Going to Theodore Roosevelt National Park

What to do in Theodore Roosevelt National Park

"I never would have been President if it had not been for my experiences in North Dakota," Theodore Roosevelt once remarked when reflecting on the influences that affected him throughout his life. Here, too, many of Roosevelt's attitudes about and interest in nature and conservation were sharpened and refined.

Roosevelt first came to the badlands in September 1883. Before returning home to New York, he became interested in the cattle business and joined two other men as partners in the Maltese Cross Ranch. The next year he returned and established a second open-range ranch, the Elkhorn, as his own operation while continuing as a Maltese Cross partner. The Elkhorn became his principal residence, a place where he could lead the strenuous life that he loved. The prospect of big game hunting had initially brought Roosevelt to the...

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