We signed off our last blog leaving Yellowstones North East entrance via the Beartooth Pass Highway and headed back into Montana. To break up the ~500 mile drive to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, we stopped at Makoshika State Park, and managed to score an epic camp spot tucked away at the top of the valley, away from any nearby lights, which came in handy later in the evening when we were lucky enough to see the Aurora Borealis.
The next morning we crossed over the border into North Dakota, driving through huge grasslands and passing small oil wells every couple of miles. Shortly after we reached our 24th US National Park. Named after the 26th president, who owned a cattle ranch in the park for a number of years before making it as a big time politician. Theodore Roosevelt National Park is made up of a mix of rocky outcrops, grasslands, and winding rivers.
Way smaller than Yellowstone that we had just left, the Teddie Roosevelt Park is split into North and South sections which are 65miles apart, but are both quite compact in size. We were able to explore both thoroughly in 1.5days. Although the hikes weren’t as breathtaking as the Tetons, it was still nice to get out and stretch our legs, and given the shorter trails, we walked almost all of them!
There were lots of bison, wild horses and a new animal for this park were the prairie dogs. These are a mix of a rat, a squirrel and a dog. They actually have the nickname ‘barking squirrels’ which we can attest to given they seem to bark all night long! We also read that the fleas they carry are known for transmitting the bubonic plague, so we stayed a safe distance away just in case… The geology of this part of the Dakota’s is super interesting. You can see many layers of sedimentary rock in the hillsides which makes for interesting colours.
After leaving the park, we made our way south and briefly crossed back into Wyoming to visit Devils Tower. A 1,267ft/386m monolith that shoots out of the prairie and sits above a red sandstone river. It has hundreds of parallel cracks which makes it a mecca for climbers. We took in a hike that circumvented the base of the tower and watched the climbers as they tried to scale the wall.
What’s Next:
Over the next week the plan is to explore both of South Dakotas National Parks - Badlands and Windy Cave. As well as the Black Hills, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse and an retired Minutemen Missile Silo.
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