I was captivated by Theodore Roosevelt National Park’s rugged beauty as soon as I arrived at the little-known park.
North Dakota national park offers rugged beauty, amazing wildlife
I had never heard of Theodore Roosevelt National Park until a buddy visited a couple of years ago, but from his review of this little-known park I started planning a trip. And my opportunity came when I was scheduled to work a Bassmaster event in neighboring South Dakota in August 2022.
So I put together a travel plan that included a week at Teddy Roosevelt NP before heading to the bass-fishing tournament at Lake Oahe.
The rugged beauty of this amazing area blew me away! The badlands of Theodore Roosevelt were like nothing I had ever seen — completely different than Badlands National Park that was just a few hours south. I couldn’t wait to get to work building a collection of prints from these badlands.
This final sunrise in Theodore Roosevelt National Park was so beautiful, with the first light of day spilling into the badlands.
I spent three days in each of the park’s units, and they were just different enough to keep me excited. And the wildlife in each unit was an added bonus.
Both units were filled with bison, which was so cool to see! These symbols of the American West roam freely through the park, and I was able to capture some great photos of these beasts. And, even though I tried to keep my distance, I had a couple walk within yards of me while working (I had nowhere to go, so I just stood very still to keep from spooking the animals). The size of bison is amazing!
A real highlight of the trip was when I rounded a curve in the South Unit located adjacent to little Medora, N.D., to find a group of wild horses standing over the road. I jumped out and captured some really nice images of these animals.
And I closed out the trip when I ran across a small herd of mature bighorn sheep. You bet I grabbed my big lens and shot some photos of these iconic animals!
Click here to see the full Theodore Roosevelt National Park Collection!
Photographing this wild stallion, which kept watch over its band of mares, was just one of the highlights of my time in North Dakota’s Theodore Roosevelt National Park.