Last Updated on: 6th August 2025, 12:05 pm
North Dakota’s Theodore Roosevelt National Park is easily one of America’s most underrated parks. And the Painted Canyon area, which serves as many visitors’ introduction to the park, is a great way to become acquainted with the region’s colorful badlands.
Painted Canyon is part of the park’s South Unit, albeit in a separate area from the popular Scenic Loop Road. It’s located seven miles east of Medora, the main gateway to the park, and about 30 miles west of Dickinson.
Painted Canyon, in fact, even has its own small Visitor Unit, and could therefore be thought of as its own small unit.
In addition to the overlook from the parking lot, Painted Canyon is home to two scenic hiking trails. And those who start early enough should be able to explore the Painted Canyon area and the Scenic Loop Drive (covered in a separate guide) over the course of a single day.
You should also be sure to set aside a full additional day to explore the park’s North Unit. To learn more about how many days you need in the park, local accommodation, and park entrance fees, be sure to check the end of the article.
The Overlook
While the Painted Canyon (not to be confused with Painted Canyon in California, of course) is well worth exploring on foot, if you don’t have the time, you should at the very least stop and check out the overlook. It’s easily accessible via I-94.
While there aren’t any historical sites located in the Painted Canyon area, it was badlands like these that greatly shaped Theodore Roosevelt’s life during his time in North Dakota.
From the main parking area, you can access trailheads for two different hikes, both of which we’ll be covering below.
The Painted Canyon Nature Trail
I started with the Painted Canyon Nature Trail, a 0.9-mile (1.4 km) loop trail. From the parking area, a gentle trail takes you down into the valley, after which this is a relatively easy and straightforward hike.
Most people should be able to finish this trail in just 30-40 minutes.
Badlands are generally described as places with a type of dry terrain in which clay soil has been heavily eroded, making it very difficult for plants to grow. Given the softness of the clay, you’ll often see unique formations that often can’t be seen in other environments.
Interestingly, in contrast to most other badlands I’ve visited, Painted Canyon and other parts of Theodore Roosevelt National Park are surprisingly green.
So here you sort of get the best of both worlds: otherworldly and colorful badlands formations combined with lush vegetation.
Honestly speaking, I found Painted Canyon and various other parts of Theodore Roosevelt National Park to be more beautiful and impressive than the better-known Badlands National Park in South Dakota.
And similar to Badlands National Park, you’ll also get to see lots of wildlife, particularly bison.
I was only minutes into the hike when I spotted my first bison. Fortunately, he was standing on a little plateau above the trail and didn’t seem to pay me any mind.
Bison are generally peaceful creatures who don’t go looking for conflict. But it’s imperative to give them enough space, as they can be highly dangerous once they feel threatened. And there’s no way to protect yourself from a charging bison.
Next, the trail took me past beautiful and wrinkly badlands formations similar those I’d seen in Utah or New Mexico. But as mentioned, it was surreal seeing them surrounded by so much vegetation.
It’s no wonder why those who make the effort to visit consider Theodore Roosevelt National Park to be one of America’s most underrated parks.
I looped around the long, ovular trail, and it eventually began to take me back uphill. And before I knew it, I was already at the overlook.
While this short and easy trail is great for those with limited time in the park, most visitors should also be sure not to miss the Painted Canyon Trail featured below.
The Painted Canyon Trail
The Painted Canyon Trail is a 4.1-mile out-and-back hike that takes around two hours to complete. From the parking area, you’ll begin by walking east for 10-15 minutes before eventually finding the descending trail into the valley.
This could be regarded as an easy trail, though you will have to watch out for bison. You’ll definitely want to wear long pants at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, as it’s not uncommon to need to take detours through the tall grass to avoid animals on the trail.
And speaking of bison, it was about thirty minutes into my hike when I looked to the right and saw a bison standing right beside me!
A thick tree had been blocking the view until I realized that he was right there. The pictures below were taken after I’d already gained some distance.
I’d already had a very close encounter with a bison at South Dakota’s Wind Cave National Park. But as in that situation, this bison just calmly watched me as I walked by.
While many of the hikes at Theodore Roosevelt National Park are quite easy overall, you’re nevertheless bound to experience a major adrenaline rush at some point.
As I continued along the Painted Canyon Trail, I even spotted some petrified wood. The park actually has an area called the Petrified Forest located in the remote western part of the South Unit.
And there’s even a Petrified Forest Loop Trail that takes you to two main sections where petrified wood is abundant. Though I had plans to visit on my final day, rain rendered the dirt road to the trailhead inaccessible.
If you also have trouble making it, rest assured that you can occasionally spot pieces of petrified wood in other parts of the park.
Theodore Roosevelt first came to this area in 1883 to hunt bison before returning to his hometown of New York. But his memories of these rugged landscapes lured him back, and he even established his own ranch in the area.
‘I never would have been president if it had not been for my experiences in North Dakota,’ he said in 1918.
It makes sense, of course, for this park to be named after Theodore Roosevelt. But the park’s name probably confuses a lot potential visitors, as it sounds like it’s a purely historical park – not a place that’s home to such stunning landscapes and exciting trails.
The north-south Painted Canyon Trail officially ends when it meets the east-west Upper Paddock Creek Trail at a T-junction. The Upper Paddock Creek Trail is a massive 17-mile out-and-back trail that takes about six hours to complete, and few hikers seem to do it.
Though I probably would’ve turned back here, a fellow hiker I met recommended that I head west for a bit along the Upper Paddock Creek Trail to spot a herd of bison. And so I did.
I walked for several minutes until I got to the top of a small hill. And sure enough, I spotted a large bison family relaxing in the grass. I figured that this would be the perfect place to turn around.
With the exception of the one other hiker that gave me the tip, I hadn’t encountered anybody else during this hike. But that would change during the return journey.
Though more and more hikers would start appearing as late morning approached, Painted Canyon – and Theodore Roosevelt National Park as a whole – is a lot quieter than many other scenic trails in the Western United States.
As mentioned above, the Painted Canyon Trail takes about two hours roundtrip, including the brief Upper Paddock Creek trail detour.
Though it would end up being a long and tiring day, I’d still end up having time for most of the trails along the Scenic Loop Drive, which you can learn more about in our dedicated guide.
Additional Info
While not that well-known, Theodore Roosevelt National Park probably offers more to do overall than Badlands National Park to the south. Most visitors should set aside at least two full days aside to explore both the South and North Units.
Also consider setting a third day aside to visit the Petrified Forest or anything else you might’ve missed in the park.
And if your schedule allows, plan for a fourth day to visit Makoshika State Park in eastern Montana. It’s similar to Theodore Roosevelt NP but equally impressive. It’s perhaps best thought of as the park’s unofficial ‘West Unit.’
All in all, having four full days in the area would ideal for hikers, nature lovers and photographers.
The closest town to Theodore Roosevelt National Park is Medora, a charming and well-preserved Old West town. Hotels here, however, can be quite pricey. And there aren’t many options online other than AmericInn by Wyndham Medora.
The next best option is the city of Dickinson, about a 35-minute drive away. Dickinson is also about an hour and fifteen minutes from the park’s North Unit – not much further than the one-hour drive from Medora.
Dickinson is a rather unremarkable city of 25,000 people, albeit one that has plenty of shopping and dining options compared to Medora.
I stayed at the Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham which was fine for the price. Other popular options include the Holiday Inn and Hawthorn Extended Stay.
At the time of writing, Theodore Roosevelt National Park costs $30 to enter (learn more here).
If you’re visiting from abroad, note that in contrast to many other countries, US parks typically charge per vehicle rather than per person. However, if you’re traveling by bicycle instead, they’ll charge you for an individual pass which costs $15, while those on motorcycles will be charged $25.
Considering how many National Parks and National Monuments there are to see in the Western US alone, the best option for most will be to buy an ‘America the Beautiful’ Annual National Parks Pass.
These cost $80 for the year. In most cases, you’re already saving money by just visiting four National Parks/Monuments anywhere in the country within a full year.
What’s more, is that only one person in your vehicle needs to have the pass. Additionally, seniors can buy the pass for just $20. So if you have someone over 62 in your party, just have them get the annual pass and everyone else will be set.
As for where to get the pass, you can purchase it in person at most National Parks or Monuments. But you can also order it in advance online.