Teddy Roosevelt National Park is located in Western North Dakota. It has two sections: a southern and a northern. With its close proximity to I-94 (the interstate actually runs through it), I camped out in the southern unit.
Without question, the main attraction here are the Bison (with the prairie dogs second). The terrain reminds me a little bit of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument with its colors of light green rocks and dry climate. Though the region has experienced quite a bit of rain so there was quite a bit more green here than normal. My tent experienced its first night of rain since my cross country trip. It fared OK. Somehow the floor got wet, but my sleeping bag remained bone dry.
Unfortunately I did not get out much on foot. I hate traveling by car, but I did enjoy the 27 mile scenic loop through the park. Near the campground there is a prairie dog town. I asked the ranger about this. He said that it's exactly what it states on the map. He wasn't joking. When I pulled over near one of these towns, there were mounds and mounds of dirt that the prairie dogs tunneled out. They sometimes dig up to 30 feet down. When I stopped, there was an endless amount of chirping. They're warning the others of the guy snapping pictures of them. Although they don't fully trust people, one can get surprisingly close to them. They must, over time, get used to the tourists stopping by and stepping out of their cars.
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| Grabbing a bite to eat |
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| On the lookout |
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| Prairie Dog Town |
Towards the end of the scenic loop I spotted my first Bison, a lone male. Apparently, they like to rub their heads against the guard rails. Maybe I should try that the next time the mosquitoes are bothering me. Eventually I came across a herd of them. Many were on the road which made it difficult to get by. The Rav4 is no match for these beasts. I witnessed a few of the males battling it out. A couple approached my car, I assume their hoofing was a warning to keep at a distance. I had no problem obliging.
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| 1st Bison I came across |
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| Faceoff |
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| That feels so good |
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| The Rav4 is no match for these two. I'll wait |
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| There are also wild horse here |
Great photos. I am now extremely envious. But I have an interesting story about Teddy Roosevelt although it took place in New York. This past spring I took my last history class. My professor told us that when President McKinley was assassinated in September of 1901, TR was hiking up Mount Marcy in the Adirondacks when he received word of the assassination and that he was now President of the US. He had to hike back down the mountain to assume his new presidential responsibilities. Don't know if you were aware of that. Interesting stuff!!!
ReplyDeleteYou don't hike in the Adirondacks as often as I have and not hear of that. I'm not sure why, but he actually didn't take the oath of office until he reached Buffalo, where McKinley was killed.
ReplyDeleteWow. That park looks amazing. It must have been thrilling to get so close to the buffalo. They are massive. Great rainbow pic.
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