Boicourt Trail. 95 words. The trailhead for Boicourt Trail is located next to a pullout of the same name near mile marker 16. The trail is paved and starts just behind the trailhead, winding out along a long ridge. To the west along another ridge, large quantities of juniper grow, while to the east the landscape drops into a deep valley. When the paved part of the path ends, the trail continues, narrowing and with steep drop offs eventually on both sides. After going slightly down, it climbs up to an overlook where the surrounding badlands can be seen. End of description.

Boicourt Trail is located approximately halfway along the South Unit scenic drive, making it the perfect place to hop out of the car and take in a little fresh air. This 0.2-mile accessible trail offers some incredible views while hiking the paved trail out over the badlands. Want to keep going? An additional unpaved section continues past the end of the trail, leading to another overlook. It is illegal to remove any resource from a national park. Leave any flower, stone, or other object where you find it so that other visitors can enjoy it as well.  It is illegal to carve, paint, or otherwise alter anything in a national park.

Buttes covered in juniper trees under a blue sky

Boicourt Trail

Take a short hike above the badlands on one of the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park's accessible trails.

Location

Buck Hill. 869 words. The Buck Hill trailhead is located at the top of a 1-mile drive that is accessed by turning south off the South Unit Scenic Drive, approximately 18-miles into the park. A small roundabout offers parking and a way to turn around for larger vehicles. The roundabout has a paved sidewalk around it, with several trash cans and a two-part wayside. The wayside has a title reading Hidden Garden. Under this, there is text over a photograph of the prairie and buttes to the South as seen from Buck Hill. The text reads: Although it may look like a sea of solid grass, the prairie in front of you supports a great diversity of plant life. Over 400 species of prairie plants reside in the park. Humans have long relied on prairie plants for food and medicine. The leaves, fruits, and seeds of these plants sustain wildlife of all kinds. Next to this text in italics reads: wild flowers should be enjoyed unplucked where they grow. This quote is attributed to Theodore Roosevelt. Below this a line of text reads Please leave all plants for wildlife and other park visitors to enjoy. Beneath this text is a line of six photos of flowers, each with symbols and text beneath them. A key to the left of these photos reads Knowing What’s Growing. Before you can use a plant for food or medicine, you must be able to figure out what it is. Do you know what’s growing here? The key contains symbols representing medicinal use, food for humans, food for birds, food for small mammals like mice and rabbits, and food for grazers like deer, pronghorn and elk. The first flower is a scarlet globemallow, a small orange flower with a yellow center. It has the symbols for medicinal use and food for grazers below it. Text reads: when crushed into a paste, the leaves of this plant help heal cuts and burns. The second flower is a purple coneflower, a tall flower with a spiky center and long, drooping purple petals. It has the symbols for medicinal use, food for birds, food for small mammals, and food for grazers below it. Text reads: Echinacea has many medicinal properties including its root’s ability to relieve toothache. The third flower is plains pricklypear, a small cactus with a large yellow blossom. It has the symbols for food for humans and food for small mammals below it. Text reads: fruits packed with vitamin C make a nutritious snack and can be made into jelly. The fourth flower is Indian Breadroot, a flower with many small blueish purple blooms. It has the symbols for food for humans and food for grazers below it. Text reads: Roots of tipsin were a staple in the Plains Indian diet, earning the plant its name. The fifth flower is prairie wild rose, a pink flower with large petals and a yellow center. It has the symbols for food for humans, food for birds, food for small mammals, and food for grazers below it. Text reads: Red, waxy fruits called rose hips are rich in vitamins. They serve as an emergency food source. The final flower is the sunflower, a tall yellow flower with a large, dark center. It has the symbols for food for humans, food for birds, and food for small mammals below it. Text reads: Local agricultural tribes cultivated sunflowers for their nutritious seeds. The second wayside is titled Prairie Remnants. Text under this reads: The prairie on Buck Hill is special – it has never been plowed. Native, never-plowed grasslands are rare across the Great Plains and around the world. The main image on the wayside is a large circle made up of smaller circles, some of them filled in green, others empty. This circle is labeled The Great Plains. Small bullet points on the green side read: Once disturbed, prairie takes decades to recover, but the healing is superficial. The full complexity of life that exists in native prairie takes thousands of years to achieve. Of all the world’s major biomes, grasslands have experienced the greatest human impacts and yet receive the least protection. What remains exists in small isolated pockets. The ecosystem struggles to function in this highly fractured state. The plants, roots, and soils of native prairie are complex, site-specific communities built up over thousands of years. Prairie is the second most diverse ecosystem in the world. Only rainforests have a great variety of plant and animal life. On the other side of the circle, indicating the clear section are more bullet points. They read: More than 70% of native prairie on the great plains has been lost to development. About 60% has been plowed and converted to agricultural lands. Another 10% has been lost to land uses including construction of roads, buildings, parking lots, and human-made lakes. The trail to the top of Buck Hill starts at the northeast section of this sidewalk, next to a trailhead sign. The first section is paved, after which wide steps lead to a scenic viewpoint. A social trail continues onward, allowing access to trails that lead down from the hill. End of description.

The South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park offers many incredible scenic views, but none have quite the same scope as the view from the top of Buck Hill. One of the highest points in the park, climbing to the top offers a beautiful 360° view. On clear days, one can see for miles, from Painted Canyon to Boicourt and beyond, all by simply turning in a circle. While up on Buck Hill, inspect the rock around you. You might be able to spot ripples in the stone; this high point used to be the bottom of an ancient streambed! Buck Hill is also a great place for stargazing, with unobstructed views of the clear North Dakota Sky. It is illegal to remove any resource from a national park. Leave any flower, stone, or other object where you find it so that other visitors can enjoy it as well.  It is illegal to carve, paint, or otherwise alter anything in a national park.

A view looking down into a deep valley, with small buttes topped by dark trees.

View from Buck Hill

One of the highest points in the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Buck Hill offers incredible, 360° views.

Buck Hill

Cannonball Concretions. 429 words. The cannonball concretion pullout is a natural area located on the north side of the North Unit scenic drive. A sidewalk runs approximately 100 feet along the parking area, with an interpretive wayside, a trash can, and a trailhead sign for the Buckhorn Trail spaced along its length. A large butte stands to the northeast, nearly reaching the parking area, with a large prairie containing grasses and sagebrush to its west. The butte, named Battleship Butte, resembles the prow of a ship. Scattered along the base of the butte, with a few among the sagebrush, are large, round, rock formations. To the east of the butte, more of these round formations are scattered in an eroded and washed out area. Others are visible just beginning to appear from the surface of the butte. The wayside has a large photo of one of the cannonball concretions, under a black band with the National Park Service arrowhead, and is titled Cannonball Mystery. Under this the text reads: The large, round rocks littering the ground and protruding from the butte are bizarre. They don’t seem to fit with the rest of the landscape. Where did they come from? These “cannonballs” were not carried here by flowing water or glaciers. Instead, they formed within the sediment layers of the badlands. Now, erosion is slowly exposing these buried treasures. Notice how some cannonballs have completely eroded out of the butte while others are just being exposed. Even more lie deep within the rock layers, yet to be revealed. Under this, next to the image of the cannonball more text reads: There are small pockets of cannonball concretions throughout the park and the Little Missouri Badlands. Those seen here are some of the largest and most impressive yet discovered. To the right of this main image, a second image of several cannonballs in a wash. Under this, there is title text reading: How Do They Form? Under this is written: Mineral-rich water deposits minerals as it seeps through porous sediment layers. The minerals act like glue, binding the sediments together and forming concretions. Concretions form in many different shapes and sizes. Those that are spherical are called “cannonballs.” For now, scientists can only guess why some concretions take on such spherical shapes. Under this, one final title reads: Save the Cannonballs. Under this is written: These cannonball concretions have been a popular attraction for decades Help make sure they are here for future generations to enjoy by leaving them as you find them. If you see someone defacing the cannonballs, report the illegal activity immediately. End of description.

What are cannonball concretions? Jutting out from the landscape, these large, round stones don’t appear to properly fit into the badlands. The secret lies in the large butte located nearby. When mineral rich water seeps down through the porous layers that make up the badlands, it can deposit those minerals in spaces or gaps in the sediments. The minerals act as a kind of glue, holding these sediments together, often forming around a core. As more and more layers are deposited, the concretion builds outward like a pearl, before being exposed by erosion. Who knows how many concretions are still waiting to be exposed, deep inside the butte? It is illegal to remove any resource from a national park. Leave any flower, stone, or other object where you find it so that other visitors can enjoy it as well.  It is illegal to carve, paint, or otherwise alter anything in a national park.

Two large, round stones take up the majority of the image, with more behind, and a butte in the back

Cannonball Concretions

These unusual, round rock formations stand out against the broken landscape of the North Dakota badlands.

Significance

The post sits right at the edge of a cliff, with junipers growing behind it. Steep wooden stairs descend to the right of it, through an area shaded by more trees.

Just ahead, stairs lead to the valley of a seasonal stream. As you descend, notice the cool, moist air against your skin. Because it is protected from the sun, this area stays moist and cool. Note the plants you see here and compare them to the plants you encountered in open grassland. What are the differences? <hr />Continue straight ahead to follow the guided nature trail.

A view down a dry, overgrown stream bed from a wooden bridge.

Seasonal Stream

Trail post 10 on the Coal Vein Guided Nature Trail

Coal Vein Trail Post 10: Seasonal Stream

The trail winds through an area of prairie, with several larger shrubs scattered about near the trail. Continuing toward the next post, the trail slopes upward slightly.

This is the spot where the coal vein ignited during a lightning storm in 1951. Even today, these natural fires can be started by lightning, prairie fires, or even spontaneous combustion. <hr />Caution! Steep cliff edges ahead.

Burning Coal

Trail post 11 on the Coal Vein Guided Nature Trail

Coal Vein Trail Post 11: Ignition

A small spur trail leads up hill just past the trail marker. Toward the top of the hill a sign reads "Caution. Steep drop off." in front of some juniper trees.

The small spur trail going up the hill leads to an overlook. Be careful; the edge drops sharply. When you look to the left and right you can see and feel the clinker where it forms a protective caprock. The red color of the clinker comes from iron in the rocks that has oxidized (rusted).

A large outcropping of red rock from a grassy hillside. Tree covered buttes are in the background.

Clinker Caprock

Trail post 12 on the Coal Vein Guided Nature Trail

Coal Vein Trail Post 12: Clinker Overlook

The trail winds along the base of a butte, made up of slumping bentonite clay. To the left of the trail, the ground falls away at a relatively steep angle, with evidence of water drainage.

The hill in front of you has the appearance of sliding slowly into a jumble. That is exactly what it is doing through a process called slumping. When the coal vein burned under this area, cracks formed in the hillside. Rain flowing into the cracks weakens the hill, especially where it saturates bentonite clay layers which become slippery when wet. As the bentonite slides, the hill slowly slumps away.  Slumping happens on a small scale like you see here, but also on a very large scale when entire hillsides slide. The picture above, taken in the North Unit, shows masses of rock that slid from near the top of the canyon, coming to rest far below.

A butte slumps downward at an angle behind a grassy field.

Slumping

Trail post 13 on the Coal Vein Guided Nature Trail

Coal Vein Trail Post 13: Slumping

The trail winds through the grassy prairie, dropping briefly before sloping back uphill.

When the underground coal fire was burning, this area looked more like a wasteland than a grassland. After the fire burned out, prairie plants reclaimed the land slowly over time. From a distance, prairie may look plain, but it is actually one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. An up-close look reveals many different species of grasses and other plants.

A scene of a grassy prairie, with a butte rising under a blue sky in the background.

Prairie

Trail post 14 on the Coal Vein Guided Nature Trail

Coal Vein Trail Post 14: Grassland

The trail, red in color from crushed clinker, slopes uphill here. The immediate area is covered with a variety of grasses, with occasional scattered sage. Further away, buttes continue until the horizon.

Take in the view. The things you have observed on this trail are not unique to this one spot. They can be seen, felt, and identified throughout the badlands. Even today, coal fires shape the dynamic landscape of the badlands. Geology is not only a study of the past; here it is an ever present process. How do these things fit into the big picture of the park? How long will these processes continue to shape this land?

A view of the green badlands, seen from the edge of a clinker cliff. Purple flowers bloom nearby.

The Big Picture

Trail post 15 on the Coal Vein Guided Nature Trail

Coal Vein Trail Post 15: The Big Picture

Just past the trail post, the trail drops down to the right. A spur trail drops sharply to the left, with several clinker covered wooden steps. This spur terminates next to an approximately 4 foot tall clinker chimney, surrounded by bushes.

What is unusual about the massive piece of clinker in front of you? Fires need oxygen, even when they are burning underground. As the coal fire burned deep into the hillside, cracks in the rock layers allowed air to be sucked down into the fire. Fire burned up the cracks and baked the rocks nearby, forming vertical "chimneys." Chimneys are the hottest part of the coal fire and bake the rock inside into a very hard clinker called porcellanite which is especially resistant to erosion. This chimney you are looking at was exposed when softer sediments around it eroded away.  <hr />There are many signs that large coal vein fires have burned throughout the park in the past. Even today, coal fires can sometimes be found shaping and changing the landscape of the badlands. Geology is not only a study of the past; it is an ongoing process.

A column of red rock, partially covered in lichen, rises from the end of a short trail.

Clinker Chimney

Trail post 16 on the Coal Vein Guided Nature Trail

Coal Vein Trail Post 16: Chimney

A hiking post located along a trail, buttes rise from beyond a field of sagebrush.

Each layer of rock has its own origin story, told by its color. Brick-Red Clinker forms when coal veins catch fire and bake the rock above, changing it into this much harder, red rock. Brown and Tan Sandstone, siltstone, and mudstone are sediments washed down from the Rocky Mountains. Black Coal is the remains of ancient plants and animals that lived in Everglades-like swamps. Blue-grey Bentonite clay is made of ash from distant volcanoes.

Layers of different colored stone, with plants growing along the top

Coal Vein Layers

Trail post 1 on the Coal Vein Guided Nature Trail

Coal Vein Trail Post 1: Layers

The trail leads through a field of sage, with a sharp decline near where the trail post is located.

In this area there was a 12-foot-thick coal vein deep underground. In 1951 it caught fire and burned for 26 years. As it burned away, the rocks above were left unsupported and the surface collapsed, forming the depression you are about to enter. Before the fire, the land was level with the top of the stairs. 

A black and white photo of a person standing at the edge of a collapse caused by a burning coal seam

Collapse

Trail post 2 on the Coal Vein Guided Nature Trail

Coal Vein Trail Post 2: Collapse

The trail begins to slope upward toward some gray clay buttes. To the left side of the trail, a bare spot is surrounded by sage and a butte slopes upward.

Notice the sediment on either side of the trail. Fifty-Five million years ago, volcanoes in the Rockies spewed out ash that blew east. At that time, this area was a vast, tropical swamp. The ash settled in wet areas and became bentonite clay.  Bentonite looks like popcorn when dry, but becomes sticky, slick mud when wet. It can absorb up to five times its weight in water. Known as the mineral of one thousand uses, it is used to seal landfills and ponds, to make cat litter, and much more. <hr />Stay to the left to continue on the guided nature trail. Take the right on the cutoff trail to avoid a section of trail with very steep stairs. You will rejoin the guided nature trail near post #11.

Bentonite Clay

Trail post 3 on the Coal Vein Guided Nature Trail

Coal Vein Trail Post 3: Bentonite

The trail winds through a grassy area, with juniper growing on the uphill side. The downhill side slopes toward the base of a nearby butte,

Rocks in the badlands are generally soft and easily eroded by rain and streams. Some are harder than others, and become caprocks. A caprock acts like a helmet, shielding softer rock underneath. When the rocks underneath finally erode away, large pieces of caprock break off and fall. The large pieces of sandstone behind you were once caprocks at the top of the hill.

A caprock near along the top of a clay butte.

Caprocks

Trail post 4 on the Coal Vein Guided Nature Trail

Coal Vein Trail Post 4: Caprocks

The trail begins to gain red rock as it winds slowly uphill through a stand of juniper.

The dry climate of western North Dakota keeps the badlands from eroding away more quickly - if rain were more common, the soft rocks would have washed away long ago. The lack of moisture allows only the hardiest plants to survive. The trees here are Rocky Mountain juniper. They, and all the other shrubs, grasses, and wildflowers you find here, are adapted to survive in this land of extreme temperatures and little moisture.

A branch with scale-like needles, and small blue fruit

Rocky Mountain Juniper

Trail post 5 on the Coal Vein Guided Nature Trail

Coal Vein Trail Post 5: Dry Climate

To the east of the trail, a flat area sprouts assorted plants. A low depression is relatively bare, while sage spreads out to the base of the nearby butte. Red rock makes up the base of the butte, but plant life takes over as it rises.

Low spots like this one formed when the ground collapsed during the coal vein fire. They fill with water in the wet springtime and after summer rains. These seasonal ponds are important habitats for western chorus frogs which must lay their eggs in standing water. Listen for the chirping of the male chorus frogs near seasonal pools from April to June. 

A low, flat area at the base of a butte sprouts assorted shrubs.

Seasonal Pool

Trail post 6 on the Coal Vein Guided Nature Trail

Coal Vein Trail Post 6: Seasonal Pool

A small wooden fence stands at the edge of a small drop. Shrubs and small trees grow at the base of and along the sides of a small draw, which angles up towards the top of the butte. More juniper are visible along the top edge.

Just ahead and to the right is where the coal vein fire burned out after 26 years (1951-1977). Visitors could see smoke, glowing coals, and sometimes flames. They even roasted marshmallows over the fire! <hr />Caution! Steep cliff edges ahead.

A small group of people stand at the base of a valley, watching smoke rise from the ground.

Burning Coal Seam

Trail post 7 on the Coal Vein Guided Nature Trail

Coal Vein Trail Post 7: Burn Out

From the post, a spur trail continues to the left, heading to a steep overlook lined by juniper. The view beyond the trail post drops down into a canyon, with a clinker rock wall on the other side.

The trail goes to the right. To your left is an overlook. Be careful; the edge drops off sharply. From the overlook, you can see how the terrain affects plant life. The slopes you see face north. They receive very little direct sunlight which helps retain moisture, allowing juniper to thrive. South-facing slopes receive a lot of direct sunlight. They are very dry and support only hardy grasses and a few drought-tolerant shrubs. 

A view down into a canyon, with red rock visible through trees.

Hills Overlook

Trail post 8 on the Coal Vein Guided Nature Trail

Coal Vein Trail Post 8: Hills Overlook

The trail curves slightly downward past the post through a stand of juniper towards the top of some stairs. A orange-red rock sticks slightly out of the ground next to the post.

Feel the red rock next to the post. It is locally called scoria, but its true name is clinker. Clinker is created when a burning coal seam bakes the rock layer above it. Baking rock is like putting clay into a kiln to make pottery - the rock hardens as it bakes. Because clinker is one of the hardest rocks in the badlands, it functions as a caprock atop many buttes. 

A piece of red rock with cracks angled down and to the right.

Clinker

Trail post 9 on the Coal Vein Guided Nature Trail

Coal Vein Trail Post 9: Clinker

Coal Vein trailhead. 326 words. A trailhead sign stands at the edge of a dirt parking lot surrounded by posts. A trail starts just past the sign, continuing toward the southeast. Sagebrush and other plants grow along the edge of this trail. The trailhead sign has a black bar along the top, containing the words "Theodore Roosevelt National Park" and "National Park Service, US Department of the Interior," as well as the National Park Service Arrowhead. Under this a grey bar contains the words "Coal Vein Nature Trail," followed by a photo of the badlands scenery, including a grey butte, some small plants, and rocky mountain juniper trees under a blue sky. Below this is a map of the Trail, as well as an outline indicating the area burned in the coal vein fire the trail is named for, which burned from 1951-1977. Text indicates the trail is of moderate difficulty with steep stairs, and will take about 45 minutes to complete the 0.8 mile, or 1.3 kilometer, loop. Text below this reads: "Coal Vein Nature Trail explores an area that was impacted by an underground coal vein fire." "Though the land has healed, there are still signs of the area's fiery past. Look for them along the nature trail." "No bicycles. No horses. No pets. Never approach wildlife. Do not collect or disturb natural features." Below this is a title reading "Collapse" next to a black and white photo of a person standing above a collapsed area of ground. Text reads: "Many geologic processes happen slowly over hundreds, thousands, or millions of years. But some, like coal vein fires, happen right before our eyes." "Park visitors came to this spot to watch an underground coal fire that burned from 1951 to 1977. Some days there was only a wisp of smoke. Other days change was rapid. Red-hot rock glowed at the bottom of deep crevasses. Plants withered on the hot ground. Hillsides crumbled. The land gave way." End of description.

Beautiful layers of rock tell a story of the 60-million-year geologic history of the badlands. From ancient swamps to recent coal fires, this landscape is constantly changing. Learn about badlands geology by following the numbered trail posts. <hr />Stay to the left to follow the posts in numerical order.

A trailhead sign. Behind it, buttes rise against a blue sky, and grass and sage grow on the ground.

Coal Vein Guided Hike Trailhead

The trailhead for the Coal Vein Guided Nature Trail.

Coal Vein Trailhead

Elkhorn Ranch Cabin Site. 88 words. The location where the Elkhorn Cabin once stood is a grassy area beneath the branches of nearby cottonwood trees, with scattered juniper nearby. Large Stones bound the place where the cabin once stood, varying in distance from one another between six and ten feet. A nearby field of grass contains stakes that mark the boundaries of where other buildings once stood, and a wire fence surrounds the entire area. The river is visible to the east, slightly lower than the cabin site, and buttes surround the entire valley. End of description.

On February 14, 1884, tragedy struck Theodore Roosevelt’s life, when both his wife and mother passed away on the same day. Four months later, he returned to Dakota Territory, having decided that he would devote his life to ranching. He found, though, that he desired more solitude than that offered by the Maltese Cross Cabin, which was relatively close to the town of Medora. Eventually, he settled on a location 35 miles north, where he would establish his Elkhorn Ranch. While the Elkhorn Cabin no longer stands, foundation stones indicate where the structure, built of the local cottonwood, was once located. A visitor, stopping and closing their eyes, can imagine what Roosevelt’s ranch life might have been like. "My home ranch-house stands on the river brink. From the low, long veranda, shaded by leafy cotton-woods, one looks across sand bars and shallows to a strip of meadowland, behind which rises a line of sheer cliffs and grassy plateaus. This veranda is a pleasant place in the summer evenings when a cool breeze stirs along the river and blows in the faces of the tired men, who loll back in their rocking-chairs (what true American does not enjoy a rocking-chair?), book in hand--though they do not often read the books, but rock gently to and for, gazing sleepily out at the weird-looking buttes opposite, until their sharp outlines grow indistinct and purple in the after-glow of the sunset." - From Hunting Trips of a Ranchman by Theodore Roosevelt. Visiting the Elkhorn Ranch Site The Elkhorn Ranch is a remote unit, located between the North and South units of the park. Reaching the Elkhorn Ranch requires a drive of approximately 90 minutes each way, mostly on gravel roads. Driving from the North Unit to the Elkhorn Ranch Unit - Take US 85 north (left). Travel 13.8 miles to Watford City. - Turn left at the light to stay on US 85. Travel 16.5 more miles on US 85. - Turn left onto ND-68 W. Travel 16.7 miles. - Turn left onto ND-16 S. Travel 31.4 miles. - Turn left on Black Tail Road/FH 2 (gravel). - Travel 12.2 miles. - Turn right on Bell Lake Road (still FH 2). - Travel 3 miles. - Staying on FH2, turn left towards the USFS Elkhorn Campground. Follow FH2 for 3 miles, continuing past the campground and MDHT trailhead to the Elkhorn Ranch Unit parking area. Driving from the South Unit to the Elkhorn Ranch Unit - Take I-94 westbound to exit 10. - At the end of the exit ramp, turn right on County Road 11 (gravel). Follow County Road 11 for 8.8 miles. - Turn right on Westerheim Road. Follow Westerheim road for 6.5 miles. - Turn left on Bell Lake Road. Follow Bell Lake Road for 11.7 miles. - Turn right onto FH2 towards the USFS Elkhorn Campground. Follow FH2 for 3 miles, continuing past the campground and MDHT trailhead to the Elkhorn Ranch Unit parking area.

A view of a grassy field, with junipers in the background, as well as a butte under a blue sky.

Elkhorn Ranch Cabin Site

The original location of Theodore Roosevelt's Elkhorn Ranch Cabin.

The viewpoint for Oxbow Overlook starts next to the parking area at the very end of the North Unit Scenic Drive. A vault toilet restroom is available when entering the parking lot for Oxbow Overlook. A few picnic tables are available for use in the parking lot where a u-shaped paved path to the overlook starts. A short-paved, wheelchair accessible sidewalk, less than 0.1 miles, leads to the scenic view where interpretive waysides explain the processes happening at the oxbow. End of description.

A spectacular scenic vista awaits your exploration at the end of the North Unit Scenic Drive. Explore interpretive waysides along a short accessible sidewalk and take in the views of the meandering Little Missouri River surrounded by tall cottonwood trees and impressive buttes. Aptly named, Oxbow Overlook represents a type of meander that is occurring in the river. Oxbows and oxbow lakes are common along this free-flowing river where natural flood cycles constantly shift the river's course. Be sure to look for wildlife amongst the surrounding buttes.

A river meanders through cottonwood trees and steep buttes.

Oxbow Overlook

Enjoy a stunning scenic vista of the meandering Little Missouri River surrounded by tall cottonwood trees and impressive buttes.

Petrified Forest – North. 125 words. From the petrified forest trailhead, hikers travel along an uneven trail approximately one-half a mile, with the last section up a steep hill made of bentonite clay. This clay can be very slippery in inclement weather. At the top of the hill, the trail forks. To reach the northern section of the petrified forest, hikers travel approximately a mile along the north fork through rolling prairie, occasionally broken by bison wallows, until the trail descends again. The trail drops deeply into a valley scattered with petrified stumps, large concretions, and cracks in the ground. Some of the stumps are more than six feet in height. The trail in the valley meanders around the scattered stumps before climbing again after approximately 1 mile. End of description.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park was a very different place 65 million years ago. Just after the extinction of the dinosaurs, the Rocky Mountains were forming in the west and the land where the park now sits was a flat, swampy delta. Champsosaurus gigas, a crocodile-like predator hunted in the water, swimming alongside turtles, snails, and clams. And all around grew massive trees like sequoia, bald cypress, and magnolia. These trees are still around today if you know where to look. Quickly buried by sediments washed down from the growing Rockies, the trees didn’t decompose, instead undergoing a process called petrification: water washed through the mineral rich sediments surrounding the buried trees and these minerals slowly replaced the organic compounds inside the trunks. As the badlands eroded, these petrified remnants were slowly exposed. The petrified forest in Theodore Roosevelt National Park contains the third highest concentration of petrified wood in the United States, after Petrified Forest National Park and Yellowstone National Park. The northern section of the petrified forest has slightly more stumps than the southern section, but doesn’t afford the dramatic views to the southeast. It is illegal to remove any resource from a national park. Leave any flower, stone, or other object where you find it so that other visitors can enjoy it as well.  It is illegal to carve, paint, or otherwise alter anything in a national park. Directions to the Petrified Forest Trailhead The petrified forest trailhead is located on the western boundary of the park. The drive from Medora to the trailhead is approximately 30 minutes on gravel roads. There are small signs indicating turns, but turn-by-turn instructions are below: <ul> <li> Take I-94 westbound to exit 23. At the end of the exit ramp, turn right on Forest Service Road 730. Travel 2.7 miles. </li> <li> Turn left to stay on 730. Travel 2.5 miles. You will pass a "Private Road" sign; you can continue. </li> <li> Turn right on Road 730-2. In 150 yards, take the first left. </li> <li> At the next "Y", veer left, continue 0.6 miles to the parking area. </li> <li> The trail starts at the lift gate beyond the trailhead sign. </li> </ul>

A sunny day in the badlands, petrified wood in the foreground stands at the edge of a valley.

Petrified Forest - North

Take a hike on the northern fork of the petrified forest trail, and experience the dramatic otherworldly topography and scattered stumps of Theodore Roosevelt National Park's petrified forest.

Petrified Forest – South. 125 words. From the petrified forest trailhead, hikers travel along an uneven trail approximately one-half a mile, with the last section up a steep hill made of bentonite clay. This clay can be very slippery in inclement weather. At the top of the hill, the trail forks. To reach the southern section of the petrified forest, hikers travel approximately a mile along the south fork through rolling prairie, occasionally broken by bison wallows, until the trail descends again. The trail drops deeply into a valley scattered with petrified stumps, large concretions, and cracks in the ground. Some of the stumps are more than six feet in height. The trail in the valley meanders around the scattered stumps before climbing again after approximately 1 mile. End of description.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park was a very different place 65 million years ago. Just after the extinction of the dinosaurs, the Rocky Mountains were forming in the west and the land where the park now sits was a flat, swampy delta. Champsosaurus gigas, a crocodile-like predator hunted in the water, where turtles, snails, clams and more lived. And all around grew massive trees like sequoia, bald cypress, and magnolia. These trees are still around today if you know where to look. Quickly buried by sediments washed down from the growing Rockies, the trees didn’t decompose, instead undergoing a process called petrification: water washed through the mineral rich sediments surrounding the buried trees and these minerals slowly replaced the organic compounds inside the trunks. As the badlands eroded, these petrified remnants were slowly exposed. The petrified forest in Theodore Roosevelt National Park contains the third highest concentration of petrified wood in the United States, after Petrified Forest National Park and Yellowstone National Park. The southern section of the petrified forest has slightly fewer stumps than the northern section, but offers dramatic views of the wilderness to the southeast, where elk are frequently seen. It is illegal to remove any resource from a national park. Leave any flower, stone, or other object where you find it so that other visitors can enjoy it as well.  It is illegal to carve, paint, or otherwise alter anything in a national park. Directions to the Petrified Forest Trailhead The petrified forest trailhead is located on the western boundary of the park. The drive from Medora to the trailhead is approximately 30 minutes on gravel roads. There are small signs indicating turns, but turn-by-turn instructions are below: <ul> <li> Take I-94 westbound to exit 23. At the end of the exit ramp, turn right on Forest Service Road 730. Travel 2.7 miles. </li> <li> Turn left to stay on 730. Travel 2.5 miles. You will pass a "Private Road" sign; you can continue. </li> <li> Turn right on Road 730-2. In 150 yards, take the first left. </li> <li> At the next "Y", veer left, continue 0.6 miles to the parking area. </li> <li> The trail starts at the lift gate beyond the trailhead sign. </li> </ul>

Several petrified stumps scattered along the side of a butte under a cloudy sky.

Petrified Forest

Theodore Roosevelt National Park contains one of the highest concentrations of petrified wood in the country, and the rolling badlands offer unique opportunities to hike amongst these geological wonders.

Petrified Forest - South

Skyline Vista. 298 words. Skyline Vista trailhead is located just south of a parking area approximately four miles into the park. The trail curves slightly southwest for its 0.1 mile length, before terminating in a small seating area. From here, there are views to the south and west, and interstate 94 is visible below the overlook. Looking west, the Little Missouri is visible, passing through the badlands. Cottonwood trees are scattered along its banks. One wayside sign stands next to the seating area. It is titled Skyline Vista, over a photograph of the view from the seating area on a sunny day. Below this photo, there is a small area of text, with an arrow pointing across the valley to the top of the opposite butte. The text reads: Carried Away. The plateau where you are now and the one across the valley were once a continuous plain. The river carved away the material in between, creating the Little Missouri Badlands. To the right of this text is a photo of hands holding muddy water, and to the right of that is more text titled The Little Muddy. This text reads: The badlands are always eroding. Evidence is found in the river hidden amongst the cottonwood trees in the valley below. Nicknamed “The Little Muddy,” it is often clouded with sediment washed down from the hillsides. To the right of this text is a photo of a sunset behind a large butte, with a title reading It’s A Butte. Text below this reads: They may look mountainous, but landforms in the badlands are buttes. Mountains form when land is thrust upwards. This process has not taken place in the badlands. Buttes form as erosion removes surrounding material. Rainwater, creeks, and the river are constantly eroding the badlands, leaving behind fantastically shaped buttes. End of description.

The trailhead for Skyline Vista is one of the first that visitors encounter when entering the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. It’s a magnificent introduction. Hiking the 0.1-mile accessible trail to an overlook, one is treated to wonderful views of the Little Missouri River, the western horizon, and the surrounding badlands. It is illegal to remove any resource from a national park. Leave any flower, stone, or other object where you find it so that other visitors can enjoy it as well. It is illegal to carve, paint, or otherwise alter anything in a national park.

A view across a valley in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, under a blue sky.

Skyline Vista

Skyline Vista Trail is a great accessible introduction to Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

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.