Campground · Theodore Roosevelt National Park
A private group base for riding the South Unit backcountry.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Theodore Roosevelt Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Theodore Roosevelt National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this area
A Prairie Dog Greeting“If you spot two prairie dogs meeting nose to nose, watch their greeting. Black-tailed prairie dogs recognize members of their group with what looks like a kiss or a sniff.”
Plays on the road 0.7 mi from Roundup Group Horse Camp in the Parkwolf Theodore Roosevelt Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Roundup Group Horse Camp is the South Unit's only campground that permits horses: one gated site reserved for a single group. It is for overnight campers, not a drop-in stop or access to Roundup Trail. The site accommodates up to 20 people and 20 horses, or up to 30 people without horses, for a maximum of five nights.
From Medora, head about 12 miles north on East River Road, then follow campground signs. The last 1.5 miles are gravel; registered campers receive the gate combination at the park entrance. There are tent pads, a covered picnic pavilion, raised grills, vault toilets, and parking for several horse trailers or RVs. The camp has no electric hookups, camp store, on-site staff, cell reception, or internet.
The regular operating season is May through October. Potable water is seasonal and can be unavailable in May or October; Cottonwood Campground has a water-fill station. About 70 miles of hiking and horseback trails are within a short distance. In the park, horses may use backcountry trails and cross-country routes, but not nature trails under a mile, general-use campgrounds, or picnic areas. Certified weed-free forage is required.
Cottonwoods around the camp turn gold in fall. Bison may pass through the campground; if one does, give it at least 25 yards and wait for it to move on.
Wildlife
1,082 sightingsBisonMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
346 sightingsWild HorseMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
27 sightingsWapitiMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
45 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
87 sightingsPronghornMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
162 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Theodore Roosevelt. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateMike Auney Trail3.1 mi · 2 hr · 0.2 mi awayA remote Big Plateau crossing with an unbridged river ford.
ModerateRoundup Trail3.3 mi · 2.5 hr · 0.9 mi awayA rolling badlands crossing with a faint, tricky finish.
ModerateWind Canyon Trail0.5 mi · 24 min · 1.6 mi awayA quick rim loop for a big Little Missouri River view
ModerateBig Plateau and Ekblom Trail Loop5.4 mi · 2.5 hr · 3.3 mi awayA high plateau loop with two river crossings and badlands views.
ChallengingBig Plateau Trail1.8 mi · 1.5 hr · 3.3 mi awayA short, strenuous climb opens onto a wide grassland plateau.
ChallengingLone Tree Loop9.1 mi · 5.5 hr · 3.3 mi awayA steep loop to a spring basin and broad badlands views.
EasyCCC Trail0.9 mi · 30 min · 3.3 mi awayA flat grassland path to the Jones Creek junction.
ModerateJones Creek Trail4.5 mi · 2.5 hr · 3.3 mi awayA creek-valley traverse through the South Unit badlandsSight · 1.6 mi awayWind CanyonAn open river-and-badlands view comes after a very short climb.
Sight · 2.1 mi awayBeef Corral BottomA prairie-dog town and river valley in one quick South Unit stop.
Sight · 3.3 mi awayPeaceful Valley RanchA ranch turned dude ranch, then the South Unit's first headquarters.
Scenic pullout · 3.7 mi awayPrairie Dog Colony PulloffA quick stop to look for black-tailed prairie dogs.
Sight · 3.9 mi awayPetrified Forest - NorthA backcountry hike to upright fossil trees in a badlands valley.
Sight · 3.9 mi awayPetrified Forest - SouthFossil wood and southeast wilderness views, a 3-mile hike away.
Campground · 4.1 mi awayCottonwood CampgroundA riverside base where bison may pass through camp.Parkwolf’s Theodore Roosevelt ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
