Fall 2026 - Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, 9.8.2026 - 10.5.2026, Part 4: Theodore Roosevelt National Park/South Unit, Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library
After our two night stay in the north unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park we had planned on one night in the south unit. I didn’t think we needed much time in the south unit but I wasn’t calculating going to the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library until after we had booked campsites. In hindsight we could have used another day. The drive from the north unit to the south only took an hour and fifteen minutes but the entire drive was through pea soup fog so I couldn’t tell you what the scenery between was like. The south unit is just outside the town of Medora, North Dakota off I-94. We had originally planned to stop at the Painted Canyon Visitor Center which is an exit or two away from the main part of the park. I had really wanted to hike the 4.2 mile Painted Canyon Trail. It sounded to me like that was the most scenic hike in the southern unit. But the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library had just opened July 4th and I was seeing so many “do not miss it” reviews online that we decided on one less hike so we would have the time to go to the Library. Our site in Cottonwood Campground inside the park was vacant so we were able to check in at nine. We had 2PM timed tickets to get into the Library so with just a few hours we drove the thirty-six mile loop road through the south unit. The fog was lifting but the sky was still pretty cloudy so there wasn’t a lot of great light for photos. We saw lots of bison in various spots along the drive, many more than we saw in the north unit. We drove quite a long way before stopping to hike a .8 mile out and back to Boicourt Overlook. It was a decent view but nothing as good as some of the overlooks in the north unit. Further down the road we stopped at the Wind Canyon Loop Trail. This was only a .4 mile loop that gave us expansive views of a bend in the Little Missouri River which looked much less impressive having almost no water in it. The Cottonwoods along the banks were changing color much more than the previous week in the north unit.
Groups of bison were a common sight along the loop road through the south unit
Looking out to Boicourt Overlook from the parking lot
Wind Canyon Loop Trail
Another nice bison photo
After driving the loop road we went back to Medora to go to the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. The building itself is amazing. It is extremely low and wide and blends into the surrounding landscape very well. The roof had a whole grassland on it that has walkways. An open atrium runs through the middle. At the end of the atrium looking to the north is a large open deck with plenty of deck chairs so you sit and gaze at the North Dakota Badlands and contemplate what it was like in TR’s day.
TRPL
TRPL
TRPL
TRPL
TRPL
TRPL
Inside, we first scoped out the gift shop. Then at 2PM we were allowed to go into the Library. They give you a wristband when you enter that has some sort of chip in it. The first thing you do is go to a kiosk and enter your email and name. It also takes a photo of you. This allows your wristband to be recognized throughout the Library. This was a key component of the experience as you will see.
When we first went inside it was a long queue but as people realized there were so many different rooms and things to see, everyone spread out and you could just wander. The main room had rows and rows of display cases filled with a ton of historical things related to Teddy’s history. I always respected him for his conservation foresight but did you know he even saved football? Back then when college football was king and equipment was poor at best there were over a hundred deaths a year from players being injured. There was a huge movement to ban football altogether but Teddy gathered all the powers that be and formed the NCAA which in turn started working on ways to make the game safer.
There were also many side rooms off of the main room (the place is huge). Each of these represented a different aspect of his life. And here is where AI actually elevated the experience. In many of these rooms there were kiosks that you could hold your wristband to and it would produce a photo of you dressed in the garb related to the period in time for that room. The results were often remarkable!
TRPL
TRPL
TRPL
TRPL
TRPL
TRPL
TRPL
TRPL
Some of the rooms were interactive. One was a virtual shooting gallery. Bridgit turned out to be a crack sharpshooter. There were three people all shooting at the same time. Their scores were around 450 while Bridgit had something like 4500! One of the coolest things was an oval office with a hologram of Teddy Roosevelt sitting behind his desk. Anyone could go up to a podium, push a button and ask anything at all to the president. He would think for a minute and then answer your question for over a minute! I asked him what his experience camping with John Muir was like. He thought for a moment and then detailed how the two of them talked, argued and laughed together in what was an amazing experience for him. He said it was a turning point in how he shaped his conservation policies and that sometimes it takes listening to someone else to see what truly needs to be done.
TRPL
TRPL
TRPL
TRPL
TRPL
Bridgit and I both really enjoyed our visit to the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. It was a fascinating look into the life and times of one of our greatest presidents. Within an hour of leaving the Library we got emails with all those AI photos and various other things that were created throughout our visit like personal campaign posters. The whole thing was a blast.
Back at camp we had a little time so we wandered out through the meadow to see the river. While we were out there some wild horses came through the meadow. There are currently about two hundred wild horses in the park running free with the bison, pronghorn and wild turkeys. So cool!
Our site at Cottonwood Campground right near the Little Missouri River
The Little Missouri River
Wild horses…
We’ll ride them someday
So here are my thoughts on our visit to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. I liked the north unit much more for scenic value and hiking options. The south unit has more wildlife and of course the Presidential Library. I would recommend spending at least two nights in each place to really feel like you get a good sampling of the entire park. It has some really spectacular scenery and I would think early summer would also be a great time with the grasses being much greener and flowers, although the fall also has some great color.