49er for Life, and Theodore Roosevelt National Park - South Unit

 

We started out from Spearfish with 180 miles to get to our RV Park, which was 15 miles from the entrance to Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  We left at 7:30, arrived at Belfield by 11:30, and entered the park by 12:30.  Knowing little to nothing about the park, we just sat back and enjoyed the drive.  We dumped the car off at the park in Belfield, and the motorhome was great to maneuver through the scenic drive of the South Unit of the Park.

The park is made up of three sections, with about 60 miles between the north and south units, with Roosevelt's Elkhorn Ranch in between the two.  We visited the South Unit today, will visit the north unit tomorrow, and we are skipping the Elkhorn Ranch, site of Roosevelt's beloved second ranch where the ranch no longer exists, and the roads are bumpy, washed out, and not worth taking just to see some "Exhibit Panels" saying what was once there.

First, our trip to get to the park....

First things First...gotta give Indy her morning traveling air.  So far, so good...has not got sick at all.  Now when she gets on Marcia's lap, "IF" she wants air, she takes her paw and scratches the window.  "IF" the window is not down far enough to her liking, she takes her paw and scratches the window.  She has us trained...I mean, we have her trained so well now...

It was 100+ miles from Spearfish to the North Dakota border.  For the most part, it looked like these three pictures above, and a couple of small towns with populations in the double figures.

FINALLY we came to the point in my life which I had been looking forward to, and working hard to get, for all my life.  My 49th state.  Now I can say I have visited each state not surrounded totally by water.  A 49er for life for sure.  Raised in Northern California, the Forty Niners  were my team from the start.  John Brodie was the QB, and one of his favorite targets was Gene Washington, the fourth best Wide Receiver in 49er history as of today.  Then came a guy named Joe Montana...and with Joe came FOUR Super Bowls.  And then Steve Young, and with Steve came a few more Super Bowls.  Now days, I don't care for football.  When my daughter had her head trauma surfboarding for the first time, she (also a big football fan) made us aware of head injuries, and how NFL football players can suffer from the same head injury that she does.  All of us pretty much gave up on Football...and then came the 'kneeling' during the National Anthem, and for me, that was it for sure.  But NOW I can reclaim my love for the 49ers...each and every of the 49 states I have visited in my life.  And that will be a lifetime love, because I will not make it to Hawaii, and "IF" other states are ever added to the USA, I doubt I will ever go there unless it is Washington DC, which I have been to many times.  Essentially, I am a 49er for life.

The RV Parks is and around the Theodore Roosevelt National Park are closed.  After much searching, I found Trapper's Kettle, 2 Motels, a RV Park, a Restaurant and a Bar.  $28 per night, pull-through, water, sewer and electricity...that's a pretty good deal.  Best thing about it, it is nearly empty.

The RV Park is nothing special...grass is ok, gravel roadway.  We are fairly level, so no need to put down levelers or get out our yellow level blocks.  There are only 3 of us in here now and it is 6 pm...I doubt others will come.  There are indications from reviews that the place can fill up during the summer.  Also, they are one of the last to shut down...and my guess is, you can talk them into letting you have electricity even in the middle of winter.

 

The entrance to the park is 15 miles west along I-94...but as you can see in the first four pictures, you are actually inside the park boundaries as you drive along I-94.  It gives you a shot at what you are going to see...and be on the lookout for horses and buffalo, which can be seen from the freeway sometimes.  On the way back to the RV Park, we saw a number of wild horses that are part of the park.

As soon as you pass the entrance booth, you climb up and into the park, and immediately as you climb you see some amazing mountain formations. 

The pictures tell the story better than I can...except for these little guys.  It seems the most abundant wildlife in the park are Prairie Dogs.  They are ALL OVER THE PLACE!

Some folks decide to make their own path, despite the instructions against it.  At least they did not park off the road...they were on the road put in a pullout.  We did see a few cars which did otherwise, pulling off right onto the dirt and vegetation along the road.

There is a 36 mile scenic loop at the south unit..except that the road washed out last year near the badlands overlook.  So now you have to turn around at mile marker 24...unless you are in a RV, which means you turn around at Buck Hill...unless you have a RV over 40 feet, in which case you turn around at Wind Canyon.  So instead of a 36 mile loop, you travel 48 miles, or less, depending upon your vehicle.  We decided to drive the motorhome because it is higher, making it easier for Marcia to see, and so that we have our own 'facilities', which makes it much more comfortable.

We did finally come upon some of the wild horses found in the park.  Horses were introduced into this part of North Dakota by the late 1800's.  When the park was fenced in after being named a National Park, the decision was made to keep horses in the park, but they are controlled through contraceptives and occasional auction sales.

The horses are a wonderful collection of wild, untouched stallions and fillies.  There are about 170 horses in 22 different bands (a stallion with fillies).

If you look close, there are some buffalo out there...

There are a few hundred buffalo in the park, having been introduced to the park in 1956 when 29 bison were obtained from Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge in Nebraska.  Based on the needs of bison and available resources, park biologists have set target herd sizes: 200-500 bison in the South Unit, and 100-300 in the smaller North Unit.  We knew the Bison were around because you can see the waste along the roadway.  I had hoped to see some closer up, but it is amazing to see these creatures even from afar.

On our way out of the park we got these pictures of the Little Missouri River, and this one above and the one directly below have bison in the river...but the view is so far away you can hardly make them out when I blow them up on the photo editor.

This final shot of the river shows how the trees line the river, soaking up the water to survive on in this dry, arid climate.

Tomorrow we are going to visit the north unit, then come back, hook up the car, and head on east, then south for Florida.