Our Alaskan RV Trip 2024: Day 3: Medina, ND to Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Photo of the Day:

After successfully disconnecting the RV from power and water for our first time, we headed out towards Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The wind was more of a tailwind today so it made driving the RV a little more manageable for Lynda and she was able to do 200 miles.

We drove to the South Unit first and did the driving tour. It’s very strange geography because you’re driving through rolling grasslands and farms and then all of a sudden you come across what reminded us of Bryce Canyon with lots of rock formations with different striations of color. It was pretty hazy and the sun wasn’t super bright, so pictures don’t do it justice, but it was a very pretty drive and we would definitely recommend it.

You used to be able to drive a loop but part of the road is being reconstructed and won’t open until 2025, so it is an out and back.

We saw lots of bison along the route plus a coyote and tons of prairie dogs.

Prairie Dog Metropolis

We did two shorter hikes, including Buck Hill and Wind Canyon. Buck Hill had amazing views of the canyon, and Wind Canyon Trail overlooked the Little Missouri River. Both were very pretty.

The buffalo (really bison) stopped us from hiking this trail.

Check the upper right hole carefully for Lynda!

Our departure was delayed by this fella

Our next stop was Painted Canyon Visitor Center. It was pretty also, but not as vibrant because of the haze and slight drizzle.

We got to the North Unit about 3:30 and picked our campsite for the night.

Then we went on a 4.2 mile loop hike called Caprock Coulee. There was a fair amount of elevation gain but it was worth it to see the views.

There were some very interesting rock formations on the hike

This shelter was built by the CCC about 100 years ago. They did some great work in the National Parks!

Here's a video of the view.

We headed back our campsite in Juniper Campground, where we chatted with the volunteer park host (looks like an interesting post-retirement gig) for a bit and then made dinner before calling it a day. We were both awakened in the middle of the night by the howling of a pack of coyotes.