Our August 2017 visit to Theodore Roosevelt National Park continued with an easy walk to the old East Entrance Station. The entrance station was built by Company 2767 of the Civilian Conservation Corps during the 1930's. The station remained the main entrance to the South Unit until Interstate 94 was constructed in the late 1960s when the entrance was moved to the current location in Medora.
To reach the trailhead from the visitor center, drive 6.4 miles on East River Road before continuing straight onto Scenic Loop Drive for another 6.1 miles. A paved pullout loop is located on the right side of the road.
The 0.8 mile round trip hike begins by following the old roadbed for a short distance before branching off to the right to go through the prairie dog town instead of going around it. The old road skirts the prairie dog town along the base of the hills to the northeast before looping back to the old US-10 roadbed and the entrance station.
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| Trailhead |
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| Old entrance road on left and trail on right |
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| Typical trail conditions before reaching the prairie dog town |
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| Old entrance road along the base of the hills |
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| Enough moisture remains in the ephemeral streambed to allow trees to survive |
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| Hills to the northeast |
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| Typical trail conditions through the prairie dog town |
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| Trail marker is not needed when the ground is visible |
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| Prickly pear cactus on the edge of the prairie dog town |
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| Black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) |
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| More prairie dogs |
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| The trail was very easy to follow |
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| A potentially muddy wash has to be crossed to reach the entrance station |
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| Old culvert marks the edge of the old entrance road |
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| Approaching the station from "outside" the fence |
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| Old East Entrance Station |
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| The old entrance pylon supported a park sign |
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| The CCC stone masons were true craftsmen |
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| Several buildings used to stand in this area |
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| Prairie dog lookout |
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| Another CCC culvert |
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| An old prairie dog hole near the stone pylon |
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| Old entrance station from inside the park |
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| Old East Entrance Station |
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| Cactus patch protection |
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| Prairie dog town |
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| Rejoining the old road near the trailhead |
An entrance fee of $25 admits all the passengers of a single vehicle for seven days to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Other entrance fee options include a Theodore Roosevelt National Park Annual Park Pass for $50, an Every Kid in a Park 4th Grade Pass for free and a variety of America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes providing access to most national park, national forest, and BLM fee areas
- Annual Pass for $80
- Military Pass for free
- Lifetime Senior Pass for $80 or $20 annually for those age 62 and older
- Access Pass for free for visitors with a permanent disability
The park website is https://www.nps.gov/thro.
Nice. It would be helpful to know the route from the East Station to Painted Canyon.
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