The Elkhorn Ranch, where Theodore Roosevelt sought solitude for introspection and honed his conservation ethos, is being threatened by development that could upend the very quality of the setting that so inspired Roosevelt.
Deciding where to pitch your tent or park your RV in Theodore Roosevelt National Park is pretty straightforward: If you're in the South Unit, you head for Cottonwood Campground. In the North Unit, the Juniper Campground is your destination.
When a young Theodore Roosevelt came west in the 1880s, he encountered a landscape unlike any he had set his eyes on. The rippled badlands of the Dakota Territory, cut and carved through the millennia by the Little Missouri River, were stark and barren, and yet inviting to the young man.
The best vantage points to take in the grandeur of Theodore Roosevelt National Park are, quite understandably, up high. The Upper Caprock Coulee Trail takes you there, and along the way shows off some incredible badlands that so captivated Theodore Roosevelt.
Repairs should allow the reopening later this year of the entire North Unit Scenic Drive in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, but until then you'll be limited to only about a 6-mile stretch of the drive.
Curious about where you can find water in the harsh badlands of Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota? Then join a ranger on July 1 to go in search of springs in the park.