Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Theodore Roosevelt National Park is located in western North Dakota, along Interstate 94. Established in 1978, the park is named after the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, who was a passionate conservationist and helped to establish the American national park system. The park covers over 70,000 acres and is divided into three separate units, each offering unique landscapes and experiences.
The South Unit of the park is known for its striking badlands formations, rolling prairies, and the Little Missouri River, which winds its way through the park. The North Unit, located near Watford City, offers visitors a chance to experience the park’s more rugged and remote landscapes, including the beautiful and remote river valleys of the Little Missouri River. The park’s third unit, the Elkhorn Ranch Unit, was once the site of President Roosevelt’s personal ranch and offers a glimpse into the park’s cultural and historical heritage.
VISIT Theodore Roosevelt National Park:
Park Details
Theodore Roosevelt National Park was established on April 25, 1947, and has a total area of 70,447 acres (110 square miles, or 285 square kilometers).
| Address | 315 Second Avenue, Medora, ND, 58645 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 701-623-4466 |
| Hours | Open 24 hours a day, year-round |
| Entrance Fee | $30 per vehicle, valid for 7 days |
| Learn More | Official Website |
When to Visit: Weather vs. Peak Visitation
Theodore Roosevelt National Park is the 105th most visited park in the country.
We crunched 30 years of historical weather and/or park service data to find the best months to visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We looked for the optimal temperatures, the least amount of snow and rain, and stayed away from peak visitation months if we could help it. All this data then helped us paint a picture as to what the absolute best time to visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park is.
Our data shows the best months to visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park are September, October, May & June.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Park Visits | 6,866 | 5,162 | 15,125 | 11,993 | 76,738 | 150,232 | 176,113 | 157,639 | 130,018 | 55,777 | 8,235 | 2,187 |
| Precipitation | 20 | 19 | 34 | 55 | 71 | 61 | 43 | 39 | 31 | 37 | 24 | 21 |
| Avg Temp | 29 | 33 | 45 | 58 | 70 | 80 | 89 | 88 | 77 | 60 | 43 | 31 |
| Max Temp | 45 | 51 | 66 | 78 | 87 | 97 | 102 | 100 | 94 | 82 | 64 | 49 |
| Avg Temp | 14 | 18 | 26 | 35 | 45 | 55 | 61 | 59 | 49 | 37 | 25 | 16 |
| Min Temp | -10 | -4 | 5 | 20 | 30 | 41 | 50 | 47 | 33 | 19 | 6 | -7 |
Theodore Roosevelt National Park Road Trips
Many family vacations consist of stringing one or more national parks together during a week-long trip. Creating these types of trips is our specialty! Here are the road trips we've created where Theodore Roosevelt National Park is visited.
| Trip Name | Trip Miles | Trip Days |
|---|---|---|
| Devils Tower, Wind Cave, Mt. Rushmore to Badlands | 444 | 7 |
Other Nearby National Park Sites
From national monuments, to historic sites to seashores and more, here are the other parks closest to Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
| Name | Distance |
|---|---|
| Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site | 76 mi |
| Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site | 101 mi |
| Devils Tower National Monument | 175 mi |
| Mount Rushmore National Memorial | 213 mi |
| Jewel Cave National Monument | 224 mi |
| Badlands National Park | 227 mi |
| Minuteman Missile National Historic Site | 228 mi |
| Wind Cave National Park | 235 mi |
Nearby Campsites & RV Parks
If you are looking to pitch a tent or park an RV at a campsite near Theodore Roosevelt National Park, here is a list of the closest campsites in the surrounding area. They all have slightly different amenitites, so its best to check them all out instead of just chosing the first on the list.
| Name | Details | Miles Away |
|---|---|---|
| Cottonwood - Theodore Roosevelt National Park | ND more | 4 miles |
| Medora City RV Campground | Medora, ND more | 5 miles |
| Sully Creek State Rec Area | Medora, ND more | 7 miles |
| Wannagan | Beach, ND more | 9 miles |
| Buffalo Gap | Medora, ND more | 11 miles |
| Magpie | Watford City, ND more | 24 miles |
| Burning Coal Vein | Belfield, ND more | 26 miles |
| Visitors Center - Beach | Beach, ND more | 27 miles |
| Patterson Lake Rec Area | Dickinson, ND more | 29 miles |
| Golva City Park | Golva, ND more | 30 miles |
Nearest Ski Resorts
For those of you who are the diehard outdoors type, visiting a national park on a ski trip can be quite the adventure. Here are the ski resorts within 100 miles of Theodore Roosevelt National Park:
None Found.
Nearest Airports
When visiting a National park, many people are faced with either a very long drive across country, or a much shorter flight. For those of you looking to fly into Theodore Roosevelt National Park, we've listed the closest airports in the area.
Large Airports
A large airport has scheduled major airline service with millions of passengers per year. This type of airport always accepts international flights. Here are the closest large airports to Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
| Name | Code | City | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winnipeg / James Armstrong Richardson International Airport | YWG | Winnipeg, MB | 349 mi |
| Denver International Airport | DEN | Denver, CO | 494 mi |
Medium Airports
A medium-sized airport has scheduled regional airline service. This type of airport may or may not accept international flights. Here are the closest medium-sized airports to Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
| Name | Code | City | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Williston Basin International Airport | XWA | Williston, ND | 90 mi |
| Frank Wiley Field | MLS | Miles City, MT | 121 mi |
| Bismarck Municipal Airport | BIS | Bismarck, ND | 128 mi |
| Minot International Airport | MOT | Minot, ND | 135 mi |
| Wokal Field/Glasgow-Valley County Airport | GGW | Glasgow, MT | 171 mi |
| Rapid City Regional Airport | RAP | Rapid City, SD | 203 mi |
| Gillette Campbell County Airport | GCC | Gillette, WY | 207 mi |
Credits: Campground data provided by USCampgrounds.info. Map shapes from CartographyVectors. Weather data from NOAA. Airport data from OurAirports.com. Images from Unsplash, Flickr and Parks&Trips. All data has also been updated and augmented by Parks&Trips.