with buttes and fall leaves in the background. Some sites receive full sun. Cottonwood Campground A quiet campground setting with tents and picnic tables beneath spindly cottonwood trees. Walk-to campsites in Cottonwood Campground Juniper Campground Juniper Campground is 5 miles from Hwy 85 and is the only campground in the park's North Unit. All sites are open to tent camping and most can also be used by vehicles/RVs (no hookups). All regular sites are first come, first served. Juniper Campground is trending to fill to capacity by late afternoon and definitely fills to capacity on holiday weekends. The group site is by reservation only at recreation.gov. See the RESERVATIONS section below. Standard Campsite - Summer Rate 14.00 One night in a standard campsite, limited to 1 family or 6 people. Summer rates are in effect May through September. Standard Campsite - Winter Rate 7.00 One night in a standard campsite, limited to 1 family or 6 people. Winter rates are in effect October through April. Standard Campsite - Summer Rate - Senior/Access Pass 7.00 One night in a standard campsite, limited to 1 family or 6 people. Summer rates are in effect May through September. This discounted rate applies to sites occupied by a person with a valid Senior or Access Pass. (Note: this does not include Interagency, TRNP, or Military Annual Pass holders.) Standard Campsite - Winter Rate - Senior/Access Pass 3.50 One night in a standard campsite, limited to 1 family or 6 people. Winter rates are in effect October through April. This discounted rate applies to sites occupied by a person with a valid Senior or Access Pass. (Note: this does not include Interagency, TRNP, or Military Annual Pass holders.) Generally, winter rates are in effect October through April. (There are no set dates.) Camping - Group Site 30.00 One night in the Juniper Group Site (open May through September) for a group of 7 to 60 people. By reservation only - see Reservation section. Passholder discounts do not apply. Juniper Group Site A green lawn interspersed with spindly cottonwood trees with picnic tables, grills, and a restroom. The Juniper Campground Group Site has ample space for tenting. Juniper Campground Scenery A dense stand of dark, arcing tree trunks support bright green leaves in this sunny scene. Juniper Campground boasts great solitude and scenery. Be Prepared to Share A large bull bison lays beside a small tent. Bison are frequent visitors to park campgrounds. Be sure to keep a safe distance of at least 25 yards or more! Juniper Picnic Area A picnic shelter sits in a green lawn with picnic tables and large cottonwood trees. Juniper picnic area, near Juniper Campground, features open space, picnic tables, a restoom, and a picnic shelter. Juniper Group Site A dirt path recedes into a law interspersed with trees, picnic tables, and grills. The group site, like the rest of the campground, is a mix of sun and shade. Roundup Group Horse Camp Roundup is the park's only camping facility in which horses are permitted. This private campsite is located 12 miles from Medora, ND in the park's South Unit. It is reserved by one group at a time; space is not be shared among different parties. Reservations for Roundup begin each season on the first business day in March at 8:00 am MST. See the RESERVATIONS section below. Roundup can accommodate up to 20 people and 20 horses or 30 people if camping without horses. Roundup Group Campsite - Nightly Rate 40.00 Exclusive use of Roundup Group Horse Camp by one group of up to 20 people and 20 horses or 30 people without horses. Maximum stay is 5 nights. Roundup Group Horse Camp A wood pavilion and restroom at the edge of a curved gravel drive with green grass Roundup Group Horse Camp has ample space and parking. Roundup horse facilities A horse corral area with green hills in the background and a gravel drive in the foreground. Corrals, hitching posts, and horse mounting ramp are provided. Mike Auney Trail A dirt trail extends towards a grove of green trees with rolling badlands scenery behind. The Mike Auney Trail begins at Roundup Group Horse Camp and takes hikers and riders west across the Little Missouri River and into the Theodore Roosevelt Wilderness. Choose a Trail A trail post with brown sign labeling the direction of two trails. Two trails depart from Roundup, linking riders with trails on both sides of the Little Missouri River. River Bend Overlook, North Unit A colorfully striped butte in the foreground overlooks a dark green badlands landscape The River Bend Overlook offers one of the most popular views in the park's North Unit. A View from the Maah Daah Hey Trail the Little Missouri River under blue skies The Maah Daah Hey Trail follows the Little Missouri River for several miles before it enters the Theodore Roosevelt Wilderness. Ekblom Trail A muddy river bank lined with cottonwood trees and steep buttes The Ekblom Trail is the gateway to the Theodore Roosevelt Wilderness. All you have to do is make it across the river! Raise a Ruckus two bull bison collide heads in a dusty battle for dominance In the summer, bull bison wage furious battles over the right to breed. Milky Way the swirling, dusty looking milky way runs vertically though a starry night sky Though light pollution in the area is increasing, the night sky over Theodore Roosevelt National Park remains beautiful and inspiring. Bison Trail a string of bison are silhouetted against the backdrop of hazy blue and yellow badlands Bison roam the badlands from top to bottom, surprising visitors with their agility and ability to cross even the most rugged terrain. Sunset on Buck Hill a green prairie hilltop overlooks the badlands, shrouded in shadows A short climb to the top of Buck Hill in the park's South Unit rewards hikers with a sweeping panorama and a fantastic place to watch the sun rise or set. Fall Bugle A bugling bull elk and his harem of cows stand on the edge of a butte as the sunlight fades The ghostly bugles of bull elk can be heard wafting through the badlands in the fall. Hoodoos a strange looking sand and rock formation stands in a prairie of brown grass Theodore Roosevelt described the badlands as "so fantastically broken in form and so bizarre in color as to seem hardly properly to belong to this earth." Maltese Cross Cabin The rising sun casts light on Roosevelt's snow-covered cabin. Imagine waking up on a crisp winter morning in Roosevelt's Maltese Cross Cabin. It is no wonder that his heart was captured by the romance of life in the West. Park Air Profiles - Theodore Roosevelt National Park Air quality profile for Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Gives park-specific information about air quality and air pollution impacts for Theodore Roosevelt NP as well as the studies and monitoring conducted for Theodore Roosevelt NP. Sunset view from Wind Canyon Trail NPS Geodiversity Atlas—Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota Each park-specific page in the NPS Geodiversity Atlas provides basic information on the significant geologic features and processes occurring in the park. Links to products from Baseline Geologic and Soil Resources Inventories provide access to maps and reports. [Site Under Development] badlands overlook Plant Community Monitoring at Theodore Roosevelt National Park Theodore Roosevelt National Park is composed of three discrete units, each of which is a patchwork of mixed-grass prairie, clay buttes, bottomland forest, and open shrublands. The three park units are connected by the Little Missouri River. The park contains a great diversity of plants, but an increase in exotic plants could change this. We monitor plant communities here to better understand the current health of park ecosystems and to detect park-wide trends in vegetation. A tall plant growing in a clump with long flower spikes of pretty cream flowers Bison Bellows: Theodore Roosevelt National Park Meet the herd of Theodore Roosevelt National Park! A bison standing atop a green hill in grass up to its chest, a cloudy blue sky behind Origin of the Teddy Bear One of the world's most well-loved bears is part of the history surrounding President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt. Teddy Bear The Bull Moose in Winter: Theodore Roosevelt and World War I Roosevelt believed America should prepare for war. President Wilson wanted to keep America out of it. Theodore Roosevelt, seated Fertility control produces potential for feral horse management in park units A recent study done in Theodore Roosevelt National Park shows the potential of fertility control - or contraceptives - to manage feral horse populations in the park. Wild (feral) horses and foal in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Landbird Monitoring at Theodore Roosevelt National Park The Northern Great Plains Inventory and Monitoring Network have been monitoring landbirds at Theodore Roosevelt National Park since 2012. The Little Missouri River winds through all three units of the park and attracts numerous bird species to its floodplain cottonwood forest. a bird with black body, white cheeks and chestnut neck patch, sitting on a strand of barbed wire. Theodore Roosevelt National Park Successfully Conducts Prescribed Fire After Years of Planning In May 2014, staff of Theodore Roosevelt NP completed the Beef Corral Wash prescribed fire in Billings County. Goals included reducing fuels, stimulating new growth, altering grazing patterns of bison and elk, reducing Rocky Mountain juniper encroachment, encouraging fire-dependent plant growth, and restoring fire to a fire-dependent ecosystem that has not seen documented fire in >100 years. The fire supported a main NPS goal to restore and maintain resilient landscapes. Smoke rises in multiple places from badlands. Wildland Fire in Ponderosa Pine: Western United States This forest community generally exists in areas with annual rainfall of 25 inches or less. Extensive pure stands of this forest type are found in the southwestern U.S., central Washington and Oregon, southern Idaho and the Black Hills of South Dakota. Recently burned ponderosa pine forest. Bison Conservation Initiative The 2008 BCI has been a touchstone for DOI bureaus for 12 years. The commitments made there have now resulted in meaningful technical products and organizational improvements that continue to advance the conservation of American bison. The Bison Working Group, established as a mechanism for implementing the 2008 BCI, quickly became a productive model of interagency collaboration. Federal professionals working in support of bison conservation note that today we enjoy an ... Bison Conservation Initiative Junior Web Ranger Activities for Ages 7-10 Welcome to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We have online activities for 7 - 10 year olds that include a virtual tour, wildlife watching, keeping your own journal, and more. Join us for these fun activities and a reward at the end. Badlands reveal layers of ancient rock. Population Viability Study This study confirms that management of DOI bison herds in isolation promotes the loss of genetic diversity within all herds. More importantly, this study demonstrates that increased herd size and targeted removal strategies can reduce rates of diversity loss, and that adopting a Departmental metapopulation strategy through facilitated periodic movement of modest numbers of bison among DOI herds (i.e., restoring effective gene flow) can substantially reduce the... Bison Population Viability Study Series: Geologic Time Periods in the Cenozoic Era The Cenozoic Era (66 million years ago [MYA] through today) is the "Age of Mammals." North America’s characteristic landscapes began to develop during the Cenozoic. Birds and mammals rose in prominence after the extinction of giant reptiles. Common Cenozoic fossils include cat-like carnivores and early horses, as well as ice age woolly mammoths. fossils on display at a visitor center Series: Wildlife in the Badlands Ever wonder what kind of wildlife could survive the harsh climate of the Badlands? Two small, grey young lambs walk down brown badlands slope. Series: Research in Badlands National Park Scientists often look to the Badlands as a research subject. Many studies have been conducted in the park on a variety of topics, including paleontology, geology, biology, and archaeology. Learn more about these research topics in this article series. two researchers converse over a sheet of paper while a woman to their right uses a microscope. Series: National Park Service Geodiversity Atlas The servicewide Geodiversity Atlas provides information on <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/geoheritage-conservation.htm">geoheritage</a> and <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/geodiversity.htm">geodiversity</a> resources and values all across the National Park System to support science-based management and education. The <a href="https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1088/index.htm">NPS Geologic Resources Division</a> and many parks work with National and International <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/park-geology.htm">geoconservation</a> communities to ensure that NPS abiotic resources are managed using the highest standards and best practices available. park scene mountains Series: Plant Community Monitoring in Northern Great Plains Network Parks Plant communities are essential components of all major ecosystems. Plants are the ultimate source of food for other organisms and the main source of organic material in soil and water. They also influence climate and provide the scenery that park visitors enjoy. The NPS Northern Great Plains Network monitors the number, identity, and relative abundance of plant species, as well as their horizontal cover and vertical structure, to determine the health of park ecosystems. Two people sitting on the ground looking at plants Series: Park Air Profiles Clean air matters for national parks around the country. Photo of clouds above the Grand Canyon, AZ Quaternary Period—2.58 MYA to Today Massive ice sheets advanced and retreated across North America during much of the Quaternary, carving landscapes in many parks. Bering Land Bridge National Preserve contains geologic evidence of lower sea level during glacial periods, facilitating the prehistoric peopling of the Americas. The youngest rocks in the NPS include the lava of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and the travertine at Yellowstone National Park, which can be just a few hours old. fossil bone bed and murals of mammoths Paleogene Period—66.0 to 23.0 MYA Colorful Paleogene rocks are exposed in the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon National Park and the badlands of Badlands and Theodore Roosevelt national parks. Extraordinary Paleogene fossils are found in Fossil Butte and John Day Fossil Beds national monuments, among other parks. fossil skull with teeth expsoed Cenozoic Era The Cenozoic Era (66 million years ago [MYA] through today) is the "Age of Mammals." North America’s characteristic landscapes began to develop during the Cenozoic. Birds and mammals rose in prominence after the extinction of giant reptiles. Common Cenozoic fossils include cat-like carnivores and early horses, as well as ice age woolly mammoths. fossils on display in a visitor center Changing Patterns of Water Availability May Change Vegetation Composition in US National Parks Across the US, changes in water availability are altering which plants grow where. These changes are evident at a broad scale. But not all areas experience the same climate in the same way, even within the boundaries of a single national park. A new dataset gives park managers a valuable tool for understanding why vegetation has changed and how it might change in the future under different climate-change scenarios. Green, orange, and dead grey junipers in red soil, mountains in background Plan Like A Park Ranger: Top 10 Tips for Visiting Theodore Roosevelt National Park Learn more about how to Plan Like a Park Ranger for the next trip to your National Park! Ranger hat on grass with binoculars and booklets. Things to Do in North Dakota Things to do in North Dakota national parks. View of seven bison on on a ridge with ridges stretching into the distance behind. Series: Things to Do in Midwest National Parks There is something for everyone in the Midwest. See what makes the Great Plains great. Dip your toes in the continent's inland seas. Learn about Native American heritage and history. Paddle miles of scenic rivers and waterways. Explore the homes of former presidents. From the Civil War to Civil Rights, discover the stories that shape our journey as a nation. Steep bluff with pink sky above and yellow leaves below. Volcanic Ash, Tephra Fall, and Fallout Deposits Volcanic ash, pumice, and tephra ejected in volcanic eruptions ultimately falls back to Earth where it covers the ground. These deposits may be the thin dustings or may be many tens of feet (meters) thick near an eruptive vent. Volcanic ash and tephra can present geohazards that are present great distances from the erupting volcano. photo of a bluff with exposed fine-grained volcanic ash and pumice. Series: Geologic Time—Major Divisions and NPS Fossils The National Park System contains a magnificent record of geologic time because rocks from each period of the geologic time scale are preserved in park landscapes. The geologic time scale is divided into four large periods of time—the Cenozoic Era, Mesozoic Era, Paleozoic Era, and The Precambrian. photo of desert landscape with a petrified wood log on the surface