Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota preserves the iconic American prairie this U.S. president once called home. Bison roam free. Prairie dogs chirp and bark. I had the chance to visit last summer. I only wish we had more time to explore!
Theodore Roosevelt and the National Parks
Theodore Roosevelt impacted the story of U.S. national parks possibly more than any other president. Kids around the world read the story of his camping trip with John Muir in Yosemite. We know him as a hunter who refused to shoot a bear in an unsportsmanlike way.
He was also the first president to use the Antiquities Act to set aside public lands for preservation as National Monuments including Devils Tower and the Grand Canyon. Some today, look at this as a severe overreach of federal authority, but without these actions we would not have the majesty of the Grand Canyon preserved in its natural beauty. We would not have the archeological treasures of Mesa Verde’s cliff dwellings. And, the list could go on.
Roosevelt’s Connection to His Namesake Park
Roosevelt’s first came to this region to hunt bison in the 1880s. At that time, he fell in love with the plains and the badlands and invested in a local ranch. Shortly after, he established his own, Elkhorn Ranch.
In 1947, President Truman established Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park with what today is the south unit. A year later, the north unit was added by Congress. Thirty years later, Congress renamed the park to Theodore Roosevelt National Park and established the current boundaries in addition to wilderness and wildlife refuge around the park.
The South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park
My visit allowed enough time to visit just one unit of the park. We chose the south unit, so we could also have time to visit Elkhorn Ranch. Since the south unit is directly off the interstate, it makes it very easy to access. This section contains mostly badlands, whereas the north unit is mostly prairie.
Badlands
Badlands are just that, land that is unsuitable for pretty much any purpose such as agriculture or even mining. Some Native American traditions even called them this. People were encouraged to go around as they are difficult to traverse, easy to get lost in, and can present unseen obstacles.
One interpretive plaque overlooking the badlands says:
“To the Lakota, this land is mako sica, meaning bad land or bad earth. French fur trappers called it les mauvais terres a traverser meaning the bad lands to cross. Anyone who has experienced the badlands understands exactly how this place earned its name.”
Prairie Dog Towns
Throughout the south unit, we found colonies of prairie dogs. These communities are called towns. Over a flat open space, there are dozens of dirt mounds with holes. Popping out of the holes or out foraging, cute little prairie dogs dot the town. They bark when you get near sending others scurrying back to the safety of their holes. Sometimes, they just sit on their chubby haunches and stare you down.
Unfortunately, this was pretty much most of the wildlife we saw in the park. There were lots of bugs, so I would recommend long pants, even in the summer, while hiking off the pavement. We did see bison while outside of the park on the highway, but they were not near enough to any roads or trails within the park for us to see. A small cluster of horses played about in a field. However, we are not sure if they were wild horses or had wandered in from ranches around the park.
Elkhorn Ranch
After visiting the south unit for a few hours, we drove the dirt road out to Roosevelt’s former ranch. This isolated section of the park attracts few visitors and offers a very real sense of what it was like when Roosevelt would be at the ranch so long ago. Be sure to fill up your tank before hitting the road. There are no services of any kind out there.
Elkhorn Ranch occupied space along the Little Missouri River. Today, footings from the log cabin’s foundation peak up in a fenced lot. From the parking area, you take a tranquil walk through a stand of trees and scrub. Eventually, the river meanders before you, and a grove of cottonwood trees beckons. Roosevelt would sit on his veranda looking out at the river through this grove of trees. The ranch served as a retreat for him while recovering from the death of his wife. Roosevelt wrote extensively of his time here, which I’m sure helped him later in his conservation work as President of the United States.
I can understand how Roosevelt fell in love with this rough region in North Dakota. The tranquility and peace that Roosevelt must have felt so many years ago relaxed me. I could have sat there for hours watching the leaves bristle in the wind and the river snake through the valley. However, I would not want to be there in winter. Someday, I want to return and explore the north unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. I’d love to spend more time hiking and exploring the wild prairies and badlands of America.
