Theodore Roosevelt National Park

[Padlin]

Looking to stop in TRNP in early-mid August as part of a longer 3 month trip. A few questions for those who have been there.

Is both the north and south park worth visiting?

We like to spend the time to do some hiking and see what there is to see in a park, would 3 or 4 days in each end suffice?

Campground suggestions? No need for hookups. I see there are some in park as well as outside the park public campgrounds. I usually try and stay in the park to avoid travel time each day, but a nicer CG outside the park would be worth checking out. 21' fifth wheel, so we can fit most anywhere.

Is the park and campgrounds mobbed in August? I could do it early Oct if they are open.

Any other nice places to see right in the area?

Thanks

[TenOC]

If you follow the link in my signature "TenOC Photos" near the bottom is about 100 photo of each park.

Look for 2010-08-11 T Roosovelt NP - North and 2010-08-07 T Roosovelt NP - South

[WE-C-USA]

Perfect Time, Have Fun.

[WE-C-USA]

3-4 nights in each is about right. North side to layback and relax between hikes. South more driving between trails and sites but still worth the 3-4 nights.

[Padlin]

Thanks folks, I'm all set. Going to stop on the way home in early Oct.

[kohldad]

Following your post as we hope this park is our destination for this year's long trip.

Did want to pass a link of a post I did for ND last month where I had some good suggestions on things to see in ND. North Dakota??

[Nodaker]

The north unit is more remote with good hiking opportunities and wildlife viewing. The south unit also has lots of hiking trails and is adjacent to the cowboy town of Medora with more services and activities (many things close a week or so after Labor Day). There's an outdoor amphitheater with a nightly variety show, Roughrider Hotel includes an outstanding dining room, Bully Pulpit championship golf course south of town, and lots of western history.

August can be very HOT in the ND Badlands and neither national park has electricity. October is more temperate and the wildlife would be more active that time of year.

Generally the national park campgrounds don't fill up, especially during the week; weekends can be busier in the south unit.

[TenOC]

I have been to both. The north has more of this. Stayed at the NP campground each time. In the north drive a little more north (Walfor City ?)and see the boom town at the WORLD (?) largest oil deposit.

Note the date of the photo. I had reservations but CG's were not full

[Padlin]

We did Custer, Badlands, Sturgis, Wall Drug, and points due west the year before last. We're actually headed to Jasper NP and working our way south to Teton's NP, then back east.

We'd get to TRNP coming from the east on 94, after TRNP we'd head due north as opposed to staying on 94. At least that's the plan today.

[Jayco-noslide]

We've camped in both of the NP campgrounds in north and south. The south campground is fine. We didn't have a 30 ft. MH when we camped in the north unit so I don't recall the sites but liked the campground. We enjoyed the Park a lot but honestly I think a total of 6 or 8 days would be too long. The south unit has the advantage of the neat town of Medora and a great natural amphitheatre. But the north offers a sort of wilderness, remote feel also.

[TrailerTravele1]

We reluctantly opted for Cottonwood Campground in the South Unit - and we were glad we did. We did a day trip up to the North Unit - the campground was possibly nicer, but not as much to do otherwise. You may want to do the same. We stayed 4 days. Here's a link to my blog & the campground review...

Which Campground in Theodore National Park?

I hope as part of that "longer trip" you're including Custer State Park in South Dakota - we saw more wildlife there than anywhere else, but Theodore Roosevelt was good too. Enjoy!

[BarryG20]

I went to both of them last year. We did not camp as we were really just blowing through without the trailer. That being said we did drive the loop at the southern one and I would have liked to have done some more hiking but I think a couple days would have been plenty. Same with the northern unit. The campgrounds when we were there looked fine but were not full we were there in the middle of the week in August. Unsure if that is the norm or not.
Not sure which way you are coming from or going to but the Badlands in South Dakota, the Minuteman Missile Park just north of the Badlands NE entrance was interesting (if you do go there make sure and get there early in the morning if you want to take the tour of the command center as it fills up apparently by 8am and they only do one a day, we missed it but the site was still quite interesting and we hit a self guided tour of a silo unfortunately you don't get to go down in the silo. Wall Drug, Chadron NE (south of the Badlands) has the Fur Trappers Museum which I thought was awesome. Then you have the Black Hills Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Wind Cave NP, there is another cave park there but cant remember name, Custer State Park. I know all of those are certainly significantly farther south than TRNP but if going through that area on the way to or from