Badlands, characterized by steep slopes with minimal vegetation, are found on every continent except Antarctica. They’re a harsh and unforgiving environment, but America’s National Parks wouldn’t be what they are today without the Badlands of North Dakota. One visitor said they are “fantastically broken in form and so bizarre in color as to seem hardly properly to belong to this Earth.” He added that they were where “the romance of my life began.” That man was Theodore Roosevelt, the Father of the National Parks and America’s 26th President.
Medora is North Dakota’s number one tourist attraction and the gateway to Theodore Roosevelt National Park in the heart of the state’s badlands. It’s a place of rugged natural beauty where the spirit of the Wild West lives on.
Join us in a Theodore Roosevelt – inspired tour of the things to do in Medora to see why this little town of around 100 full-time residents receives more than a quarter million visitors every year.
Harold Schafer Heritage Center & Museum
Photo Credit: Medora.
“the man who really counts in the world is the doer” – Theodore Roosevelt (T.R.)
Harold Schafer is the consummate doer who made Medora what it is today. The Harold Schafer Heritage Center & Museum isn’t what draws you to Medora, but you can’t understand modern Madora without visiting.
Schafer founded the Gold Seal Company in 1942 and released its iconic product, Mr Bubble, in 1961. T.R. might not agree with Mr. Bubble’s claim that getting clean is more fun than getting dirty, but he would never doubt Schafer’s gumption. Schafer bought and restored the historic Rough Rider Hotel during the 1960s and opened the Medora Musical in 1965.
His Madora holdings were transformed into the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation in 1986 with a mission to connect people to Medora for positive, life-changing experiences. Today, almost every tourist activity in Medora is connected in some way to the Medora Foundation, so one would have to believe that Harold Schafer’s dream of a future for Medora became a rousing success.
Medora Musical
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman
“It is not the critic who counts… The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena” – T.R.
The Medora Musical is performed nightly from early June through early September in the 2,852-seat Burning Hills Amphitheatre. It’s a professionally produced, high-energy, western-style musical dedicated to the legacy of America’s 26th President, Theodore Roosevelt, and the time he spent here in North Dakota’s Badlands.
The show isn’t a critique of everything wrong in this country. Instead, it pays tribute to American patriotism and the Old West. It’s wholesome entertainment for sure, but it’s hard not to be smiling from ear to ear when the band strikes up a song that everyone knows and loves. The power and possibility of the Medora Musical shouldn’t be underestimated. We were tired from a long day in the park and family drama, but we came home from the show revived, renewed, and ready for another day of exploring Medora.
Pitchfork Steak Fondue
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
“Speak softly and carry a big stick” – T.R.
The name says it all if you’re ready to believe it. Twelve-ounce steaks are loaded onto a no-kidding pitchfork (aka a big stick) and cooked to medium-well perfection in vats of boiling oil. Your meal comes complete with all the sides and fixings and is served outside next to the Burning Hills Amphitheater.
Enjoy your meal to live music as the sun sets over the prairie, then play some fun-filled yard games waiting for showtime at the Medora Musical. It’s a picnic / outdoor combo that can be purchased as a combo ticket from Medora.com.
Point to Point Park
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
“When you play, play hard” – T.R.
Point to Point Park is Medora’s newest attraction, featuring mini golf inspired by the history of North Dakota, zipline adventures, and a lazy river pool modeled after the Little Missouri.
They say the park was inspired by Teddy Roosevelt’s favorite game, Point-to-Point Hikes, which had just one rule — whatever obstacle lies ahead, you must never go around, but always over, under, or through. I guess those rules could apply to zip lines, lazy rivers, and mini-golf, but you might be stretching it a bit. Point to Point Park is more of a do-it-all destination for family fun than T.R.’s Executive Order No. 989, which required all officers to complete a 50-mile march in 20 hours to demonstrate physical fitness. Sometimes, you just need to put the lazy into a lazy river after a full day in the badlands.
Guided Hikes On The Point to Point Trails
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
“I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life” – T.R.
The Point to Point Trails are a series of three interconnected loops: West Loop (2.3 mi, 390′ elevation gain), Gulch Loop (1.3 m), and East Loop (coming 2025). You’re free to hike on your own or take a trail ride from Medora Riding Stables. There’s even a ladder section, which lives up to Roosevelt’s mantra of over, under, or through. However, the free guided hikes in summer might be the best way to experience the trails while getting an overview of Medora (pun intended, lol).
Guided hikes leave from the Point to Point Trailhead across from Point to Point Park at 7:30 in the morning. Your guide takes you up into the hills above Medora while explaining the town’s rich history and diverse ecology. Wednesday and Friday feature the 35-minute Morning on Town Butte hike to get your heart pumping as you climb to picturesque overlooks. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, you can challenge yourself with the 90-minute Strenuous Life Hike to Schafer Point, where Harold Schafer experienced his epiphany for the magical future of Medora.
The Cowboy Hall of Fame
Photo Credit: Flickr.
“I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life; I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.” – T.R.
Nobody has ever said that cowboys led an easy life, but it’s a life that a great many people have envied. The North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame is an interpretive center for the history of the northern plains and North Dakota’s western lifestyle.
The plains horse culture is a unique way of life that sparked our imaginations for over 150 years. At the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame and Center of Western Heritage & Cultures, you can immerse yourself in the experiences of the Native Americans, homesteaders, ranchers, and world-class rodeo cowboys who embody the spirit of the West.
Chateau de Mores State Historic Site
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
“The worst of all fears is the fear of living.” – T.R.
The Chateau de Mores is a historic 26-room home built by the Marquis de Mores in 1883 as a hunting lodge and summer home for his family and guests. Modern Medora owes a debt to Harold Schafer, but the town wouldn’t have existed at all if not for the Marquis de Mores. Not only did the Marquis found the town, but he named it after his wife, Medora.
The Marquis came to the Dakota Badlands in 1883 to start a cattle empire based on Medora being a slaughterhouse and cold shipping hub instead of arduous cattle drives to Chicago and Kansas City slaughterhouses. Medora was a bustling cow town for three years, but drought and competition forced the Marquis to suspend operations. After 1886, the Marquis visited the chateau twice, in 1887 and 1889, and his wife Medora returned in 1903 for an extended visit. After that, the home fell into disrepair before being given to the state in 1936. Today, it’s a living museum filled with artifacts, stories about the origins of Medora, and a French nobleman who wasn’t afraid of living.
Hotels in Medora ND
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
“the greatest doer must also be a great dreamer” – T.R.
If we’re to believe our good friend T.R., you better be a good dreamer if you want to fully explore the things to do in Medora. Dreaming all starts with getting the right hotel in Medora. Here are a few of the hotel options that stand out above the rest:
Rough Rider Hotel – A historic hotel with Old West charm
Badlands Motel – A classic motel adjacent to Point to Point Park and trails
Medora Campground – Try glamping under the stars in a cabins or sleeping like a pioneer in a Conestoga wagon
Medora Restaurants
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
“The equation of personal taste is as powerful in reading as in eating” – T.R.
Medora is a small town, even during the bustle of summer operations. If you want pizza, you’ll probably end up at Badlands Pizza and Saloon. If you want ice cream, you’ll have a little more choices. However, if you want something truly extraordinary, these are our Medora restaurant suggestions:
Thodore’s Dining Room – A culinary experience steeped in the history of the West. We were shocked that this little town could support a fine dining experience like Theodore’s Dining Room, but we had difficulty getting a reservation, so call ahead. You will not be disappointed.
Medora Uncork’d – A wine bar and so much more. BBQ blueberry meatball pizza is a real thing and as uniquely delicious as it sounds.
Pitchfork Steak Fondue – A meal and experience so unique that it has its own section and the perfect compliment to a night at the Medora Musical.
Medora Gospel Brunch – Good food. Good music. Good feelings. You can’t go wrong!
Hidden Springs Java – Without a doubt, the best cup of coffee in Medora
Driving Theodore Roosevelt National Park Loop
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
“The beauty and charm of the wilderness are his for the asking, for the edges of the wilderness lie close beside the beaten roads of the present travel.” – T.R.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park is divided into three units: South, North, and Elkhorn Ranch, with the South Unit Visitor Center only .3 miles from the center of Medora! It’s one of the easiest parks to reach and even easier to explore by taking the 36-mile Scenic Loop Drive.
The scenic loop takes you through prairie dog colonies, by scenic overlooks, and you’ll more likely than not see some of the south units 200-400 bison. As you might have heard, the edges of the wilderness lie close beside the beaten roads.
Easy Hikes in Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.” – T.R.
T.R. certainly encouraged strenuous activity, including 50-mile day hikes and point-to-point travel. Luckily, you don’t need such extreme measures to enjoy hiking in his namesake National Park. Here are some short hikes in Theodore Roosevelt National Park South Unit that are worth the doing:
Ekblom Trail (From Peaceful Valley Ranch to the Little Missouri River): Travel from this iconic ranch to the banks of the river on a short out-and-back
Paddock Creek Trail: Start from the Holliday Well parking area about 1/2 mile away from Peaceful Valley Ranch and hike through an expansive prairie dog colony.
Wind Canyon Trail: A short hike along the bluffs overlooking the Little Missouri River
Boicourt Overlook Trail: A short out-and-back hike with expansive badlands views
Coal Vien Loop: A .8 mile loop through fascinating geology, including a smoldering coal vein ignited by lightning in 1951
Take a Sunset Hike
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
“Nothing could be more lonely and nothing more beautiful than the view at nightfall across the prairies to these huge hill masses, when the lengthening shadows had at last merged into one and the faint after-glow of the red sunset filled the west.” – T.R
T.R. didn’t mince words about a North Dakota sunrise, yet he still might not have done it justice. There’s a stillness that falls over the land, and the interplay of fading light and lengthening shadows transforms this exotic land into something otherworldly. Wind Canyon Trail and Boicourt Overlook Trail are two short hikes off the main park road that take you to west-facing overlooks. The Painted Canyon Trail right off I-94 immerses you in the badlands for sunset with a short enough return hike that you can make it back before twilight fades.
If you can’t make up your mind, you might have to stay in Medora for four nights: one for each sunset hike and another for the Medora Musical.
Ride the Maah Daah Hey Trail
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
“The Badlands seem to be stranger and wilder than ever, the silvery rays turning the country into a kind of grim fairyland.” – T.R.
The 144-mile Maah Daah Hey Trail is America’s longest continuous single-track mountain bike trail. It features most terrain found in western North Dakota, from grassy flats and ridges to very rough, steep clay badlands buttes. Horsemen can travel through the National Park, but riders typically start at Bennet Trailhead to avoid the North Unit and utilize Buffalo Gap to bypass the South Unit.
Dakota Cyclery Mountain Bike Adventures offers shuttles, fully supported day trips, and overnight trips from Medora. The beginner / intermediate trips travel from the Buffalo Gap Campground back to Medora. A more advanced trip travels from Plumley Draw north to Medora. Both rides are about 14 miles with light technical challenges, but the Plumley Draw route has more climbing. My Strava registered 16.31 miles with 1007′ gain from Buffalo Gap back to Medora taking the scenic route from the campground to the main trail.
They also offer supported overnight rides with a four-day route from Bennett Trailhead to Medora and a two-day on the Maah Daah Hey ride from the south heading north. Supported bike camping on America’s longest trail will certainly make the Badlands seem stranger and wilder than ever.
Bully Pulpit Golf Course
Photo Credit: Chris Wheeler via Medora.
“I suppose my critics will call that preaching, but I have got such a bully pulpit!” – T.R.
Roosevelt used the word bully as an adjective meaning “superb” or “wonderful,” a common usage at that time and an apt description of the Bully Pulpit Golf Course. Roosevelt also held Populist ideals, which valued the common person over corporations. One would have to believe that he would be pleased that Bully Pulpit is one of the world’s best public courses.
You’ll be chasing bridies, not hunting buffalo, but a round of golf at Bully Pulpit is an unforgettable badlands experience that just might get the Theodore Roosevelt seal of approval.
Wrapping Up Things To Do In Medora
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
“I have always said I would not have been President had it not been for my experience in North Dakota.” – T.R.
A trip to Medora may not turn you into a President, but it might restore your faith in America just a little bit. An effervescent pioneering spirit bubbles up from its proud Western heritage and bountiful natural wonders that will refresh your soul and revive your sense of wonder.
Getting to Medora is easy, with Dickinson-Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport only 45 minutes away and direct flights to United’s major hub in Denver. Once you’re there, you can pick your activity level. Whether you’re biking through the badlands or taking a windshield wildlife tour, you can not escape the magic and mystery of Medora and the North Dakota Badlands.