Over the fourth of July week, I decided to visit a US national park that I had never been to before. Last year I drove 7.5 hours to Badlands National Park in South Dakota. This year I decided to go to the badlands of North Dakota, Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The park is an 8.5-hour drive from my St. Paul, Minnesota home.
The drive to the park and the park are both beautiful. The drive consists of the rolling hills of North Dakota that eventually open up into the varied and colourful layers of the badlands. The park was established in honour of the landscape's influence on Theodore Roosevelt, who, as a young man, hunted and ranched in the area.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park comprises three separate areas of land: the North Unit, the South Unit and the Elkhart Ranch Unit. The North and South Units feature scenic drives, wildlife viewing, and hiking; the undeveloped Elkhart Ranch Unit preserves the site of Roosevelt's "home ranch" in a remote area along the Little Missouri River. The South Unit is home to a herd of approximately 300 American bison and a pack of feral horses, along with deer, elk, coyotes, prairie dogs and more. The North Unit is a bit off the beaten path, known for its rugged and beautiful landscape and solitude.
This photo was taken on my first evening at the park. I was in the South Unit of the park. The sky was overcast, so I had low expectations for the sunset. I was excited when the sky lit up in layers of colour.
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Dimitri Vasileiou • Editor