35-571: Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a national park of the United States in the badlands of western North Dakota comprising three geographically separated areas. This park pays homage to the time that Theodore Roosevelt spent in the surrounding area and in the Dakota Territories before they were states. Roosevelt lived in the area after his mother and wife died hours apart on February 14, 1884. Theodore Roosevelt National Park
70-616: A Wheatgrass / Needlegrass ( 66 ) vegetation type with a North Mixed grass prairie ( 18 ) vegetation form, and a Northern Floodplain ( 98 ) vegetation type with a Floodplain Forests ( 24 ) vegetation form. The park is home to a wide variety of Great Plains wildlife, including bison , coyotes , cougars , mustang horses , badgers , elk , bighorn sheep , white-tailed deer , mule deer , pronghorn , prairie dogs , and at least 186 species of birds including golden eagles , sharp-tailed grouse , and wild turkeys . Nine longhorn cattle roam
105-475: A destination, and hunting and extractive activities are prohibited. National monuments , on the other hand, are also frequently protected for their historical or archaeological significance. Eight national parks (including six in Alaska ) are paired with a national preserve , areas with different levels of protection that are administered together but considered separate units and whose areas are not included in
140-418: A handling facility and then sold them at public auction. New methods for herd management were tried including contraceptives, low-stress capture techniques, genetics research, and partnerships with nonprofit horse advocacy groups. The 1978 Environmental Assessment document set a population goal for the demonstration herd to 35-60 head. The goal for number of horses and herd demographics is being reevaluated during
175-571: A proper permit, no roads or buildings are constructed and there is also no logging or mining , in compliance with the 1964 Wilderness Act . Wilderness areas within National Forests and Bureau of Land Management areas also allow hunting in season. Both main units of the park have scenic drives, approximately 100 miles (160 km) of foot and horse trails, wildlife viewing, and opportunities for back country hiking and camping. There are three developed campgrounds: Juniper Campground in
210-540: Is Gateway Arch National Park , Missouri , at 192.83 acres (0.7804 km ). The total area protected by national parks is approximately 52.4 million acres (212,000 km ), for an average of 833 thousand acres (3,370 km ) but a median of only 220 thousand acres (890 km ). The national parks set a visitation record in 2021, with more than 92 million visitors. Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee has been
245-548: Is a small, rural, unincorporated village in northeastern Billings County , North Dakota , United States. It lies along U.S. Route 85 , northeast of the city of Medora , the county seat of Billings County. It has a cafe, an elementary school, and the post office serving the ZIP code of 58627. Fairfield is part of the Dickinson Micropolitan Statistical Area . This climatic region
280-754: Is situated about 80 mi (130 km) north of the South Unit, and Roosevelt's Elkhorn Ranch is located between the North and South units. Both main units of the park have scenic drives, approximately 100 miles (160 km) of foot and horse trails, wildlife viewing, and back country hiking and camping. The park received 850,000 recreational visitors in 2021. Roosevelt first came to the North Dakota badlands to hunt bison in September 1883. During that first short trip, he got his bison and fell in love with
315-483: Is situated about 80 mi (130 km) north of the South Unit, on U.S. Route 85 , just south of Watford City, North Dakota . Roosevelt's Elkhorn Ranch is located between the North and South units, approximately 20 mi (32 km) west of US 85 and Fairfield, North Dakota . According to the Köppen climate classification system, Theodore Roosevelt National Park has a Cold semi-arid climate ( BSk ). According to
350-612: Is the only American national park named directly after a single person. The park covers 70,446 acres (110.072 sq mi; 28,508 ha; 285.08 km) of land in three sections: the North Unit, the South Unit, and the Elkhorn Ranch Unit. The Little Missouri River flows through all three units of the park. The Maah Daah Hey Trail connects all three units. The park's larger South Unit lies alongside Interstate 94 near Medora, North Dakota . The smaller North Unit
385-720: The Elkhorn Ranch , 35 miles north of Medora, which he hired two Maine woodsmen, Bill Sewall and Wilmot Dow, to operate. Roosevelt took great interest in his ranches and in hunting in the West, detailing his experiences in pieces published in eastern newspapers and magazines. He wrote three major works on his life in the West: Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail , Hunting Trips of a Ranchman and The Wilderness Hunter. His adventures in "the strenuous life" outdoors and
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#1732783345189420-700: The National Park Service , an agency of the Department of the Interior . National parks are designated for their natural beauty, unique geological features, diverse ecosystems, and recreational opportunities, typically "because of some outstanding scenic feature or natural phenomena." While legislatively all units of the National Park System are considered equal with the same mission, national parks are generally larger and more of
455-803: The United States Department of Agriculture , the Plant Hardiness zone at the North Unit Visitor Center (2008 ft / 612 m) is 3b with an average annual extreme minimum temperature of -30.6 °F (-34.8 °C), and 4a with an average annual extreme minimum temperature of -29.3 °F (-34.1 °C) at the South Unit Visitor Center (2261 ft / 689 m). According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. Potential natural vegetation Types, Theodore Roosevelt National Park has two classifications;
490-602: The territories of American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands . The state with the most national parks is California with nine, followed by Alaska with eight, Utah with five, and Colorado with four. The largest national park is Wrangell–St. Elias in Alaska: at over 8 million acres (32,375 km ), it is larger than each of the nine smallest states . The next three largest parks are also in Alaska. The smallest park
525-608: The National Park Service "to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and wildlife therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." Many current national parks had been previously protected as national monuments by the president under the Antiquities Act or as other designations created by Congress before being redesignated by Congress;
560-676: The North Unit of the park, in McKenzie County , whereas the somewhat smaller southern section covers only the western portion of the larger South Unit, in Billings County . The southern section is located at 46°59′N 103°33′W / 46.983°N 103.550°W / 46.983; -103.550 . The wilderness protects from development the wildest sections of the National Park, an area described as badlands where erosional forces have carved steep cliffs into
595-669: The North Unit was added by act of Congress in June 1948. In 1978, in addition to boundary adjustments and the establishment of 29,920 acres (121.1 km) of the Theodore Roosevelt Wilderness , the park's designation was changed to Theodore Roosevelt National Park . The North Unit, the South Unit, and the Elkhorn Ranch Unit cover a total of 70,446 acres (110.072 sq mi; 28,508 ha; 285.08 km). The park's larger South Unit lies alongside Interstate 94 near Medora, North Dakota . The smaller North Unit
630-564: The North Unit, Cottonwood Campground in the South Unit, and the Roundup Group Horse Campground in the South Unit. Wildlife viewing is popular The brown, dormant grass dominates from late summer through the winter, but explodes into green color in the early summer along with hundreds of species of flowering plants. During winter, snow covers the sharp terrain of the badlands and locks the park into what Theodore Roosevelt called "an abode of iron desolation." A museum at
665-470: The North Unit. The bison, elk, and bighorn sheep were reintroduced to the park. Park officials manage populations of bison, horses, and elk to maintain a balanced ecosystem. The entire park has been surrounded with a 7-foot tall (2.1 m) woven wire fence which keeps horses and bison inside the park and commercial livestock out. Other animals are able to pass over, under, or through the fence in specific locations provided for that purpose. Elk seek refuge in
700-402: The South Unit Visitor Center provides background on Roosevelt and his ranching days. Roosevelt's Maltese Cross Cabin is at the South Unit Visitor Center. Roosevelt's Elkhorn Ranch is a separate, remote area of the park, 35 miles (56 km) north of Medora, accessible by gravel roads. The foundation of the ranch house and other shops buildings have been preserved, though the other portions of
735-474: The cabin were removed and re-purposed after Roosevelt vacated the ranch. Threats to the Elkhorn Ranch site include oil development on adjacent lands, particularly visual intrusions and noise pollution from oil facilities and traffic. The park units are mostly surrounded by grasslands . The area has very dark night skies with excellent star gazing and occasional northern lights . The town of Medora, at
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#1732783345189770-465: The development of a new management plan with current research. The absence of livestock would enable reestablishment of natural grazing regimes to benefit native plant life and natural ecosystem function. Twenty-nine bison were introduced to a South Unit in 1956 and subsequently transferred 20 bison from that herd to the park's North Unit in 1962. They are routinely culled down to approximately 350 and 20 animals, respectively. The gathering and reduction of
805-692: The entrance to the south unit, provides a western experience, with wooden planked sidewalks, old fashioned ice cream parlors, and buggy rides. There are several museums and the Burning Hills Amphitheather with nightly productions of the Medora Musical from early June to early September. List of national parks of the United States The United States has 63 national parks , which are congressionally designated protected areas operated by
840-412: The extent to which translocated animals integrate into the established herds. Created by an act of Congress in 1978, the wilderness covers an area of 29,920 acres (121 km) and comprises over a third of the area of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. There are two geographically separated sections of wilderness, one in each of the two main units of the National Park. The northern section covers most of
875-552: The figures below. The 431 units of the National Park System can be broadly referred to as national parks, but most have other formal designations. A bill creating the first national park, Yellowstone , was signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant in 1872, followed by Mackinac National Park in 1875 (decommissioned in 1895), and then Rock Creek Park (later merged into National Capital Parks ), Sequoia and Yosemite in 1890. The Organic Act of 1916 created
910-742: The herd alternates between the two units each year. The bison are shared with Native American tribes to increase numbers in existing tribal herds and provide genetic diversity. The conservation of bison is an ongoing, diverse effort to bring bison back from the brink of extinction. The 2020 Bison Conservation Initiative by the Department of the Interior has five central goals: wild, healthy bison herds; genetic conservation; shared stewardship; ecological restoration ; and cultural restoration. Six yearling female bison were transferred from Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge in 2020. National Park Service experts will study
945-539: The loss of his cattle in the starvation winter in 1886–1887 were influential in his pursuit of conservation policies as President of the United States (1901–1909). Following Roosevelt's death in 1919, the Little Missouri Badlands were explored to determine possible park sites. Civilian Conservation Corps camps were established in both of the future park units from 1934 to 1941, and they developed roads and other structures in use today. The area
980-601: The most-visited park since 1944, and had almost 13 million visitors in 2022. In contrast, only about 9,500 people visited the remote Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve in Alaska in 2022. Download coordinates as: The following table includes the 30 states and two territories that have national parks. Exclusive parks refer to parks entirely within one state or territory. Shared parks refer to parks in multiple states. Territories are set in italics . Fairfield, North Dakota Fairfield
1015-472: The newest national park is New River Gorge , previously a National River, and the most recent entirely new park is National Park of American Samoa . A few former national parks are no longer designated as such , or have been disbanded. Fourteen national parks are designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites (WHS), and 21 national parks are named UNESCO Biosphere Reserves (BR), with eight national parks in both programs. Thirty states have national parks, as do
1050-420: The park from external hunting pressure. The elk reproduce and have been removed to mitigate resource damage from overpopulation. Prairie dogs are native wildlife that are considered a keystone species because of their foraging and burrowing behaviors that mix soils and promote native plant diversity, critical to healthy landscape ecology. They also serve as a prey base for a variety of other native wildlife. After
1085-476: The park was fenced, a horse round-up held in 1954 removed 200 branded animals. A few small bands of horses eluded capture and went unclaimed. These horses continued to live free-range in the park. For several years the National Park Service tried to remove all horses from the park. In 1970, a change of park policy recognized the horse as part of the historical setting. Historically, the park conducted roundups every three to four years using helicopters to herd horses to
Theodore Roosevelt National Park - Misplaced Pages Continue
1120-470: The primary erosional source which created the badlands topography. Eighty-five miles (137 km) of trails allow access to the most remote sections of the wilderness. Camping is allowed with a permit, however gathering wood for fires is prohibited and overnighters are encouraged to bring a portable stove. U.S. Wilderness Areas do not allow motorized or mechanized vehicles, including bicycles . Although camping and fishing are usually allowed with
1155-414: The relatively flat prairie. Bison , pronghorn , elk , mule deer and coyote are all found here, along with hundreds of species of birds such as the bald eagle , falcon and hawk . The wilderness is separated into two sections along with the park, a north and a south unit, by a distance of 70 miles (110 km). The Little Missouri River is on the south side of both units and is credited for being
1190-612: The rugged lifestyle and the "perfect freedom" of the West. He invested $ 14,000 in the Maltese Cross Ranch, which was already being managed by Sylvane Ferris and Bill Merrifield, seven miles south of Medora. That winter, Ferris and Merrifield built the Maltese Cross Cabin . After the death of both his wife and his mother on February 14, 1884, Roosevelt returned to his North Dakota ranch seeking solitude and time to heal. That summer, he started his second ranch,
1225-702: Was designated the Roosevelt Recreation Demonstration Area in 1935. In 1946 it was transferred to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as the Theodore Roosevelt National Wildlife Refuge . After a five-year campaign by North Dakota representative William Lemke , President Truman established the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park on April 25, 1947, the only National Memorial Park ever established;
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