62 Parks Traveler听started with a simple goal: to visit every U.S. national park. Avid backpacker and public-lands nerd听听saved up, built out a tiny van to travel and live in, and hit the road. The parks as we know them are rapidly changing, and she听wanted to see them before it鈥檚 too late.
Pennington听is committed to following CDC guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the safety of herself and others. She鈥檚 visiting new parks while closely adhering to best safety practices.
Five minutes after starting on a trail at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, I nearly stepped on a prairie rattlesnake. Wait, let me rephrase that. I nearly stepped on the rattlesnake, then recoiled, tripped, nearly stepped on听it again, rolled my ankle, and ran back to my boyfriend, who was laughing at how flushed my face and chest had become.
I鈥檇 heard that the wildlife sightings would be pretty outrageous amid听this 70,448-acre expanse of rugged badlands cut through by the Little Missouri River. I just didn鈥檛 realize how close I would actually get.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park was founded听to commemorate the death of the conservationist president and to preserve听a little-known corner of western North Dakota that first inspired his love of the outdoors. The听230 million acres of public land that Roosevelt听helped create in the U.S. forever shifted the way the world would think听about and protect听its natural wonders. But it鈥檚 important to note that his legacy is 鈥攈e鈥檚 been legitimately criticized for his support of the Indian allotment system and the removal of Native Americans from their ancestral homelands.
I slept off my tussle with the rattler and woke up refreshed and ready to explore. Turning onto the park鈥檚 most popular听attraction in its South Unit, the 36-mile Scenic Loop Drive, I was immediately met with more wildlife. A thundering coterie听of chirping prairie dogs darted chaotically around the grasslands. Meanwhile, in the distance, a group of wild horses ran right across the road as a coyote slunk听out from a nearby ditch. At one point, I pulled over to hike the short but sweet half-mile Wind Canyon Trail, stopping听to take in the dozens of distinct birdsongs fluttering about in the morning air. Though it was a busy听summer weekend in July and visitors abounded, the place was still teeming with animals.
By lunch听it was time to scoot over to the park鈥檚 less visited North Unit. But听as I hugged the curves along the winding park road, I was abruptly met with a traffic jam. To my right was a herd听of enormous bison with bright, rust-colored calves sprinting across the road. Not a single car dared to move. The mood was tense.
After a 30-minute standstill, we were able to drive two miles per hour between听the huge beasts, cautiously proceeding so as not to disturb them. Mothers were nursing their young in the road as my van crept听past. Given the fact that a full-grown bison cow can weigh 1,200 pounds, it was equal parts adorable and unnerving.
We capped it all off with an easy two-and-a-half mile out-and-back听hike to Sperati Point, tramping through a diverse ecosystem of grasses and wildflowers bursting up in every direction. There wasn鈥檛 a soul around, and I began to see how Roosevelt may have felt here. A remote expanse of badlands and prairie that humbles the ego instantly. Ragged, dynamic, wild.
62 Parks Traveler Theodore Roosevelt Info
Size: 70,448 acres
Location: Western North Dakota
Created In: 1935 (Roosevelt Recreation Demonstration Area), 1978 (national park)
Best For: Bird-watching, wildlife viewing, hiking, scenic drives, and car camping
When to Go: Summers (50 to 86 degrees) are hot, bustling, and an excellent time to visit the park. Spring (19 to 68 degrees) and fall (19 to 74 degrees) offer milder temperatures and chilly nights. In winter (5 to 33 degrees), the park鈥檚 scenic drives stay open as weather conditions permit.
Where to Stay:听, in the park鈥檚 South Unit, has views of the badlands and easy access to the听most popular outings. Each site comes equipped with a picnic table and grill. Just watch out for curious bison poking around camp!
Mini 国产吃瓜黑料: Drive the听 36-mile Scenic Loop Drive and hike the Wind Canyon Trail. The winding road will take you through some of the most exquisite painted badlands that this park听has to offer, while providing excellent opportunities for wildlife viewing. Once on the trail, you鈥檒l enjoy breathtaking views of the Little Missouri River.
Mega 国产吃瓜黑料: Thru–hike the rolling prairie on the听. Derived听from a local Mandan Tribe phrase meaning 鈥渁n area that will be around for a long time,鈥 this 144-mile singletrack connects the park鈥檚 three units and is an unforgettable way to explore the rustic wilderness that first inspired Roosevelt.