We visited the North and South Unit of this place that inspired Theodore Roosevelt to preserve this and many unique geologic features of the United States for future generations to see in their native state. Like all our National Parks, it is worth the time to visit. We were disappointed that the funds for our National Park System have been cut so much that there was no ranger in the North Unit, only a student intern who was not supervised.
Sincerely,
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Long before Theodore Roosevelt became America’s 26th president, he spent years as a rancher in the rugged lands preserved by this national park. He grew a strong attachment to the landscape, and now the park’s three distinct units cover some 70,000 acres of badlands, prairies, and forests abundant with plants and wildlife. The two main areas of the park make up the North Unit, near Watford City, and the South Unit, in Medora. The smallest, best-preserved, and hardest-to-reach part of the park is the Elkhorn Ranch unit, preserving the spot where Roosevelt’s former ranch once stood, 35 miles north of Medora on the bank of the Little Missouri River.
State(s): North Dakota
Established: 1947
“It is a sad state of affairs when this country refuses to pay a relatively few dollars to maintain these spectacular jewels that in return generate more money than they cost by the tourist industry that flourishes. Supporting our National Parks is a win win situation. The lack of financial support has reached a critically low level and must be reversed immediately to maintain these jewels.”
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