Covering 71,000 acres in western North Dakota, Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a truly remarkable landscape. Theodore Roosevelt first visited North Dakota’s badlands in 1883, but it was the events of 1884 that forever linked this land with the future President. On Valentine’s Day 1884, Roosevelt’s wife and mother both passed away. Devastated by the loss, Roosevelt returned to North Dakota, seeking a place to mourn and ultimately heal. The Dakota badlands not only healed Theodore Roosevelt, but also helped instill the conservationist values, which became an important part of his legacy.
“I have always said I would not have been President had it not been for my experience in North Dakota. It was here that the romance of my life began.”
Seeing North Dakota’s badlands for the first time, it’s not hard to understand how they could have had such a tremendous impact on Theodore Roosevelt’s life. The landscape is absolutely breathtaking. The badlands blend with the surrounding prairie in a way that dazzles the eye. Fields of brightly colored grass, dotted with wildflowers, coexisting with badlands more reminiscent of a desert landscape. Add in the relaxing waters of the Little Missouri River, and you’ve got scenery that has to be seen to be believed.
North Dakota had received plenty of rain in the weeks prior to my visit, and it was evident in the vibrant colors throughout the park. Everywhere I looked, there seemed to be a different combination of colors, all coalescing to form an entirely new landscape. I explored for hours, and never felt like I saw the same scenery twice. Each section of the park seemed to offer something new and exciting.
While Theodore Roosevelt National Park possesses immense natural beauty, it can also offer peace and relaxation. Unlike Yellowstone or Yosemite, you won’t find huge crowds in the Dakota badlands. The park averages a modest 600,000 visitors per year, far below the peak reached in 1972, when nearly 1,000,000 people visited. With over 70,000 acres of pristine wilderness, there’s plenty of room to explore, and escape the stress of everyday life.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park is also exceptionally easy to visit. Unlike some other remote national parks, you can visit with little advanced planning. You can show up knowing next to nothing, and have a great day exploring nature. The park has a carefully mapped out road, which takes visitors past virtually every landscape worth seeing. Filled with hiking trails and scenic overlooks, you can stop as little or often as you like. The park really strikes a wonderful balance, making it easy for anyone to witness its amazing scenery.
For anyone willing to make the journey to North Dakota, Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a natural wonder worth seeing. For those of you who were swayed by my opinion of South Dakota’s Black Hills, I would recommend hitting both in one trip. Depending on your proclivity to obey posted speed limits, Theodore Roosevelt National Park can be reached from the Black Hills in as little as 3 hours. As a bonus, you would then be armed with the knowledge to humble snobs, who say there is nothing worthwhile in either of the Dakotas. I only mention this because I can think of at least 3 popular TV shows, which directly call out the Dakotas for being boring. I’m looking at you Friends. Regardless, Theodore Roosevelt National Park is deserving of a spot on anyone’s bucket list, and those of you who make the journey will find it well worth it.
Theodore Roosevelt not only lost his wife and mother around the same time, it was on the same day! In reading his biography I couldn’t understand his deep love for North Dakota because he did face some hardships there, too. Those weren’t personal, it was just a tough place to live in the 19th century. The don’t call them “the badlands” for nothing. The winter was brutal. The outlaws were… outlaws. But he was a Rough Rider, up for a challenge, and a challenge he got.
I’m guilty of jealousy with all these stops your making, Zach. Great posts, though. They make me feel like I’m in the passenger seat!