Medora

Follow the trail of adventure blazed by Theodore Roosevelt

The sprawling and still sparsely populated badlands of eastern North Dakota are forever intertwined with two equally intertwined themes: the romance of a rough-and-tumble American frontier and the legacy of President Theodore Roosevelt, an avid conservationist. Nowhere are those two themes more readily on display than in the tiny town of Medora.

Tucked away in the middle of two massive national parks, and sitting on the shores of the Little Missouri River, Medora serves as the home base for anyone looking to branch out and explore eastern North Dakota at large. Bismarck, the closest major population center, lies 133 miles to the east. Interstate 94 skirts the northern city limits of Medora, but this is still much the same countryside that an adventurous Teddy Roosevelt came to know and love so well in his youth.

David Peterson

The same largely undeveloped landscape full of corrugated cliffs, steep gullies and richly colored stratified-rock hills are here in abundance. So is the thriving wildlife population—bison, elk, pronghorn, wild horses and bighorn sheep all fill the badlands. Among the highlights:

• Theodore Roosevelt National Park will consume most of your time here, and justifiably so. Spanning more than 70,000 acres, its relative isolation and massive size means crowds are almost nonexistent year-round.

• Little Missouri National Grasslands is another popular spot for outdoors enthusiasts. Nature photographers will revel in the grasslands’ rich concentration of antelope, eagles and bighorn sheep.

• The Billings County Museum displays an eclectic mix of artifacts that help piece together the story of Medora, North Dakota and the county in general.

For More Information

Medora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau

701-623-4830

www.medorand.com

North Dakota Tourism Division

800-435-5663

www.ndtourism.com