Lonely Planet and Nat Geo agree: western North Dakota is the trip to take in 2026

There’s a new reason to visit

Theodore Roosevelt National Park covers more than 70,000 acres of broken earth, open prairie, and river valleys in western North Dakota.

Both Lonely Planet and National Geographic put this place on their top destination lists for 2026.

A brand-new presidential library opens in Medora on July 4, and free-roaming bison and wild horses still cross the roads like they own the place.

You could spend a week here and only scratch the surface, because the park splits into three separate units connected by one winding river.

A president was forged in these badlands

Theodore Roosevelt came to the Dakota Territory in September 1883 to hunt bison. He liked it so much he invested in the Maltese Cross Ranch near Medora that same year.

Then tragedy hit. His wife and mother both died on the same day in February 1884, and he came back to the Badlands looking for something to hold onto. He built a second ranch, the Elkhorn, deeper in the wild country.

Those years changed him.

He later protected roughly 230 million acres of public land as president, and he said himself he never would have reached the White House without North Dakota.

Drive the 36-mile scenic loop through the South Unit

The South Unit is the big one, 46,158 acres and the most popular section of the park. A 36-mile paved loop road winds through it, starting near the visitor center in Medora.

You pass rolling badlands striped with colorful clay, sandstone, and red scoria rock the whole way. Pullouts and interpretive signs line the route, so you can stop as often as you want.

Keep your eyes open for bison. They wander right onto the pavement and will hold up traffic without a care in the world.

See the layered canyon walls at Painted Canyon

Painted Canyon Visitor Center sits right off Interstate 94, and it gives you your first real look into the Badlands. A sidewalk traces the rim, and the view stretches deep into the South Unit.

The canyon walls show layers of tan, rust, gray, and black laid down over millions of years.

Further along the Scenic Loop Drive, Wind Canyon is a short trail that drops you at an overlook above the Little Missouri River. Both spots give you big views without a big hike.

Bison block the road and wild horses roam free

Several hundred bison live in the park, split between the North and South Units. The Park Service brought them back to the South Unit in 1956 and the North Unit in 1962.

Wild horses also roam the South Unit, descendants of domestic stock left behind during the open-range ranching days. The Park Service has managed them as a historic demonstration herd since 1970.

You will also spot prairie dog towns right from the road, and the park is home to elk, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, mule deer, coyotes, and more than 186 bird species.

The North Unit feels like a different park entirely

Drive about 80 miles north of the South Unit and you reach a wilder, quieter section near Watford City.

A 14-mile scenic byway ends at Oxbow Overlook, where you can watch the Little Missouri River bend through the Badlands far below. The buttes here rise taller and the forests grow thicker than anything in the South Unit.

Bighorn sheep and longhorn cattle roam the hills. Fewer people make the trip up here, so you get more of it to yourself.

Stone spheres sit in the grass like giant cannonballs

About five miles into the North Unit Scenic Drive, across from Juniper Campground, you find the cannonball concretions. They look like someone dropped perfectly round boulders across the hillside.

Minerals collected around cores of shell or plant material inside sedimentary rock over millions of years. Then erosion wore away the softer rock and left these hard spheres sitting in the open.

The Badlands landscape around them started forming roughly 65 million years ago from volcanic ash, sand, silt, and mud.

Hike to a plateau on the Caprock Coulee Trail

Caprock Coulee Trail in the North Unit runs about 4.1 miles and earns its reputation as the top hike in the park.

It climbs onto a plateau where the Little Missouri River and colorful badlands formations spread out below you.

In the South Unit, Wind Canyon Trail is a short walk to one of the best river overlooks you will find anywhere in the park. The Petrified Forest trails lead into a remote corner full of ancient petrified wood.

Buck Hill puts you at one of the highest points in the park with views in every direction.

Ride 144 miles of single track on the Maah Daah Hey

The Maah Daah Hey Trail stretches 144 miles through the Badlands on a single track open to hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders.

The name comes from the Mandan people and means “an area that will be around for a long time.”

The trail connects the North and South Units and passes through the Little Missouri National Grasslands, the largest national grassland in the country.

Mountain bikers from across the United States rank it among the best rides you can find.

Only foundation stones remain at Roosevelt’s home ranch

The Elkhorn Ranch Unit covers just 218 acres along the Little Missouri River, between the North and South Units. Roosevelt called it his “home ranch” and spent most of his Dakota years here.

Today, only the foundation stones of his cabin sit in the grass. Getting there takes about an hour on unpaved roads, and you will not find crowds or facilities.

What you get is the quiet and the open land, the same landscape that shaped a young rancher into a president who changed how America thought about its wild places.

The Milky Way shows up without a telescope

The park sits far enough from any city that light pollution barely registers. On clear nights, you can see the Milky Way with nothing but your own eyes.

The National Park Service recommends Peaceful Valley Ranch and Oxbow Overlook as prime spots for stargazing. The North Unit tends to run darker than the South Unit, so head there if you want the deepest sky.

Rangers sometimes lead astronomy programs during the summer months, and you can stargaze anywhere in the park where it is safe to stop.

A new presidential library opens on America’s 250th birthday

The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library opens July 4, 2026, in Medora, timed to America’s 250th birthday. The 100,000-square-foot complex sits on 93 acres, designed by the architecture firm Snohetta.

Inside, you will find immersive exhibits and an auditorium. Outside, a mile-long boardwalk gives you Badlands views as you walk.

Tickets must be reserved online in advance, because walk-up tickets will not be available on opening day. The library is expected to draw more year-round visitors to western North Dakota.

Visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota

You can reach the South Unit off Interstate 94 in Medora. The North Unit entrance is about 15 minutes south of Watford City off U.S. Highway 85.

Entrance runs $30 per vehicle, good for seven days. The park stays open 24 hours a day, year-round, though visitor center hours change by season.

One thing to keep in mind: the South Unit runs on Mountain Time, while the North Unit runs on Central Time. Check the official website before you go for the latest hours and conditions.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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