For an over-the-road truck driver, it is not easy to find wonderful places with interstate highway access for semis. I was on the road several years before I made a wonderful discovery, a rest area that is also a welcome center entrance to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park with a hike. A trucker needs to always be on the lookout for a place to get in a little exercise. This rest area at Exit 32 off I-94 in North Dakota is the BEST with a 1 mile loop down into the Painted Canyon from the visitor center and back out again.
An extra bonus here is a chance to see live buffalo or bison, (buffalo “pies” or “chips” are everywhere) but as the signs say, “beware” and do not go too close to these wild animals they can be dangerous. We once had time on our load, and enough daylight to hike down into the canyon looking for bison. Halfway into the loop we did come upon one of those huge hairy beasts on the trail, it was a thrilling experience, one I will always remember. This National Park is listed as one of the “10 National Parks to See Before You Die” so don’t just drive by.
The Badlands are a beautiful work of art in progress as water and wind continue to erode the buttes, pinnacles, and spires that resemble medieval castles made of sand. At sunrise or sunset the beautiful natural artistry is on full display, when the duff-colored buttes glow in shades of red, pink, and purple.
The Theodore Roosevelt National Park is actually comprised of three areas: South Unit, North Unit and Elkhorn Ranch Unit. It is located 133 miles west of Bismarck, ND and 27 miles east of the Montana state line. We attempted to enter by the South Unit entrance in Medora that is accessible from Interstate 94 from Exits 24 and 27, but they do not allow any trucks into the park.
You can however, find a place to park your rig right on the main street if it is not the busy season, and walk over to take the tour at the visitor center. They have a walking tour through a replica of Roosevelt’s cabin explaining his life and times where you can sit in the shade of a cottonwood tree at just like Theodore Roosevelt did. It was so interesting to discover how the experiences in the Dakota badlands influenced Theodore Roosevelt’s life, shaping him to be the President and inspiring him to become one of the world’s leading land conservationists.
This area was designated the Roosevelt Recreation Demonstration Area in 1935 to preserve the grasslands and the buffalo when they had been hunted almost to extinction. It was established as the Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park on April 25, 1947 and finally became a national park in 1978.
Truckers can also walk around the town of Medora, founded by a 24-year old French nobleman, the Marquis De Mores, in April 1883. There is also a tour of his historic home Chateau de Mores that overlooks the town and includes a museum and Interpretive Center Exhibits.
On the west edge of Medora is an historic site that once contained the plant, a slaughterhouse, three icehouses, several outbuildings, a railroad spur track, and a corral. The buildings burned in 1907, leaving only the tall, native clay brick chimney standing there. A picnic area is located next to the plant next to the entrance to the park. Also in Medora is the Cowboy Hall of Fame Museum depicting the history of Native Americans, ranching, rodeo, and the western lifestyle of the plains and Badlands.
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