North Dakota in summer

[jeff nadler]

I'll be visiting family in north-central North Dakota in mid-summer.

Looking at a map, my number one desired destination of Yellowstone

seems like a very long drive from N.D. but a very short flight.

Hating crowds and miles of RVs, my first Yellowstone trip would be

better planned for June or fall. While obviously not comparable in

scenery or wildlife, I'll be not far from Theodore Roosevelt National

Park-north unit. I've read it is not crowded in summer and offers

photo opportunities of Badlands scenery, bison, prairie dogs, and

other mammals and birds. Can anyone that has visited Roosevelt

National Park recommend it for family nature enjoyment and

photography as well?

[pathways]

Can't comment on the crowds, last time I was there was in

September of 1969, between Vietnam trips, and it appeared

there was no one else on the entire planet. Twenty pull through

sites for camping, hills on the back side, creek down below. I

still remember the smell of the sage and the pinyon trees.

Probably the second most beautiful place I have ever been (first

is the Black Hills). Come prepared to photograph the sky, but be

careful, you may fall in love with it - I did - elsewhere it is just

something to put over it all; in North Dakota it is a soul. Bring

LOTS of sun protection and rope to tie things (like your car) down

so they don't get blown into the Gulf of Mexico by the wind from

Alberta. In late summer, be prepared for temperatures as high

as 110° or as low as 45° in the morning. And I'm not a Nodaker,

haven't been back in more than 30 years, you may not either.

Have fun. John.

http://home.earthlink.net/~pathways/

[brett_duval]

I grew up in North Dakota and have visited both the north and south units and worked in a town called Medora, adjacent to the south unit for a summer. Because of the size of the south unit, the number of animals, and the amenities of Medora, I would recommend going there. At Medora, there are motels, restaraunts, shops, and a small museum about Teddy Roosevelt including a cabin that he lived in. In the park, there are campgrounds, hiking trails, and horseback rides you can take.

 

There is also more wildlife and a greater variety in the south unit. I have seen bison, elk, mule deer, white tail deer, wild horses, pronghorns, coyotes, foxes, badgers, prairie dogs, and rattlesnakes. Some times they are five miles away and some times they are right next to the road, it just depends on how lucky you are that day. Once I even got within two feet of a rattlesnake before he warned me. One tip I can give you is to go to a prairie dog town around sunrise or sunset. If you're lucky, you might see a fox, coyote, or badger looking for a meal. If you want to take some landscape shots, the Little Missourri River runs near the road on the west side of the park, and right next to a campground. Look for unusual rock formations to include in the shot at sunrise or sunset and you should get some pretty good shots. Good luck, and don't worry about large crowds. Not many people visit North Dakota.

[christian deichert]

T.R.N.P. doesn't ever seem to be really crowded, at least compared to most other federal and many state or even county parks. I visited only the south unit, which has great hikes in rolling grasslands, badlands, the Little Missouri River canyon, and a petrified forest. Had a blast. Suggest you check it out.

[stu_weiss1]

You might also try the string of wildlife refuges in the NWcorner of the state (J. Clark Salyer etc). I was there last June. Lots of water fowl and other birds. Biggest White Pelican rookery in North America. Might be worth a try. I've got some photos posted on my web site. http://www.geocities.com/jersey_stu/

[shutterbug]

In addition to Brett's comments about Medora, there is Painted Canyon close to Medora. Also if you go south into South Dakota, the Black Hills offer good opportunities.

 

Andrea Aughinbaugh

[bob_royse]

NW N.Dakota is one of America's prime birding destinations in June. If you're at all interested in prairie nesting species, the NWR's shouldn't be missed. Salyer was flooded when I was there in 1999 and few roads were open. Check ahead before going. Lostwood is probably the best for photography. Just across the border in Montana is what I consider to be one of the very best bird photography locations anywhere, Medicine Lake NWR. It's definitely better for photography than any on the ND NWR's.

 

I found T.Roosevelt NP to be too crowded for my tastes when I was there, especially the south unit. I'm not a fan of any national park for that reason. You will find some easy-to-photograph mammals there, though. The parks are surrounded by the Little Missouri National Grasslands. For general scenery and birding, picking up a USFS map to that area will offer countless miles of roads to explore away from the crowds.

 

For some nice badlands scenery in Montana, Makoshika State Park is just accross the border from T.Roosevelt NP. The scenery is similar to the NP, but there are less crowds.

[photojim]

I live in Regina, Saskatchewan, about a five-hour drive north of the south unit. The park is beautiful - particularly the south unit. In fact, all the scenery near the park is pretty nice. The north unit is scenic, but less spectacularly so.

 

I haven't gotten a lot of good photos there due to lack of good light (I've only made a couple of day trips) - but the area warrants the investment of time.

 

When will you be there? I could be persuaded to visit. :)