Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Badlands and free-roaming bison on the ranch land that shaped a president's conservation politics.
- 46named trails
- 112trail miles mapped
- North Dakotalocation
Popular hikes in Theodore Roosevelt
- Buck Hill · about 0.2 mi · Easy
- Wind Canyon · about 0.4 mi · Easy
- Boicourt Overlook · about 0.4 mi · Easy
- Coal Vein Trail · about 0.8 mi · Easy
- Ridgeline Nature Trail · about 0.6 mi · Moderate
- Painted Canyon Nature Trail · about 0.9 mi · Moderate
- Caprock Coulee Loop · about 4.3 mi · Moderate
- Petrified Forest Loop · about 10.3 mi · Moderate
Best months to visit
- May: Bison calves, prairie dog pups and green badlands. Late spring is when the North Dakota badlands look most alive, and summer crowds haven't arrived.
Permits and reservations
An entrance fee is required year-round, but the park does not issue timed-entry permits.
- Backcountry camping permit: Camping outside the developed campgrounds needs a free permit, issued at the South Unit Visitor Center in Medora (South Unit and Elkhorn Ranch) or the North Unit Visitor Center. Permits are not issued at Painted Canyon.
- Campgrounds: Cottonwood (South Unit) campsites and the group sites at Cottonwood, Roundup Horse Camp and Juniper (North Unit) can be reserved on Recreation.gov or by phone at 1-877-444-6777.
Entrance fees
- Private Vehicle: $30
- Motorcycle: $25
- Per Person: $15
- Commercial Entrance - Van: $50
Official park site: nps.gov
All 46 trails in Theodore Roosevelt
- Achenbach Spring Trail · 0.4 mi round trip · Easy
- Achenbach Trail · 20.54 mi round trip · Very strenuous
- Badlands Spur Trail · 3.24 mi round trip · Easy
- Bentonite Trail · 2.78 mi round trip · Easy
- Big Plateau Trail · 3.98 mi round trip · Moderate
- Bison Trail · 3.44 mi round trip · Easy
- Boicourt Trail · 0.82 mi round trip · Easy
- Buck Hill Trail · 0.4 mi round trip · Easy
- Buckhorn Access Trail · 0.7 mi round trip · Easy
- Buckhorn Trail (east section) · 21.8 mi round trip · Strenuous
- Buckhorn Trail (west section) · 0.8 mi round trip · Easy
- Caprock Coulee Trail · 8.12 mi round trip · Moderate
- Coal Vein Nature Trail · 1.64 mi round trip · Easy
- Corral Loop Trail · 5.12 mi round trip · Moderate
- Ekblom Trail · 2.38 mi round trip · Easy
- Elkhorn Ranch South Trailhead · 0.84 mi round trip · Easy
- Elkhorn Ranch Unit Trail · 1.4 mi round trip · Easy
- Halliday Well Trailhead · 0.88 mi round trip · Easy
- Jones Creek Trail · 8.9 mi round trip · Moderate
- Little Missouri Nature Trail · 0.6 mi round trip · Easy
- Lone Tree Trail (east section) · 0.42 mi round trip · Easy
- Lone Tree Trail (west section) · 7.46 mi round trip · Moderate
- Lower Paddock Creek Trail · 7.14 mi round trip · Easy
- Lower Talkington Trail · 8.08 mi round trip · Moderate
- Maah Daah Hey Trail (north section) · 5.1 mi round trip · Easy
- Maah Daah Hey Trail (south section) · 16.2 mi round trip · Strenuous
- Mike Auney Shortcut Trail · 1 mi round trip · Easy
- Mike Auney Trail · 5.58 mi round trip · Moderate
- North Achenbach Trail · 9.12 mi round trip · Moderate
- Old East Entrance Station Trail · 1.02 mi round trip · Easy
- Paddock Creek Trail · 1.26 mi round trip · Easy
- Painted Canyon Loop Trail · 1.54 mi round trip · Easy
- Painted Canyon Trail · 3.66 mi round trip · Easy
- Peacefull Valley Ranch · 0.68 mi round trip · Easy
- Petrified Forest Loop Trail · 10.4 mi loop · Strenuous
- Ridgeline Nature Trail · 0.73 mi loop · Easy
- Riverbend Overlook Trail · 0.44 mi round trip · Easy
- Roundup Camp Trail · 6.48 mi round trip · Moderate
- Skyline Vista Trail · 0.1 mi round trip · Easy
- South Petrified Forest Trail · 6.46 mi round trip · Easy
- Sperati Point Overlook · 0.24 mi round trip · Easy
- Talkington Trail · 0.4 mi round trip · Easy
- Upper Paddock Creek Trail · 15.44 mi round trip · Strenuous
- Upper Talkington Trail · 7.96 mi round trip · Moderate
- Wind Canyon Trail · 0.3 mi loop · Easy
- Wolf Trail · 5.94 mi round trip · Moderate
Trailbound shows every one of these on an interactive map with live weather, park alerts and elevation profiles. It's free to browse.