We continued our August 2017 visit to the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park with an auto tour of the unit on the fourteen mile Scenic Drive. To reach the North Unit from Interstate 94, take exit 42 and head north on US-85 toward Belfield and Watford City. Drive 51 miles on US-85 before turning left into the park on Scenic Drive.
We stopped at most of the named pullouts along the road and walked the short distances required, if any, to reach the overlooks. This post covers the eastern end of the route from the park entrance to the Long X Trail pullout at mile 5.7.
For trip planning purposes, please be aware that while the South Unit is on Mountain Time, the North Unit is on Central Time.
Slump Formation Pullout (mile 2.8)
Quoting from the wayside exhibit:
These tilted mounds were once part of the higher cliffs beyond. Stream cutting against their base over-steepened the cliffs. During wet periods, blocks of earth slid downhill, retaining their original layered sequence.
A small parallel parking area is located on the right side of the road. A social trail leads to the base of the cliffs.
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| Cliffs in the distance |
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| More of the cliffs |
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| Slumped block to the east |
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| Slumped block to the west |
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| A closer view of the cliffs |
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| Results of erosion |
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| Eastern cliffs and slumped block |
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| Displaced cap rocks |
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| Harder cap rocks reduce the rate of erosion below |
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| Prickly pear cactus |
Juniper Picnic Area and Campground (mile 4.8 on left)
A large parking area with numerous shaded picnic tables is located beyond the campground check-in station. While there is a charge for camping, stopping for a picnic is included in the park admission fee.
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| Red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) |
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| A grove of cottonwood trees (Populus deltoides monilifera) |
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| Another view of the woodpecker |
Cannonball Concretions Pullout (mile 4.8 on right)
These concretions are the formed when mineral cement precipitates out of groundwater in sedimentary deposits. This usually occurs before the sediments are compressed into sandstone. The concretions are much harder rock than the surrounding sandstone and clays.
Paved parking for seven passenger vehicles and four recreational vehicles is available at this pullout. Handicap placarded parking is right at the trailhead.
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| Three foot diameter concretion |
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| Concretions emerging in the eroding cliff face |
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| Pigeons watching the tourists |
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| More concretions in the clay |
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| Another three foot diameter concretion |
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| Clay slumping off the cliff |
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| Dead trees and green grasses courtesy of a large beaver dam on Squaw Creek |
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| Cap rock and more concretions |
Long X Trail (mile 5.7)
A turnaround loop and a half dozen parking spots are located near where the Long X Trail passed through the area. Quoting from the park website:
The Long X Trail was one of the routes that cattlemen used to move cattle from southern parts of the country to the prairies of modern-day eastern Montana and western North Dakota. The trail was a convenient route across the difficult terrain of the northern Little Missouri Badlands, and it passed through what became the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
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| Upper end of the beaver pond below the badlands |
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| Cottonwood and juniper trees line the creek bed of Squaw Creek |
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| Looking up the valley of Squaw Creek |
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| American Bison (Bison bison) |
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| More sagebrush and grassland |
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
An entrance fee is not collected at the Painted Canyon Visitor Center.
The park website is
https://www.nps.gov/thro.
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