The Park That Doesn’t Show Off — But Changes You Anyway

This year, Cristy Lee and I will visit 19 of America’s 63 National Parks, bringing our total to 30 so far.

We’ve driven through stunning landscapes that nearly begged for photos, Zion’s canyon cliffs, Big Bend’s otherworldly stillness, the windswept whites of New Mexico.

But there’s one park we didn’t expect much from, and it ended up sticking with us.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park, in western North Dakota.

Our Home Base: Medora Campground

Let’s start with this: staying here couldn’t be easier.

We pulled into Medora Campground, which sits right along the Little Missouri River at the edge of town, and it’s just a minute’s drive to the park entrance (TWO mins to be exact). No fuss. Full hookups. Affordable. Flat, easy spots. Walkable to everything.

And I mean everything.

We wandered into Medora, the town, and instantly felt like we’d stepped into a Western storybook, minus the gimmicks: coffee shops, ice cream, local diners, even the famed Medora Musical, all right there. You can ditch the car or rig for a bit and just stroll. We love a walkable home base, especially after long miles.

When the Land Doesn’t Perform

As for the park itself?

It doesn’t shout.

No waterfalls. No signature rock formations. No dramatic reveal.

What you get instead is prairie, silence, eroded buttes, and bison who seem entirely uninterested in your presence, which somehow makes you feel more like a guest than a visitor.

At first, we thought we’d seen everything in an afternoon.

But the longer we stayed, the more the landscape — and the stillness — started working on us.

Roosevelt’s Escape — and Ours

In 1884, Theodore Roosevelt came here after losing both his wife and mother on the same day.

He came to disappear. To fall apart quietly.

But in the solitude of this place, he rebuilt.

He left this rugged landscape with something stronger than sorrow:

Grit. Clarity. A reason to protect wild places.

He eventually became President and would go on to safeguard over 230 million acres of public land, shaping what would become the National Park system.

So no, TRNP isn’t the flashiest.

But it’s the park that made the rest possible.

A Lesson from the Road

As full-time RVers, we’re often drawn to the big-ticket parks. The headliners.

We plan our route around the icons, the dramatic drives, the crowd favorites.

But this stop reminded us:

Not every place needs to show off.

Some places — like Medora and Theodore Roosevelt National Park — earn your attention slowly.

They give you space.

And sometimes, that’s exactly what you need.

Whether you’re passing through North Dakota or planning something bigger, don’t sleep on Medora.

Base up at the campground. Stroll the town. Take your time in the park.

You might just leave with something you didn’t know you were looking for.

— Colan

House of Highways | Roaming Full-Time Since 2024