Along the South Unit's Nature Trail, the badlands reveal themselves in layers - bands of gray, brown, and rust-red sandstone stacked like pages of an open book. For anyone looking for theodore roosevelt nature trail photos that capture the park's unique geology, this short loop near the visitor center delivers more visual variety per mile than most trails in the park. It's where the eroded landscape that shaped Theodore Roosevelt's conservation instincts sits exposed and accessible, and where the light changes every forty-five minutes in ways that reward a slow pace and a tripod.
The park spreads across three separate units totaling roughly 70,000 acres of the Little Missouri River valley in western North Dakota. From the Painted Canyon Overlook to the remote Elkhorn Ranch site, this is a landscape that rewards visitors who come with specific intentions - especially photographers, hikers, and anyone curious about how a young, spectacled dude from New York ended up reshaping American conservation policy.
Overview
When Theodore Roosevelt arrived in the Dakota Territory in 1883 to hunt bison, he was a skinny 24-year-old with a Harvard education and a set of lungs that would later power him up San Juan Hill. What he found in the badlands - a rugged, eroded landscape that looked nothing like the Hudson Valley he grew up in - changed him. The strenuous life he lived here, the cattle ranching, the long days on horseback, the winter that nearly wiped out his herd, all of it fed directly into the conservation policies he would enact as president.
The park exists because of that transformation. It preserves not just the landscape Roosevelt knew, but the specific corners of it that forced him to adapt. The three units - South, North, and Elkhorn Ranch - each have a different character. The South Unit near Medora sees the most traffic. The North Unit is quieter, with a 14-mile scenic drive that cuts through deeper canyon views. The Elkhorn Ranch Unit is accessible only by gravel road and gets almost nobody.
For anyone planning a photography trip, understanding these distinctions matters. The South Unit offers the most accessible trail system, the North Unit has the most dramatic overlooks, and Elkhorn Ranch gives you the solitude Roosevelt himself sought. If you're specifically after theodore roosevelt nature trail photos, the South Unit's Nature Trail and the Petrified Forest Trail are your best starting points.
Quick Information
- Entrance Fee: Private vehicle $30, motorcycle $25, per person (walk-in/bike) $15, commercial van (7-15 passengers) $50, mini-bus (16-25 passengers) $60, motor coach (26+ passengers) $150. All passes valid for 7 days.
- Hours: The park itself is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year, across all three units. Entrance stations and visitor centers operate on reduced hours in winter.
- Cashless Policy: As of May 2026, the park accepts only credit cards, debit cards, or digital payments for fees. No cash or checks.
- Best Time to Visit: Late April through early October for full road and facility access. May and September offer the best balance of mild temperatures and lower crowds.
- Location: Western North Dakota. South Unit entrance in Medora off I-94 exits 24 and 27. North Unit entrance on Highway 85, 14 miles south of Watford City.
- Cell Service: Drops out consistently throughout the park. Download maps and trail info before you arrive.
- Restrooms: Available at visitor centers and developed campgrounds. Vault toilets at trailheads and picnic areas.
- Parking: Ample at visitor centers and major trailheads, but the South Unit lots fill on summer weekends by mid-morning.
Getting There
The South Unit is the easiest to reach. Take Interstate 94 to exit 24 or 27 in Medora, North Dakota. The visitor center address for mobile maps is 201 East River Road N, Medora, ND 58645. From the entrance station, the scenic loop road runs 36 miles through the heart of the badlands.
The North Unit requires a longer drive. From Watford City, head south on Highway 85 for about 14 miles. The entrance road leads to a 14-mile scenic drive that ends at the Oxbow Overlook. This unit gets roughly a third of the visitors the South Unit gets.
The Elkhorn Ranch Unit sits between the two, but "between" is generous in this part of the country. Access is via gravel roads that can become impassable in wet weather. Stop at either the South or North Unit visitor center for directions. Do not trust mobile GPS for this one.
If you're coming from out of state, the nearest commercial airports are in Bismarck (about 130 miles east) and Dickinson (about 40 miles east of Medora).
What to Expect
The badlands are not mountains. They are what happens when soft sedimentary rock gets carved by wind and water over millions of years. The result is a landscape of buttes, gullies, and exposed rock layers that shift color depending on the time of day and the angle of the sun. Early morning light turns the clays and sandstones into something that looks almost wet. Late afternoon brings the reds forward.
Wildlife is visible year-round but behaves differently by season. Bison roam both the North and South Units and frequently cross the road without warning. Wild horses, descendants of domestic herds, run in bands along the river bottoms. Prairie dogs occupy entire towns worth of burrows, and you'll hear their alarm calls before you see them. Elk and pronghorn move
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For more information, see our complete National Park Guide.