Day 11 – South and North units of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park

We are on the road this morning by 8:00am (Saturday 6/10/2017) so we can get to the park before it gets busy and hopefully to get to see more animals before it gets hot.  Before we get to the park entrance there is a rest area and overlook of the Painted Canyon portion of the park that is along I-94.  On our way we pass this Tepee and wagons in the background.

We drive west on I-94 on our way to the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park when we see a sign for the Painted Canyon Visitor Center and Overlook.  From this view point we have a great look at this part of the National Park. 

Looking along the valley floor you can clearly see the strata of the hills.  The coloring of the layers makes the hill profile even more striking.  Although I was hoping we would see some animals here, we didn’t see any.

Leaving the overlook we continue on our way to the south unit of the Theodore Roosevelt Park.  Shortly after entering the park the first thing we encounter is a prairie dog colony.  Here one of the prairie dogs is looking at us while standing on his front door.  Looks like he is saying “What you looking at”. 

As we get to the roadway that will take us on a round trip around the park we see what we can expect.  The roadway along the landscape is I-94 and we will drive by here again when we continue to Montana.

Almost immediately we drive by a bison that was lying in the tall grass.  I was able to get a very quick picture before we were out of sight.  It looks as though the bison is shedding its winter coat.

The strata in this formation are very evident.  The harder central layer has not eroded as fast as the other layers and has created small tabletops. 

There is so much to see along the park road it is challenging to choose what to show.  Here water from rain runoff has created rivulets running down the side of the formation bringing out the tougher harder strata.

Many of the sections in the park are similar to this one and we’ll probably have another picture later, but here this are look like small hoodoos where the weathering has created columns in the hill.  All-in-all the views are incredible.

There is a varied landscape within the park and here you can see from hills to grasslands along with the eroded mounds.  We were hoping to see some sort of animal I the grassy areas, but other than the one bison, nothing.

The park has great views all around.  The wide view at the Badlands Overlook shows the diversity of the area, but a picture still doesn’t compare to the first-person viewing.

We hike to the top of Buck Hill for the view.  The elevation of 2, 865 feet, second highest in the park, gives us a fantastic view of a large portion of the park.  Here Carmen is on the hill overlooking the Painted Canyon area we saw from the visitor center on I-94.

  

Leaving Buck Hill and back on the main road, we come to an area where there is a heavy black vein in the hill.  This, we find out, is coal.  Glad that it was never dug out because we now have a chance to see it in the hill.

At different locations the strata had different colors.  Here you can definitely see the darker band in the center of the mound.  In the background the different colors highlights the beauty of the Park.

We see another single bison near the roadway.  This one is also molting from the winter coat.  Carmen was able to get a good close-up of it while not getting to close.  Check out its horns.  Now those would do some damage.

We passed by another prairie dog community and I just couldn’t pass by without taking a picture.  This one decided to sit up just as I was taking its picture.  Nice three-quarter portrait view.

We past some stables used for horseback rides within the park.  It easy to see this setting in the late 1800’s or early 1900’s and working on the ranch.

As we near the Park entrance/exit and are passing the first prairie dog colony we saw, these wild horses were up on the hill.  You can see some of the horses are lying down and a prairie dog sitting up in front of them.

We are heading north on US-85 and pass through the Little Missouri National Grasslands.  As so often in the past couple of days you can see quite a distance.  It looks as though this grass has been cut and already bailed. 

Nearing the North Unit of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park the landscape changes no longer flat grasslands.  Once again we can see the layering of the different strata with varying colors based on the deposits.

Entering the Park we can see the Little Missouri River that runs through the park.  You can see many cottonwood trees growing along the banks of the river. 

Inside the park we begin traveling along the 14 miles (one way) scenic drive.  As you can see we have nice weather this afternoon for our drive; puffy white clouds and blue skies against the stark layering of the hills. 

Many of the exposed hills have the layering exposed like this hill.  Notice the erosion by weathering of the hill and the lines of each stratum as it continues around the face.  The grasses are also interesting as there are regular grasses with a mix of thistle and sage.

Abundant grass in North Dakota resulted in cattle being driven here in the 1880’s.  In North Dakota the trail passed through here to what is now the town of New England.  The trail crossed the Little Missouri a mile from this location.

Stopping at the river overlook, we see the Little Missouri as it winds its way through the valley it has created.  You can see the plateau on the other side of the river valley and how it matches the hills and cliffs on this side.  Way in the far background there are some cattle feeding on the grasses. 

On the other side of the overlook the grasses seem to be greener, not sure why.  Just look at the sky and clouds; what a fantastic day we are having during our trek through the Park. 

Here is Carmen at the River Overlook.  Although it is a gorgeous day, it is a little cool and Carmen is wearing a little jacket.  But the sun is out and everything is good.

Now this is a pleasant surprise, we have moved from the hills to grasslands.  The unused grass in this area attracted cattlemen here in the early 1880’s.  Damage from overgrazing brought a quick decline of the open range industry.  Protection is healing the effects and the grass inside the park now supports the native wildlife, which we haven’t seen very much of so far.

We are back where the strata are exposed.  On one side of the road is this view while the other is the grass lands from the previous picture.  Look at the flat top hoodoos that are being created from the erosion.

As we continue to drive and walk around I think what I see is a piece of petrified tree.  It looks like a tree trunk that is now stone.  What does it look like to you?

Reaching the end of the 14-mile scenic road, we now have to go back.  This is the view we have looking northwest and not far from here, where the fence is actually, the park ends and private lands begin. 

Another look at the lands beyond the park and you can see for quite a distance.  In the distance, in the upper middle of the picture, is the ranch. 

We have turned around and are retracing our trip into the park, since it is the same road out.  After driving a couple of miles we see this bison in the distance. 

The scenery is the same on the way out and the return goes quicker than the drive in.  I do take one last wide shot of the countryside. 

Tomorrow we are driving to the west end of Montana the day after the plan is to drive the going-to-the sun-road across Glacier National Park.