The Theodore Roosevelt National Park’s North Unit contains a 14 mile scenic drive, campground and hiking trails about twenty minutes south of Watford City. It is a 50 mile drive north from I-94, which provides access to Medford and the South Unit of the park. This makes the North Unit much less traveled than the southern section of the national park.
The North Unit’s Scenic Drive (28 mile roundtrip) starts at the North Unit Visitor Center and (at least to start) follows the Little Missouri River. The River Bend Overlook offers scenic views from a 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps shelter. The last scenic overlook is the Oxbow Overlook which looks down on the winding Little Missouri River through the Badlands.
North Unit Visitor Center – This is a temporary facility with park rangers to assist visitors and hand out backcountry permits. Visitors can watch a 17 minute orientation film or choose to buy from a small selection of souvenirs available for sale.
Cannonball Concretions – Large, spherical objects of sand and silt cemented by calcite. They resemble cannonballs.
Juniper Campground – The campground is open year round and is located about five miles west of the visitor center. There are 50 individual campsites available on a first come, first served – reservations are not permitted. The cost is $7 for a campsite during the winter and $14 per night during the summer. Pit toilets are available year round with flush toilets during the main season. There is one group campsite available for reservation only from May through September at a cost of $30 per night.
Wildlife Watching – There are bison, elk, deer and longhorn cattle in the North Unit.
River Bend Overlook – The Civilian Conservation Corps built a stone structure here at an overlook of the Little Missouri River
Oxbow Overlook – Located at the end of the 14 mile scenic drive, it provides views of the 180 degree oxbow in the Little Missouri River, the floodplains and the Badlands. The 2.4 mile roundtrip Sperati Point trail departs from this area offering additional views of the oxbow.
North Unit Hiking
Buckhorn Trail – An 11-12 mile loop trail that can be started from the campground
Little Mo Nature Trail – A 1.1 mile loop trail with 23 numbered posts to explore the plants, wildlife and geology of the Little Missouri River Badlands. The park service leaflet provides a guide to the numbered posts. A shorter .7 mile paved loop trail option is available.
Caprock Coulee Trail – The Caprock Coulee Trail (1.5 miles west of Juniper Campground) is a popular 1.6 mile roundtrip trail through dry water gulches and coulees (a valley or drainage zone).
Achenbach Trail – A 17.7 mile loop that crosses the Little Missouri River twice. A backcountry permit for camping is free and available from the Visitor Center. Campfires are not permitted in the backcountry.