General information about the National Park
The national park protects colorful badlands and prairie landscapes created by erosion. The Little Missouri River, which flows through the park, adds to the scenery. As the name suggests, the national park was named after Theodore Roosevelt, who had a ranch here and was a strong supporter of the country's national parks.
Number of visitors
In 2023 Theodore Roosevelt NP ranked 30th in the most visited national parks visitor statistics.
Best time to visit: Spring and summer.
Our visits:
So far 1 visit: June 2017
Entrance fees and opening hours
- 30$/car and all passengers valid for 7 days
- Covered by the Anual Pass*
- Open 24 hours a day. The North Unit has Central Time. Due to snow and ice, roads may be temporarily closed from November to April.
*The Anual Pass is so to speak the "flat rate" for all Parks managed by the National Park Service. The pass costs a one-time fee of $80 and can be purchased at the entrance to each National Park, National Monument, etc. The pass is valid for 13 months.
North Unit
Description: The northern part of the park is about 81mi away from the southern part. You should expect a journey time of at least 1.5 hours. The park is very remote, but has some interesting badlands and beautiful landscapes and so some tourists get lost here.
In 1919, after Theodore Roosevelt's death, the development of the park began. After the areas to be protected were selected, roads and other infrastructure were built. In 1947, the two units were proclaimed a national park.
Our rating: Even if the drive, especially here to the northern part of the park really drags it was worth it for us. The colorful layered bandlands are very interesting and unusual. We can recommend a visit especially if you want to enjoy a national park without crowds. That was definitely an aspect that we booked on the plus side.
Cannonball Concretions
Description: Another attraction can be found just off the 14mi Scenic Road that runs through the park. These huge stone balls are born directly out of the mountain. You can almost literally observe that here.
A concretion is usually a round aggregate of mineral-rich rock that is located in a softer substrate.
Our rating: This is one of those places where you are fascinated by the things that nature produces. At least that's how we felt. We liked the balls very much.
River Bend Overlook
Description: The River Bend Overlook is one of two great overlooks over the Little Missouri River valley. From the parking lot, it's just a few yards and a few steps to reach the overlook. Here you can also enjoy the view from different perspectives by walking a few hundred yards along the edge of the rim.
Our rating: This was our favorite viewpoint in the northern part of the park. Admittedly, we had caught good weather and so we got some really nice photo opportunities.
Oxbow Overlook
Description: At the end of the Scenic Road you will find the Oxbow Owerlook. Here you also have a nice view of the valley of the Little Missouri River. Additionally, you are closer to the colorful badlands and there are also some nice hoodoos to admire.
Our rating: We also liked this viewpoint very much. The view is not so open compared to the River Bend Overlook, but here you also have the colorful badlands and a few nice hoodoos.
An important and always very fun part are the animals that you can observe in their natural habitat, especially in the national parks. Here at the Theodore Roosevelt NP - South we were able to spot the animals shown below.
