Photo: Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0 on Wikimedia Commons
The 3-day plan, rearranged for 2 days: the best-ranked places stay, and each day keeps to one part of town.
From average weather, 2021 to 2025: days that are warm but not hot, with few rainy days, score highest. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
How much walking? On foot, about 0.0 miles a day, and 17.7 miles by car or transit in all across 2 days. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
A short walk on a trail in the north of the South Unit, with a view over the Little Missouri River and the eroded hills. Wear sturdy shoes, take water and keep to the path, since the soft ground can be loose.
Go when Morning, or (about 7:06 PM) when the wind drops.
Local tip The path is short but the edges are soft, so stay on it and keep children close. Wear sturdy shoes and carry water. Take a layer, since the wind lives up to the name.
A viewpoint on the Scenic Loop Drive in the east of the South Unit, looking out over the badlands. Wild horses and bison graze in the park, so watch from the car or from a long way back, and never walk up to a bison.
Go when Midday, as a stop on the drive.
Local tip Pull in, step out and look across the hills. Keep your distance from any bison or wild horses near the road, and check ahead on the Scenic Loop Drive, which can close in bad weather.
A thick potato soup with soft dumplings, a dish of German-Russian farm families in the Dakotas, warm and filling for a cool day.
Local tip Dip bread in it, and take a thermos if you plan a picnic.
An overlook beside the interstate east of Medora, above Painted Canyon, a valley named for its colorful rocks. Walking trails lead down from the overlook, so take water and a hat, watch for rattlesnakes on warm days and check ahead on the visitor center.
Go when Late afternoon (about 7:06 PM), when the colored rock glows.
Local tip The overlook is right beside the interstate, so you can stop on the way in or out. Trails lead down into the canyon, so wear sturdy shoes, take water and watch for rattlesnakes on warm days.
Ears of sweet corn with butter and salt, beside a grilled steak of local beef, a summer supper of the plains.
Local tip Sweet corn is in season in late summer, so ask what is fresh.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
The only American national park named after a single person, in the badlands of western North Dakota. It has three separate parts. The South Unit lies beside Medora and is the one this trip uses, with the loop road and the walks. The North Unit is a long way north. Start at the South Unit visitor center to ask about roads, wildlife and trails, and check ahead on what is open.
Go when Morning, before the sun is high and the roads fill.
Local tip Ask at the visitor center about road closures, wildlife and the trails before you drive out. Bison are wild and can be dangerous, so keep well back. Carry water and check ahead on what is open.
The cabin Theodore Roosevelt used from 1883 to 1884, before he became President, now standing beside the visitor center. It was his first cabin in Dakota Territory. Look at it from the outside, and check ahead on whether you can go in.
Go when Morning, right beside the visitor center.
Local tip Roosevelt used it before he was President, in 1884, after his mother and his wife died within hours of each other. Keep the mood plain and respectful, and check ahead on whether you can go in.
A burger made with bison meat, which is leaner than beef and deeper in flavor, with pickles and onion on a bun, a taste of the prairie.
Local tip Ask for it cooked through, since bison dries out if it is overdone.
A long trail for hikers, horse riders and mountain bikers through the Little Missouri National Grassland, with several trailheads. This stop is the state park south of Medora, which the park article calls the starting point of the trail. A short out and back walk is plenty, and bikes are not allowed in the national park itself. Check ahead on the trail and the gravel roads, which can be impassable when wet, and watch for rattlesnakes and wild bison.
Go when Morning, before the heat, in the cooler months.
Local tip Walk out a little way and come back the same way. Take more water than you think you need, wear a hat and watch for rattlesnakes. Gravel roads to other trailheads can be impassable when wet, so check ahead.
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, May to June and August to October are the most comfortable months for walking around Medora. This plan is built for september, which is one of the best months. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
It covers 2 days in Medora, planned for september. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
On foot, about 0.0 miles a day, and 17.7 miles by car or transit in all across 2 days. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
4 days of granite peaks, bison and the BadlandsAbout 220 miles away
5 days in Yellowstone and Grand TetonAbout 390 miles awayMake it yours in a minute, then move days around and add what you want.
A trip idea · Updated November 2026
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