Beef Corral Bottom

Beef Corral Bottom is a roadside viewing stop in the South Unit, looking over a prairie-dog town toward the Little Missouri River and sandstone buttes. Pull over if you want a quick wildlife break without adding a hike; the animals are across the bottom, so this is a watch-from-the-sidewalk stop rather than a close encounter.

Roadside parking leads to a short concrete sidewalk and an interpretive sign. Scan the prairie-dog town, then take in the wider view: sandstone buttes with the Little Missouri cutting through the valley beyond. An animal-proof trash can is here, while restrooms are farther along the South Unit loop near Buck Hill and Halliday Well.

In 1884, the Marquis de Morès built a holding corral here for cattle bound for his Medora meatpacking plant. The circular pen was about 1,000 feet around, with a 130-foot wing to funnel cattle through the gate. The plant was part of his plan to ship dressed beef east in refrigerated railcars; the venture closed in 1886. That old cattle operation is the reason this prairie-dog stop has such an unexpected name.