The North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National park is a beautiful and secluded area with a 28 miles roundtrip Scenic Drive, hikes, and plenty of wildlife. Within the park you will absolutely see my favorite, the Bison! As a matter of fact, when I pulled into the park in the early mornings of July in 2020, I was immediately met by a group of the beasts eating and scratching. It was the perfect introduction to the region. But I truly saw so many of the large woolly and wild creatures while on the gorgeous drive.

The drive shows the Little Missouri River and its Oxbows, turns, and badlands. It is a surprisingly beautiful landscape. Nearby there are a few Forest Service campgrounds and within the park there are plenty of trails.

For short hikes, there’s the Little Missouri Nature Trail that gives you beautiful views of the river. The short loop is .7 miles and the long loop is 1.4.

There’s also the 2.4 mile roundtrip out and back Sperati Point trail at the Oxbow Overlook at the end of the road.

The 5.4 mile roundtrip out and back Caprock Coulee Trail also takes you from the Scenic Drive to the long Buckhorn Trail which will have walking through Prairie Dog Towns and along a creek.

There’s also the interesting Cannonball Concretions formations that formed in the ancient river when sand became cemented together. On my trip through the park, I somehow completely missed these. To be fair, I had travelled overnight from Wisconsin without a lick of sleep.

If you love wildlife and Bison and beautiful empty vistas of badlands and big sky, this is the park for you. It also helps that it’s nearly empty, the best way to explore the great outdoors.