During our stay outside of Medora, North Dakota, we took advantage of the Every Kid Outdoors program to explore Theodore Roosevelt National park.
Located in the Badlands of North Dakota, this park was an absolute wonder of history and natural beauty.
The park was dedicated to Theodore Roosevelt, who we learned was a major supporter and facilitator of the National park and natural preserve programs in the US. We learned about how, before he became president, Theodore Roosevelt had tragically lost his mother and wife on the same day. He retreated to the Badlands to heal and work at a ranch he founded called Elkhorn Ranch. While there, he was inspired to preserve these treasures for generations to come.
One of the exhibits they had was Theodore’s old cabin called the Maltese Cross Cabin. While not in its original location, it had been taken on a tour of the nation, and it was restored to as close to its original state as possible, saving unfortunate vandalism.
In the park, there was a simply stunning amount of wildlife roaming free and oblivious to humans. Bison stood just by the road. Prairie dog metropolises were alive with the energetic barks and fussing of the local black-tailed prairie dogs.
We even saw a small herd of wild mustang horses as we drove the scenic loop.
After exploring this national treasure we were totally able to sympathize with Mr. Roosevelt. When it came time to move on and out of the badlands we felt remorse, knowing we’d miss the painted landscape and coarse beauty of this land.
