NORTH DAKOTA // JUNE 2021

To quote one of my favorite characters from Critical Role, “Time is a weird soup”. This past June, I took a week long road trip to North Dakota, Wyoming and South Dakota. Only a few weeks ago did I finish sorting and processing photos from that trip. But it feels like just yesterday that I was there.

Well, better late than never. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing photos and thoughts from my road trip. Up first – Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota.

Official sign for Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The sign is made of large stone blocks.
View of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park badlands. Striated rock formations create hills and valleys. Trees grow in the valleys and are very small in comparison to the rock formations.

This is the first view that most people see of the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, aptly named Skyline Vista. This photograph doesn’t capture how incredibly vast this area is. It’s badlands as far as the eye can see – a truly stunning sight after driving for hours through a relatively flat part of the state.

View of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park badlands. A large, striated rock outcropping dominates the scene.
Detail view of the rolling rock formations in Theodore Roosevelt National park.

SCENIC BYWAY DRIVE

First up, get a feel for the park by driving the Scenic Byway Loop. Well, not really a loop because the road was closed about 25 miles in to the 36 mile byway. Not a big deal though, as the drive was still beautiful, and all hiking trails were still accessible.

There were surprisingly few cars (or people) in the park, especially since summer is peak season for this area. The statistics about Theodore Roosevelt National Park being one of the least visited parks held true for my couple of days here. Being in the middle of this stunning landscape – experiencing the rock formations, bison and prairie dog towns in solitude – was exactly what I needed during the summer of 2021. I’m sure many of you can relate.

A herd of bison lay in the sparse grassland. A large rock outcropping is visible in the background.
A naturally terraced rock outcropping stands out against the clear blue sky.
Rolling grassy fields glow green and brown in the late afternoon sun.

HIKING

Many of the hiking trails in the Southern Unit are fairly short. Like so short that I was able to drive the byway and hike Wind Canyon, Coal Vein, Buck Hill and Boicourt Overlook trail in one afternoon (and into the evening). There are a few longer hikes here, so don’t let this scare you away!

A gravel hiking trail leads into the rolling hills at Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
Two large rocks sit next to a sandy hiking trail through the hills.
Smooth sandstone rock formations stand out against the typical striated rock formations.
Scrub bushes grow precariously on the side of a rocky outcrop.
Looking up to the top of a unique rock formation.

SUNSET AT BOICOURT OVERLOOK

Ending my first day in Theodore Roosevelt National Park could not have been more perfect. The air was warm with a slight breeze, the sun was golden, and the prairie dogs were chirping. In that moment, I understood why Theodore Roosevelt found solace here.

Saying that, it must be known that this land was originally the homeland of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara people. And it must also be known that Theodore Roosevelt did not hold Native people in high regard…to put it mildly. If you’re interested in learning more about the history of this park, give this article a read.

Standing at the end of Boicourt Overlook trail at dusk. Rolling, shortgrass covered hill spread into the distance.
A late-stage sunset at Boicourt Overlook.
Pink clouds overlay a deep blue sky during sunset at Boicourt Overlook.

PETRIFIED FOREST LOOP

Reseted and refreshed after a beautiful day in the park, I decided to check out the Petrified Forest Loop Trail. But not the whole loop – just out to the north petrified forest section and back. According to the National Park Service, Theodore Roosevelt National Park is home to the third largest concentration of petrified wood in the United States. Who knew!

Rolling rock formations in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. In the distance, a log stairway trail can be seen winding through a stand of trees.

I really tried to get an early start, but the summer sun was still unrelenting. There’s very little shade on this trail, so sunscreen and water are absolutely necessary. About 1.5 miles from the trailhead is the north branch of the petrified forest. I didn’t really know what to expect, but it wasn’t this.

View of the north branch of the petrified forest.

I had to triple check the map that this was it. It really just looks like some rocks, right? But looking closer, there was so much more to see. I ended up spending a little over an hour photographing the colors, textures and patterns of the rocks and the wood. Unfortunately, the sun was blazing by that time and photography conditions were not great. The sun was reflecting off the lighter rock areas and exposure was a beast to figure out. Plus, I was getting HOT. Like, overheated hot. It was tough to leave, but once I started getting lightheaded, it was time to go.

Close up shot of petrified wood texture. There is evidence of tree bark, but it mostly looks like warm tan and brown rock.
Close up shot of petrified wood texture. There is evidence of tree bark, but it mostly looks like warm tan and brown rock.
Gray rock formations surrounding the petrified forest. Dark brown lines are horizontally layered within the rock face.
Two large pieces of petrified wood sit in the foreground. In the background, rolling rock formations and scrub bushes can be seen
Detail of gray rock formations. Yellow bands of mineral can be seen horizontally across the rocks.
A dried tree branch lays on the cracked, dry ground. The ground is very light gray, and the branch is casting a harsh shadow.
Dry, cracked ground baking in the summer sun. The ground is light gray with pops of warm tan dried dirt.
Ancient tree stump or rock formation? It could be either!
Detail of gray rock face. Thousands of years in the past, water ran down this rock face to form rolling formations.
The last view of the petrified forest. In the background, rolling rocks and the start of the prairie can be seen.

Even thought it was only 1pm when I left, it was time to call it a day. I was concerned about heat stroke and wanted to explore the town of Medora for a little bit. And I had a long day of driving ahead of me.

Next up – Wyoming!