Canceled July 21, 2013
Theodore Roosevelt National Park is located in the rugged “Badlands” of North Dakota. It is split up into two separate areas that you can explore (North and South). Wildlife is abundant and can best be seen in the evening. Wild horses, black-tailed prairie dog towns, bison, pronghorn and elk roam freely. It is very exciting to see them up close in there natural habitat.
We hiked the Petrified Forest trail and connected into a few other trails to create an over 12 mile loop located in the south unit. This trail took all our strength and effort both mentally and physically. We thought we were properly prepared. However, the strong warms winds, lack of shade and extensive grasslands created dehydration for us. Our thoughts of an ice cold cooler full of ice and beverages in the trunk of our car made the finish well worth the struggle.
The next day we hiked the Buckhorn trail in the north unit. This trail connected into other trails as well. However, the over 15 loop did not happen the way we wanted it to. Once again, we faced adversity and obstacles. The trail went through several very boggy areas. There were many shallow and deep muddy water creeks that we had to cross. Leaping over it or taking our boots off and crossing barefoot were our only options. What began as a nervous situation became a fun sloppy adventure.
As we continued hiking, somehow we must have gotten off track. We got lost temporarily and probably followed a bison track. When we finally found the correct trail, we ended up going around in a long circle. The good news was we knew where we were. The bad news was we had to cross the muddy creeks again! Thankfully, we accomplished another extreme situation.
When traveling to Theodore Roosevelt National Park take the scenic drive to the end at Oxbow Overlook located in the north unit. The breathtaking vista of the Little Missouri River is well worth the time. We would recommend logging in the town of Medora and visiting our favorite ice-cream parlor… Medora Fudge and Ice-cream Depot.
