Theodore Roosevelt National Park, tucked into the rugged badlands of western North Dakota is where a young Theodore Roosevelt came to recover after the loss of his wife and mother in the same day. He bought a ranch, rode the open plains, and found the resolve that would later define his presidency. Today, the park named in his honor preserves that same wild spirit. Visitors can still see Roosevelt’s original Maltese Cross Cabin near the park's entrance and walk trails he once rode on horseback.

One of the park’s most iconic features is its wildlife. Herds of bison roam freely through the Little Missouri River valley, often stopping traffic along the Scenic Loop Drive. Wild horses, rarely seen in national parks, graze in the grasslands while prairie dogs chatter from their mounds. The varied habitats, from cottonwood forests to painted canyons, support a surprising diversity of animals for a park in the northern plains.