Your Guide To One Day In Medora, North Dakota

Medora, North Dakota is the friendliest, most quaint town I’ve ever been to. It is just so cute. I WISH we had carved out more time to spend there, but alas, we did not. We arrived early in the morning and stayed all day. I do not lean towards visiting most places more than once (there is just so much to see out there!), but Medora is high priority on the places I’d like to return.

Small Town Charm

Medora is a tiny little cowboy town full of history. With a year round population of only 128, you may have trouble imagining how you could have a nice time here, let alone spend multiple days! However, the town has a great vibe with an almost magnetic attraction. You are easily drawn in by its charm!

You can totally walk all of Medora, but if driving is your thing, parking is not hard to find either. Or ride your bike. Or your horse, for that matter.

The History of Medora

Medora was founded in 1883 by a French man, Marqui de Mores. He named the town after his wife, Medora. De Mores settled down here and built a meat packing plant, a hotel, stores, and his home in competition with a neighboring town, Little Missouri. Businessmen seen how successful Medora was, and rushed to the capitalize on that.

One such man who visited the town of Medora and the badlands of North Dakota, was a young politician from New York named Theodore Roosevelt. Mr. Roosevelt first arrived to hunt bison, but fell in love with the land and soon bought property and built two cabins on his estates near Medora. Roosevelt loved the land so much that he credited it with enabling him to one day become President of the United States and called the badlands “the romance of my life”.

Medora Today and Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Modern Medora is the ultimate small-town destination- perfect for family vacations, couples trips, or girlfriend getaways. There really is something for everyone! Enjoy the quiet bustle of Medora while taking in the spectacular scenery of North Dakota’s badlands.

Medora sits at the entrance to the south unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. When searching for park reviews, many people stated how underrated this national park is, and I agree! The rocky landscape of the badlands provides a beautiful backdrop to the abundance of wildlife you are guaranteed to see, and even come in close contact with, at this park.

Visit the Park

Driving through Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a must while visiting Medora. Stop and take photos, enjoy the views, and even hike a little! You are bound to see tons of animals, so be cautious and keep your distance. You do not want to be trampled by a bison! They will leave you alone unless you get too close, so do not take any chances. Wild horses roam free along with pronghorn, elk, deer, and coyotes. There are also multiple prairie dog towns located throughout the park.

You do want to be aware that the park has two units- the south unit and the north unit. The south unit entrance is located in Medora. The north unit entrance is located 60 miles north but cannot be accessed from within the park at this time. South unit=wildlife; north unit=sweeping views of the badlands. Both units are worth visiting, so if time allows, visit both! However, the south unit is still gorgeous if you wish to stay closer to Medora.

What To Do In Medora

The Rough Riders Hotel

Named after Teddy Roosevelt’s cavalry unit that fought in the Spanish-American war, the Rough Riders Hotel is a historic inn where Roosevelt himself once stayed. The original 8 guest rooms have been renovated, and 68 additional rooms have been added on.

Even if you do not choose the Rough Riders hotel as your lodging, you need to eat at the Theodore Roosevelt Dining Room, located inside the inn. The menu is fabulous and the food is delicious!

Shopping and Museums

Medora’s streets are lined with adorable tourist shops and other eateries. You could easily spend all day perusing the stores! Don’t forget to visit the Billings County Courthouse Museum and the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame to educate yourself on the history of Medora.

The Medora Musical and Pitchfork Fondue

Sadly, we did not have time to stay for either of these, but they both have great reviews and look like so much fun! The Medora Musical is a musical performed every night that showcases the history of Medora. Pitchfork Fondue is a unique dining experience you can add on to your musical tickets, and it includes a feast of cowboy foods!

Don’t Miss

We loved walking the streets and pointing out the petrified wood parking curbs and landscape decor. A few years back, we purchased a rather large slab of petrified wood in Arizona to bring home and display. As you can imagine, we had a good laugh about Medora using petrified wood in their streets to park cars. We also really like opportunities like this because as a homeschool family, we love when we find something that randomly sparks an educational conversation.

Medora also has a neat Putt Putt place, as well as one of the coolest playground we’ve ever seen! This free attraction looks like an old Western fort. Be sure to take your kids!

This was our first trip to North Dakota and I guarantee it will not be the last. As you have just read, there is plenty to do in Medora- spend one day or an entire week, but definitely go! Medora is your ideal location for a relaxed but fun and easy family vacation.