{"id":"nps-thro","slug":"theodore-roosevelt-national-park","name":"Theodore Roosevelt National Park","designation":"National Park","category":"national-park","categoryLabel":"National Park","agency":{"code":"NPS","name":"National Park Service","department":"U.S. Department of the Interior","url":"https://www.nps.gov"},"managedBy":[{"code":"NPS","name":"National Park Service","department":"U.S. Department of the Interior","url":"https://www.nps.gov","unitCode":"THRO","designation":"National Park","sourceId":"nps-thro"}],"states":["ND"],"stateNames":["North Dakota"],"location":{"lat":47.17777274,"lon":-103.4300083},"bbox":[-103.6308,46.8883,-103.243,47.6316],"acres":{"value":70342,"kind":"gis-estimate","source":"Computed from the simplified boundary","note":"Approximate. The managing agency publishes official acreage."},"firstProtected":null,"established":null,"administrations":[],"designationHistory":[],"summary":"When Theodore Roosevelt came to Dakota Territory to hunt bison in 1883, he was a skinny, young, spectacled dude from New York. He could not have imagined how his adventure in this remote and unfamiliar place would forever alter the course of the nation. The rugged landscape and strenuous life that TR experienced here would help shape a conservation policy that we still benefit from today.","summarySource":"National Park Service","guide":{},"trConnection":null,"trConnections":[{"id":"dbd-elkhorn-ranch","type":"visited","label":"T.R. was here","place":"Elkhorn Ranch","first":"1884-08-08","last":"1892-08-11","days":86,"text":"Day by Day places T.R. at Elkhorn Ranch on 86 days between 1884-08-08 and 1892-08-11.","sources":[{"name":"Elkhorn Ranch in Theodore Roosevelt Day by Day","url":"https://daybyday.labs.trlibrary.com/place.html?id=elkhorn-ranch"},{"name":"First recorded day","url":"https://daybyday.labs.trlibrary.com/day.html?date=1884-08-08"}],"dataset":"daybyday","reviewed":true}],"trTypes":["visited"],"links":{"official":"https://www.nps.gov/thro/index.htm","social":{},"recreationGov":null,"alltrails":null,"alltrailsExplore":"https://www.alltrails.com/explore?b_tl_lat=47.6316&b_tl_lng=-103.6308&b_br_lat=46.8883&b_br_lng=-103.243","recreationGovSearch":"https://www.recreation.gov/search?q=Theodore%20Roosevelt%20National%20Park","directions":"http://www.nps.gov/thro/planyourvisit/directions.htm","other":[{"label":"Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library","url":"https://www.trlibrary.com"}]},"images":[{"url":"https://www.nps.gov/common/uploads/structured_data/3C793AD5-1DD8-B71B-0B4A3C1BFA5B4C83.jpg","title":"River Bend Overlook, North Unit","alt":"A colorfully striped butte in the foreground overlooks a dark green badlands landscape","caption":"The River Bend Overlook offers one of the most popular views in the park's North Unit.","credit":"NPS Photo / Mark Meyers","source":"NPS"},{"url":"https://www.nps.gov/common/uploads/structured_data/3C7939C8-1DD8-B71B-0B048D7EC3812DE3.jpg","title":"A View from the Maah Daah Hey Trail","alt":"the Little Missouri River under blue skies","caption":"The Maah Daah Hey Trail follows the Little Missouri River for several miles before it enters the Theodore Roosevelt Wilderness.","credit":"NPS Photo / Laura Thomas","source":"NPS"},{"url":"https://www.nps.gov/common/uploads/structured_data/3C793D1D-1DD8-B71B-0B17AA76AF7AE453.jpg","title":"Ekblom Trail","alt":"A muddy river bank lined with cottonwood trees and steep buttes","caption":"The Ekblom Trail is the gateway to the Theodore Roosevelt Wilderness. All you have to do is make it across the river!","credit":"NPS Photo / Laura Thomas","source":"NPS"},{"url":"https://www.nps.gov/common/uploads/structured_data/3C794347-1DD8-B71B-0B5EB10134348DE1.jpg","title":"Raise a Ruckus","alt":"two bull bison collide heads in a dusty battle for dominance","caption":"In the summer, bull bison wage furious battles over the right to breed.","credit":"NPS Photo / Teresina Wheaten","source":"NPS"},{"url":"https://www.nps.gov/common/uploads/structured_data/3C794A8F-1DD8-B71B-0B3C8A05CF065D02.jpg","title":"Milky Way","alt":"the swirling, dusty looking milky way runs vertically though a starry night sky","caption":"Though light pollution in the area is increasing, the night sky over Theodore Roosevelt National Park remains beautiful and inspiring.","credit":"NPS Photo / Jeff Zylland","source":"NPS"},{"url":"https://www.nps.gov/common/uploads/structured_data/3C7941B3-1DD8-B71B-0B9F03744B164B38.jpg","title":"Bison Trail","alt":"a string of bison are silhouetted against the backdrop of hazy blue and yellow badlands","caption":"Bison roam the badlands from top to bottom, surprising visitors with their agility and ability to cross even the most rugged terrain.","credit":"NPS Photo / Roland and Lisa Honeyman","source":"NPS"},{"url":"https://www.nps.gov/common/uploads/structured_data/3C793C29-1DD8-B71B-0BD780A3A72F020B.jpg","title":"Sunset on Buck Hill","alt":"a green prairie hilltop overlooks the badlands, shrouded in shadows","caption":"A short climb to the top of Buck Hill in the park's South Unit rewards hikers with a sweeping panorama and a fantastic place to watch the sun rise or set.","credit":"NPS Photo / Laura Thomas","source":"NPS"},{"url":"https://www.nps.gov/common/uploads/structured_data/3C79484D-1DD8-B71B-0BD76E098C35DBFA.jpg","title":"Fall Bugle","alt":"A bugling bull elk and his harem of cows stand on the edge of a butte as the sunlight fades","caption":"The ghostly bugles of bull elk can be heard wafting through the badlands in the fall.","credit":"NPS Photo / Rolan and Lisa Honeyman","source":"NPS"},{"url":"https://www.nps.gov/common/uploads/structured_data/3C794D85-1DD8-B71B-0BE8C67C46D0233A.jpg","title":"Hoodoos","alt":"a strange looking sand and rock formation stands in a prairie of brown grass","caption":"Theodore Roosevelt described the badlands as \"so fantastically broken in form and so bizarre in color as to seem hardly properly to belong to this earth.\"","credit":"NPS Photo / Laura Thomas","source":"NPS"},{"url":"https://www.nps.gov/common/uploads/structured_data/3C795014-1DD8-B71B-0B9A2115735380B0.jpg","title":"Maltese Cross Cabin","alt":"The rising sun casts light on Roosevelt's snow-covered cabin.","caption":"Imagine waking up on a crisp winter morning in Roosevelt's Maltese Cross Cabin. It is no wonder that his heart was captured by the romance of life in the West.","credit":"NPS Photo","source":"NPS"}],"activities":["Auto and ATV","Scenic Driving","Astronomy","Stargazing","Biking","Road Biking","Camping","Backcountry Camping","Car or Front Country Camping","Horse Camping (see also Horse/Stock Use)","Group Camping","Food","Picnicking","Guided Tours","Self-Guided Tours - Walking","Hiking","Backcountry Hiking","Front-Country Hiking","Off-Trail Permitted Hiking","Horse Trekking","Horse Camping (see also camping)","Junior Ranger Program","Wildlife Watching","Birdwatching","Park Film","Museum Exhibits","Shopping","Bookstore and Park Store"],"topics":["Colonization and Settlement","Farming and Agriculture","Ranches","Great Depression","Presidents","Westward Expansion","Homesteading","Animals","Birds","Bison","Cats (wild)","Elk","Fish","Horses (wild)","Tortoises and Turtles","Fossils and Paleontology","Petrified Wood","Geology","Mineral Deposits","Grasslands","Prairies","Night Sky","Astronomy","Aurora Borealis","River and Riparian","Rock Landscapes and Features","Buttes","Scenic Views","Wilderness"],"fees":[{"title":"Entrance - Private Vehicle","cost":"30.00","description":"Valid for 7 days for all persons traveling in a single, private, non-commercial vehicle."},{"title":"Entrance - Motorcycle","cost":"25.00","description":"Valid for 7 days. Admits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers."},{"title":"Entrance - Per Person","cost":"15.00","description":"Valid for 7 days for a visitor traveling on foot, bicycle, horse, or other non-motorized means of travel."},{"title":"Commercial Entrance - Van","cost":"50.00","description":"Based upon the total capacity of a vehicle that can carry 7-15 passengers, regardless of the actual number of passengers. A commercial tour is defined as consisting of one or more persons traveling on an itinerary that has been packaged, priced, or sold for leisure or recreational purposes by an organization that realizes financial gain through the provision of the service. Pass is good for seven days as long as it's the same passenger group."},{"title":"Commercial Entrance - Mini-bus","cost":"60.00","description":"Based upon the total capacity of a vehicle that can carry 16-25 passengers, regardless of the actual number of passengers. A commercial tour is defined as consisting of one or more persons traveling on an itinerary that has been packaged, priced, or sold for leisure or recreational purposes by an organization that realizes financial gain through the provision of the service. Pass is good for seven days as long as it's the same passenger group."},{"title":"Commercial Entrance - Motor Coach","cost":"150.00","description":"Based upon the total capacity of a vehicle that can carry 26 or more passengers, regardless of the actual number of passengers. A commercial tour is defined as consisting of one or more persons traveling on an itinerary that has been packaged, priced, or sold for leisure or recreational purposes by an organization that realizes financial gain through the provision of the service. Pass is good for seven days as long as it's the same passenger group."}],"passes":[{"title":"Annual Entrance - Park","cost":"55.00","description":"The Theodore Roosevelt National Park Annual Park Pass is valid for one year from month of purchase. The pass admits the purchaser and passengers in a single, private, non-commercial vehicle, or the pass holder and his/her immediate family (spouse, children, parents) when entry is by other means (foot, bicycle)."}],"hours":[{"name":"Theodore Roosevelt National Park","description":"Theodore Roosevelt National Park is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. This applies to all units of the park; North Unit, South Unit, and Elkhorn Ranch Unit. Even when entrance stations and visitor centers are closed, the park itself remains open. Remember to check current conditions for any weather related closures.","standardHours":{"wednesday":"All Day","monday":"All Day","thursday":"All Day","sunday":"All Day","tuesday":"All Day","friday":"All Day","saturday":"All Day"},"exceptions":[]}],"directions":"Theodore Roosevelt National Park is located in the Badlands of western North Dakota. There are three units to the park. The South Unit entrance is in the town of Medora, ND off of Interstate 94 exits 24 and 27. The North Unit entrance is on Highway 85 approximately 14 miles south of Watford City, ND. The remote Elkhorn Ranch Unit sits roughly in the middle of the North and South Units and is accessed via gravel roads. Consult park staff for directions to the Elkhorn Ranch Unit.","weatherInfo":"In winter, some or all park roads may be closed due to snow.","contacts":{"phone":"7016234466","email":"thro_interpretation@nps.gov"},"visitorCenters":[{"name":"North Unit Visitor Center","description":"A small visitor center is located at the park entrance for visitors to the North Unit. Speak with a ranger, receive assistance with any trip planning needs, obtain a backcountry permit, purchase a souvenir at the bookstore, or watch the park film, Refuge of the American Spirit. Restrooms are available at this location.","url":"http://www.nps.gov/thro/planyourvisit/visitorcenters.htm","lat":47.6,"lon":-103.2601},{"name":"South Unit Visitor Center","description":"Rangers staff the desk, assist visitors with trip planning, and issue backcountry permits. Theodore Roosevelt's Maltese Cross Cabin, located just outside, is open for self-guided tours year-round. Ranger-led cabin tours are offered in the summer. The park film, Refuge of the American Spirit, shows in the theater. A bookstore sells books, postcards, and more. A museum houses artifacts from Theodore Roosevelt's presidency and time in the badlands.","url":"http://www.nps.gov/thro/planyourvisit/visitorcenters.htm","lat":46.9164980360001,"lon":-103.526209062},{"name":"Painted Canyon Visitor Center","description":"Features: Panoramic views, wildlife viewing, hiking trails, staffed information desk, exhibits and displays, gift shop, picnic shelters, drinking fountain, vending machines, public telephone, and restrooms are wheelchair accessible.","url":"http://www.nps.gov/thro/planyourvisit/visitorcenters.htm","lat":46.8954875850001,"lon":-103.381780253}],"campgrounds":[{"name":"Cottonwood Campground","description":"Cottonwood Campground lies inside the park, about 5 miles from Medora, ND. It is the South Unit's only campground. Beginning May 1, 2026 all sites are by reservation at recreation.gov. Most sites are suitable for tents and RVs (no hookups). Cottonwood Campground fills to capacity each afternoon, mid-May through mid-September.","url":"https://www.nps.gov/thro/planyourvisit/cottonwood-campground.htm","reservationUrl":"https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/251160","sites":76},{"name":"Juniper Campground","description":"Juniper Campground is 5 miles from Hwy 85 and is the only campground in the park's North Unit. All sites are open to tent camping and most can also be used by vehicles/RVs (no hookups). Beginning May 1, 2026 all sites are only available by reservation at recreation.gov. Due to limited cell service in the North Unit, it is recommended to make reservations before arriving at the park. See the RESERVATIONS section below.","url":"https://www.nps.gov/thro/planyourvisit/juniper-campground.htm","reservationUrl":"https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/10386756","sites":50},{"name":"Roundup Group Horse Camp","description":"Roundup is the park's only camping facility in which horses are permitted. This private campsite is located 12 miles from Medora, ND in the park's South Unit. It is reserved by one group at a time; space is not be shared among different parties. Reservations for Roundup begin each season on the first business day in March at 8:00 am MST. See the RESERVATIONS section below. Roundup can accommodate up to 20 people and 20 horses or 30 people if camping without horses.","url":"https://www.nps.gov/thro/planyourvisit/roundup-group-horse-campground.htm","reservationUrl":"https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/251161","sites":1}],"thingsToDo":[],"nearby":[{"slug":"lake-ilo-national-wildlife-refuge","km":60},{"slug":"little-missouri-national-grassland","km":60},{"slug":"lamesteer-national-wildlife-refuge","km":69},{"slug":"white-lake-national-wildlife-refuge","km":80},{"slug":"stewart-lake-national-wildlife-refuge","km":92},{"slug":"fort-union-trading-post-national-historic-site","km":102}],"hasBoundary":true,"boundarySource":{"name":"NPS Land Resources Division","url":"https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2224545"},"sources":[{"name":"NPS Data API","url":"https://developer.nps.gov/api/v1/parks?parkCode=thro"},{"name":"NPS Land Resources Division boundaries","url":"https://services1.arcgis.com/fBc8EJBxQRMcHlei/arcgis/rest/services/NPS_Land_Resources_Division_Boundary_and_Tract_Data_Service/FeatureServer/2"}],"editorialStatus":"draft","synced":"2026-11-09T02:12:45.623Z","alerts":[{"source":"NPS","kind":"Information","title":"Theodore Roosevelt National Park moves to cashless fee collection","text":"Starting May 1, Theodore Roosevelt National Park will accept only credit cards, debit cards, or digital payments for entrance fees, campground fees, and Interagency Passes. Cash and check payments will no longer be accepted.","url":"https://www.nps.gov/thro/learn/news/theodore-roosevelt-national-park-to-move-to-cashless-fee-collection-starting-may-1.htm","updated":"2026-03-31 00:00:00.0","id":"nps-5DAFD8CE-ED3D-4C75-BBBC-EC5EBC5010D5"},{"source":"NPS","kind":"Information","title":"South Unit Address for Mobile Maps – Theodore Roosevelt NP","text":"On all maps used on mobile devices, use the following address to reach the South Unit Visitor Center and Entrance Station 201 East River Road N. Medora, ND 58645","url":null,"updated":"2025-09-18 00:00:00.0","id":"nps-70B82CA0-42C9-40C8-ADB5-1D110B8A04F8"},{"source":"NPS","kind":"Information","title":"Petrified Forest Trailhead Access Update: Use Approved Route","text":"Directions to the Petrified Forest trailhead have changed. Please use the approved legal route from I-94, Exit 10 toward Camels Hump Lake and follow the clearly marked posts. This update helps maintain good cooperation with neighbors and respect park boundaries. For precise directions, use the link provided.","url":"https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/hike-the-petrified-forest.htm","updated":"2025-09-17 00:00:00.0","id":"nps-F8289D3C-4DAE-4F2A-A625-5BA53492ECDD"}],"url":"https://directory.labs.trlibrary.com/sites/theodore-roosevelt-national-park/","boundaryUrl":"https://directory.labs.trlibrary.com/boundaries/theodore-roosevelt-national-park.geojson"}