The park was home to the Sioux people, nomadic horsemen of the plains who were skilled at the art (and survival skill) of hunting buffalo. They were excellent horsemen and warriors, producing some well known figures of the American Indian Wars, such as the brilliant strategist and warrior Red Cloud, the only Native American to ever win a war against the United States, and the brave, death-seeking Crazy Horse, whom is famous for his bravery in battle and skill in mounted combat, and who once declared before his ultimate fall that "Today is a good day to die, men!"

As Euro-Americans began to encroach on the Great Plains, the area was home to buffalo hunters who nearly drove the buffalo into extinction in order to make way for the railroads, often shooting them from the comfort of the train itself. Many people came to the area in search of gold and to make a living, and many flocked to the region under the Homestead Act of 1862, which gave free land to anyone willing to develop it. This proved to be one of the main catalysts for the Sioux Wars, which resulted in competition for resources between the Sioux and the Homesteaders. The Sioux were finally driven out of the area in the 1870s, forced to move to reservations such as Pine Ridge and Crow Creek.

Homesteaders came from many places, as far away as areas like Scandinavia and Germany, and as close as the Midwest and the Eastern Seaboard. Life here was very difficult. The area granted to the Homesteaders was designed for a family farm in more eastern climates, and wasn't nearly large enough to make a living in the semi-arid conditions and the poor soil.

Many fossil hunters such as the famed paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope and the famed rockhound Barnum Brown "hounded" the region for fossils, discovering marvelous specimens such as Tyrannosaurus and Ornitholestes, as well as many mammals such as Hyaenodon horridus and many, many oreodont fossils, the sheep of the Oligocene.

Theodore Roosevelt lived in North Dakota (then the Dakota Territory) during the 1880s, owning and operating two ranches, including Elkhorn Ranch. It was here he fell in love with outdoors and the West, which made him a strong advocate of conservation during his time as President from 1901 to 1909. During his presidency, he created five national parks, established the US Forest Service and signed the Antiquities Act that lead to the creation of national monuments. After Roosevelt's death in 1919, the badlands were scoured for potential national park sites to memorialize him, and park was put together, eventually becoming a national park in 1949.

Five million years ago, uplift in the region that would become the Badlands triggered gradual erosion to the state it is in today. Many spirals, summits, and valleys can be found, with numerous fossil bearing rocks found, ranging from the Cretaceous to the Oligocene.

An abundance of native grasses provide sustenance for larger grazing animals: bison, elk, pronghorn antelope, white-tailed and mule deer, bighorn sheep and feral horses.

Once land is grazed or disturbed, it becomes prime habitat for prairie dogs to build their towns. The park's prairie dog towns are a great place to find birds feeding on seeds, burrowing owls making their dens, and prairie rattlesnakes or bull snakes living in abandoned burrows. It is not uncommon to see a golden eagle flying overhead, or a porcupine ambling up a tree to snack on the tree bark.

Summers are warm with temperatures in the 80s and 90s (°Fahrenheit). Evenings are often cool. Winters are cold with brief warming periods.

Annual precipitation is 15 inches.

• Park website
• Park Headquarters, ☏ +1 701 623-4466.
• 47.6-103.26021 North Unit Visitor Contact Station (on U.S. Highway 85, approximately 14 miles south of Watford City, ND and 50 miles north of Belfield, ND), ☏ +1 701 842-2333. Park information, informal presentations, restroom and gift shop are all available at this location. The trailers at the park entrance serve as a temporary contact station for visitors to the North Unit. (updated Jun 2020)

• 46.8955-103.38182 Painted Canyon Visitor Center (Take exit 32 from Interstate 94. The rest stop off of the highway includes two buildings. One is a visitor center and one includes restrooms, as well as a scenic overlook.). From May 1st to mid-November. Features: Panoramic views, wildlife viewing, hiking trails, staffed information desk, exhibits and displays, gift shop, picnic shelters, drinking fountain, vending machines, public telephone, and restrooms are wheelchair accessible. (updated Jun 2020)

• 46.9165-103.52623 South Unit Visitor Center (at the entrance to the park's scenic loop drive in the town of Medora), ☏ +1 701 623-4730 ext. 3417FORMAT. Rangers staff the desk, assist visitors with trip planning, and issue backcountry permits. Theodore Roosevelt's Maltese Cross Cabin, located just outside, is open for self-guided tours year-round. Ranger-led cabin tours are offered in the summer. The park film, Refuge of the American Spirit, shows in the theater. A bookstore sells books, postcards, and more. A museum houses artifacts from Theodore Roosevelt's presidency and time in the badlands. (updated Jun 2020)

The South Unit is along Interstate 94, about 135 mi (217 km) west of Bismarck and 280 mi (450 km) east of Billings.

• The South Unit entrance and Visitor Center are in Medora, at exits 23 and 27.
• The Painted Canyon Visitor Center is 7 mi (11 km) east of Medora, at exit 32.

The North Unit entrance is on U.S. Highway 85, 16 mi (26 km) south of Watford City and 70 mi (110 km) north of Medora via exit 42.

The Elkhorn Ranch Unit is only accessible via unpaved dirt roads. During winter months and after rainfall, driving may be impossible without a high-clearance vehicle and/or 4-wheel drive. Other types of cars may be fine during drier periods. Check with a ranger at the North or South Unit for current conditions and specific directions. Be aware that there is no cell coverage, so if you want to use your phone for directions, you will need to load offline maps ahead of time. Note too that there is a similarly named "Elkhorn Ranch" that is private property, so ensure your directions are to "Elkhorn Ranch Unit" instead.

There is no public bus transportation along Highway 85 and to the North Unit.

Air service is available into the western North Dakota towns of Bismarck, Dickinson and Williston.

Train service via Amtrak is available into Williston, North Dakota.

• 46.9169-103.52641 Maltese Cross Cabin (near the South Unit Visitor Center). It was here in the North Dakota badlands in 1883 that Roosevelt first arrived to hunt bison. Before he left, he had acquired primary interests in the Maltese Cross or Chimney Butte Ranch. Roosevelt thrived on the vigorous outdoor lifestyle, and at the Maltese Cross, actively participated in the life of a working cowboy. The Maltese Cross Ranch cabin was about seven miles south of Medora in the wooded bottom-lands of the Little Missouri River. At Roosevelt's request ranch managers Sylvane Ferris and Bill Merrifield built a 1½-story cabin complete with a shingle roof and cellar. Constructed of durable ponderosa pine logs that had been cut and floated down the Little Missouri River, the cabin was considered somewhat of a "mansion" in its day, with wooden floors and three separate rooms (kitchen, living room and Roosevelt's bedroom). The steeply pitched roof, an oddity on the northern plains, created an upstairs sleeping loft for the ranch hands.
  A number of items in the cabin today belonged to Theodore Roosevelt. Those that did not are from the same time period and would be typical furnishings of the day.
  During Roosevelt's presidency, the Maltese Cross cabin was exhibited in Portland, Oregon and St. Louis. It was then moved to the state capitol grounds in Bismarck. In 1959, the cabin was relocated to its present site and renovated. Further preservation work was undertaken in 2000. (updated Dec 2020)
• Scenic Loop Drive (from the South Unit Entrance). This 36 mi (58 km) paved drive takes you through the heart of the park. Allow about 2 to 3 hours to enjoy the scenic pullouts and short walks along the route, maybe a little longer if you come across a herd of bison or feral horses. (updated Jul 2025)
  • 46.93224-103.514642 Prairie Dog Metropolis (3 miles from entrance). A particularly large and active prairie dog town. (updated Jul 2025)
  • 46.93522-103.531183 Skyline Vista (4 miles from entrance). A short walk to an overlook of the Little Missouri River, Medora, and the surrounding badlands. (updated Jul 2025)
  • 46.98868-103.485134 Wind Canyon Trail (10 miles from entrance). A short but steep 0.3 mi (0.48 km) loop to along the cliffs of the Little Missouri River to a hilltop overlook. (updated Jul 2025)
  • 46.96302-103.405345 Boicourt Overlook (15 miles from entrance). The South Unit's most expansive view of the badlands landscape. (updated Jul 2025)
  • 46.92666-103.389786 Buck Hill (18 miles from entrance, up a 1 mile unpaved road). A short walk up the second-highest point in the park, with 360-views of the badlands and surrounding prairies. (updated Jul 2025)

	Note: The South Unit Road is closed from mile 22 to mile 28, breaking the Scenic Loop Drive. The turnaround is at the old East Entrance Station. A 150-foot section of roadway collapsed in spring 2019, requiring closure to all traffic, including pedestrian and bicycle access. Major repair work is underway, but no reopening date has been announced as of July 2025.
	(Information last updated 06 Jul 2025)

• Scenic Drive (from the North Unit Entrance). This 14 mi (23 km) one-way paved road starts at the base of the badlands near the river, then climbs up to the prairie overlooking the large wilderness area where the Little Missouri bends eastward. Allow about 1.5-2 hours to explore the pullouts and short walks. (updated Jul 2025)

• • 47.59631-103.332477 Cannonball Concretions. Large hard spherical boulders emerge here from the soft cliffs. When mineral-rich water seeps through porous layers of earth, deposited minerals glue together the surrounding sediments, building these concretions much like a pearl. (updated Jul 2025)
  • 47.59479-103.333988 Little Mo Nature Trail (at the Juniper Campground entrance gate). A 0.7–1.4 mi (1.1–2.3 km) interpretive trail describing the plant life growing along the shores of the Little Missouri River. (updated Jul 2025)
  • 47.60987-103.377629 River Bend Overlook. A stone shelter built by the CCC upon the most dramatic viewpoint in the North Unit. (updated Jul 2025)
  • 47.60321-103.4418810 Oxbow Overlook. This viewpoint at the end of the road, above an oxbow bend of the river, is a gateway to the wilderness area below. (updated Jul 2025)

• 47.2339-103.6211 Elkhorn Ranch. In 1884 Roosevelt selected the location for a second ranch, naming it the Elkhorn. He purchased the rights to the site 35 miles north of Medora from the previous occupant for $400. Roosevelt's last known visit to the Elkhorn was in 1892. He sold the ranch and buildings to Sylvane Ferris in 1898. Gradually the buildings were stripped of their furnishings and, according to a local stockman, by 1901 "every scrap of the Elkhorn Ranch had disappeared with the exception of a couple of half rotted foundations." In his writings, Roosevelt often referred to the Elkhorn as his "home ranch". His vivid descriptions of it, and of ranch life, enable his readers to imagine how things must have been.  

The park has over 100 miles of trails. They range from short walks of less than a mile to treks of several miles that require more than a day to complete.

There is also the option to travel cross country off the trails. In order to camp overnight a free permit is required.

• 46.99605-103.604971 Petrified Forest Loop Trailhead. 10.4 mi (16.7 km) loop to one of the largest petrified forests in the U.S., with extensive paleontological deposits from the Paleocene era. Fossils of several plants, freshwater snail species, and vertebrates including crocodile-like creatures called champsosaurs, crocodiles and alligators, turtles and fish. 

The backcountry is open to horse use. Guided trail rides are no longer offered within the park.

The park has no lodging of its own. Sleep in Medora or another nearby town.

• 46.95-103.53221 Cottonwood Campground (From South Unit Entrance, travel 5.5 miles on the scenic drive (East River Road). Campground is on the left.), ☏ +1 701-623-4466. Year-round. 72 sites, 1 group site. 37 sites can be reserved in advance via recreation.gov, 36 sites are first-come, first-served. Cottonwood Campground is the South Unit's only campground. Pull-through sites are available. A group site is available and reservations are accepted beginning March 1. No hook-ups for water, sewer or electrical. No showers. A picnic table and grill are at each site. Flush toilets with running cold water and water faucets spaced throughout the campground are available from May through September. Each site, except the group site, is limited to a maximum of 6 people. The group site is for 7 to 20 people. $20 summer, $10 winter, $60 Group Site. (updated Jul 2025)

• 47.595-103.342 Juniper Campground (From North Unit Entrance on Highway 85, travel 5.5 miles on the scenic drive. Campground is on the left.), ☏ +1 701-842-2333. Year-round. 48 sites, 1 group site. All sites except for the group site are first-come, first-served. Juniper Campground is the only campground in the park's North Unit. No showers or hook-ups for water, sewer or electrical. A dump station is available from May - September. There is no water available from October through April. Flush toilets with running cold water and water faucets spaced throughout the campground are available. A picnic table and grill are at each site. Pull-through sites are available. Each site is limited to a maximum of 6 people, except the group site. The group site is for groups of 7 to 60 people. $20 summer, $10 winter, $60 Group Site. (updated Jul 2025)

• 47.0069-103.50563 Roundup Group Horse Camp (From South Unit Entrance, travel 12 miles north on East River Road. The last 1.5 miles of the route is gravel. Follow signs to the camp.), ☏ +1 701-623-4466. Open May 1 to October 31. 1 group site. Roundup is the park's only camping facility in which horses are permitted. This private campsite is located in the park's South Unit. It is reserved by one group at a time; space is not be shared among different parties. Reservations for Roundup begin each season on the first business day in March at 8AM MST. Roundup can accommodate up to 20 people and 20 horses or 30 people if camping without horses. Maximum stay: 5 days. The campground is gated; the lock combination is given to registered campers when they arrive at the park entrance. $40 Roundup Group Campsite - Nightly Rate (2020 rates). (updated Jun 2020)

More than 40% of the park - close to 30,000 acres - is backcountry wilderness. Hikers and horseback parties who wish to camp overnight in the backcountry must register at either the South or North Unit visitor centers and obtain a free backcountry use permit. A free backcountry guide is also available. In addition to the established trail system, visitors have the opportunity to travel crosscountry in the park.