Theodore Roosevelt National Park: What to Do, Boondocking, & Wildlife

Boicourt Overlook

We boondocked just outside of Theodore Roosevelt National Park this August in the National Grasslands along the western border of the park. We opted to visit the South Unit of the park and really enjoyed it! This was a brief stop for us on our way from Michigan to Montana, but we were pleasantly surprised by this National Park, its beauty, and its history.  

If you are passing through North Dakota or looking to cross another National Park off of your list, here are the things we recommend doing! You can also experience the park alongside us by accessing our YouTube video here.  

We woke up early and drove the 36-mile scenic loop around the park–a portion of the loop was closed when we visited in August so make sure to check their website to see if this has changed. Despite being unable to complete the entire loop, it was still a great time! Our first stop was the Prairie Dog Metropolis and the Skyline Vista overlook.  

Prairie dog metropolis

Skyline Vista trail

Prairie Dog Metropolis & Skyline Vista Overlook

After taking in some views, we made our way over to Wind Canyon trail. We really enjoyed this trail! It’s only about a half-mile and you get great views of the Little Missouri River. It was pretty hot out there so make sure to check the weather before heading out for the day!  

Plants in Wind Canyon

Gracen hiking the Wind Canyon trail

A view of the river from Wind Canyon

Wind Canyon trail

After the wind canyon, we hiked out to Boicourt overlook. This was a tad longer of a walk (maybe a mile?) but we definitely recommend continuing down the dirt path at the end of the pavement for fantastic views. We were able to see a herd of bison AND wild horses from the end of this trail.  

Next we headed over to Buck Hill where we saw another herd of wild horses (so cool!) and walked up to the top. This was a great way to finish the day before we turned around, unable to finish the scenic loop due to road closures.

View from Boicourt overlook

Wild mustangs from Buck Hill overlook

Boicourt & Buck Hill Overlook

On day 2, we woke up early and headed to the Painted Canyon area of the park to do the Painted Canyon Trail. The trail is about 4.5 miles long and fairly steep on the way in and out of the canyon. We strongly recommend sturdy shoes, sun protection, pants, and LOTS of water. It heats up out there quickly and we were glad we came prepared. There are tall grasses, petrified wood, and beautiful rock layers. We recommend this trail if you’re looking for a longer hike, however we would suggest turning around once you see the striated rock layers and petrified wood because there isn’t much else after this point, haha. But if you just want the mileage, then keep on!  

Gracen on the Painted Canyon trail

Petrified wood on the Painted Canyon trail

Gracen hiking the Painted Canyon trail

Boicourt Overlook

After our hike, we went in the Visitor Center and enjoyed the Theodore Roosevelt Museum. It was really special learning about President Roosevelt’s passion for conservation and the preservation of United States natural lands. He designated more than 230 million acres of national parks, forests, monuments, and wildlife reserves. We visited the Maltese Cabin outside where Roosevelt lived during his time in the Badlands–he wrote many letters and books about his experiences here and how they shaped his passion for protecting wild places.  

Maltese Cabin at the Visitor Center

After we left the park, we stopped in at the Little Missouri Saloon in the town of Medora. There are a lot of things to do just in this little town itself, but we wanted to prioritize the park with the limited days we had here.  

As always, please let us know what questions you have in the comments! 

Happy travels <3