Theodore Roosevelt national park

[Phoebe2009]

Any advice on visiting Theodore Roosevelt National Park? How long should we plan to stay? Which campground is best?

[chelli]

Originally Posted by Phoebe2009

Any advice on visiting Theodore Roosevelt National Park? How long should we plan to stay? Which campground is best?

Where/What state?

[Florida 55]

Originally Posted by Phoebe2009

Any advice on visiting Theodore Roosevelt National Park? How long should we plan to stay? Which campground is best?

We stayed at Theodore Roosevelt in August 2017. We stayed at the south campground - Cottonwood. The campground was crowded, sites were tight, and campground was not well maintained. No hookups. There were pit toilets in the camping area that had bad odor and lots of flies. We planned on four nights but only stayed three because temperatures were hot (mid 90's) and we saw both the north and south sections during the three days. You can easily drive from the south to the north and drive completely through the north in a day.

The wildlife in the south section is wonderful. Driving through the park you see buffalo, prairie dogs, and wild horses.

We drove through the north campground and if we return to the park will likely stay in the north. The sites seem less crowded and the campground seems to be better maintained. However, when we were at the north campground there were signs up warning campers not to drink the water - there was a problem. No hookups in the north campground either.

We attended one evening ranger talk at the south campground. It was good.

During the day and the evening the host and park rangers frequently walked through the camping area both in front of and behind the sites at Cottonwood. We've never seen this intense level of patrolling in a NPS campground. I suspect they were looking for RV's draining gray water on the ground.

Our site at Cottonwood backed up on the river but we could not see it. We did not hike through the high grass to the river due to concern about snakes.

The north section had staffing issues. There was no attendant at the entrance and the visitor center was closed during the day. We found one ranger who told us the staff had been sent to the south. The campground was virtually empty in the north (crowded at Cottonwood) and there were few visitors on the roads in the north.

It is easier to see the wildlife in the south section of the park. The town of Medora, outside the south entrance of the park, is a tourist trap. Only one place to buy diesel fuel. Visually we preferred the topography in the north section of the park, however we did not see much wildlife there.

From our perspective Theodore Roosevelt is a diamond in the rough. Clearly it is under resourced with respect to facilities and staffing. Likely the National Park Service is spending its money elsewhere.

Cellular service with Verizon was poor in the south section of the park. We had to drive into Medora to get cell service and connect with the internet.

If you have specific questions, feel free to PM.

[DaveP]

The park is located in western North Dakota. Looks like some nice scenery and potentially, good fishing on the Little Missouri River.

[karenjude]

We stayed in the north side campground in May of last year. Weather was great and we saw a lot of bison - the herd hung out near the entrance to the campground while we were there. Quiet and peaceful.

[Woosch]

We visited in late August last year. Had a reservation in Cottonwood. It was really hot when we got there and we were not carrying a generator to run the A/C so we cancelled the reservation and stayed outside the park. If you are interested, you can PM me and I will tell you which place NOT to stay! We've never been treated so rudely.
Otherwise, we enjoyed the park and spent a couple of days exploring.

[Silver Otter]

Hi - We've stayed in both, but the North is more fun and more bison. As someone else had said, watch out for the private ones in Medora. At least one of them is bad, but I don't remember the name just now, might be called Red Trail?

[PatLee]

What a factual, objective synopsis you provided on this park - many thanks!

[openroad118]

A few years ago I drove over to the west side of the park to hike the trail to the Petrified Forest. Got lost for hours and I would be dead now if I didn't catch a ride with some Oil Workers. Bring a good map. Water. Common sense

[Rzrbrn]

We were there a couple of years ago during June, July, northern part. Not crowded. Flush toilets, no showers. Hot. No electricity, generators restricted to mornings and afternoons. Not really well maintained: National Parks are under funded and understaffed. Had a great time.

Keep your pets inside. Heard terrible howling late one night. Next morning Ranger said a camper's dog had been killed and dragged off by coyotes. Yes, coyotes sometimes run in packs.

Buffalo will walk the same narrow trails as people. If encountered immediately climb a tree or scale a cliff. Whatever you need to do to get out of their way.

[ajwbarnard]

We were there for 4 days in August of 2016. We were tent camping. We stayed in both campgrounds. I liked them both for different reasons. We did most of our hiking in the North unit. Plenty of wildlife there. Went to two programs there. An astronomy one where they brought in telescopes and another in the campground. North Unit is first come, first served. We got a nice sight getting there on a weekday late morning. We traveled up to historical sites north of the park which were interesting. Flush toilets and sinks but no showers.

In the south Unit we had a reservation, but ended up staying a different site because it was more conducive for a trailer than a tent and had a beautiful walk-in site right on the river. We did take a hike out to Roosevelt’s original house site. It was in another location west of the southern unit. We never saw a soul out there but did check out another CCC? Campground out there. (There was one near the North Rim as well.). Most of what we did in Southern unit was do the scenic drive. A bigger variety of wild life.

I really loved this park. I could have stayed there longer and I will go back. We did walk around Medora one afternoon. Typical tourist town. I didn’t have any of the issues the other reply had in 2017 summer.

[kdickinson]

oooh - I want to go there!

[Sovereign85]

We have stayed at Buffalo Gap Campground several times during our travels thru ND. It is near Medora and the interstate. The sites are large and clean. There is usually a camp host at the campground, but if not there is a self-registration station. Although close to I-94 there is no traffic noise.

[Kittycatcat]

We stayed at T Roosevelt NP south (Cottonwood) campground 3 nights last September 2017 and enjoyed it a lot. Note that as you drive into the campground, there are a few large camping sites along the entrance road (no privacy), then 2 camping loops. The loop on the left has a maximum length restriction of 25' and several walk-in tent sites. The loop on the right says max 45', with several pull-through sites. We got there mid-afternoon, didn't have a reservation, and it was filling up fast, but we did get a back-in site. (I felt like we were playing musical chairs! LOL) The bath house in our loop had flush toilets and also electric outlets if needed.

Read the little signs on the site posts carefully - they'll tell you which sites are restricted to reservations and which are open.

I did have to change direction while walking around once to avoid a bison who was enjoying the campground. And the wild horses down on the river were beautiful. Lots of other wildlife, too. Definitely drive the long scenic loop road in the park just outside the campground - there are a number of scenic pull-outs, some with a nice hike up to overlooks.

[Kittycatcat]

One more thought - Someone earlier said they had no cell service in the south campground. At the time we were at this park in Sept. 2017, I had cell service with Straight Talk using Verizon towers and got service in the campground - I remember this because (a) I was amazed, and (b) my husband had Straight Talk using AT&T towers and had no service.

The signal was probably 1 or 2 bars, but I was able to download a flashlight app one night when I got turned around walking in the dark campground.

Sometimes it's the phone antenna or some such that's the problem. I once turned my phone on while in line to deplane at a small airport, got 4G, the lady in front of me with the same cell provider (back then I had T-Mobile) got nothing. Go figure.

[Dexterpix]

Hi,

We visited Teddy in SEPT 2017. The southern campground was full by 2pm and the North only had 3 spots left. This was on a Tuesday night! I spoke with the host camper and she said the North unit had been running near full for the last half of the summer. The secret is out!

Very beautiful and unexpected place. After coming north from the Black Hills across the open prairie of South and North Dakota the landscape of the park was as unique and awe inspiring as any we visited.

Joe D

Northern Unit Look out