South Unit Visitor Center
The park's main visitor facility is open year-round.
Plan Around South Unit Visitor Center
A good stop is not just something to read about. Once it belongs on the day, move into a saved trip and build the route around it.
Use this detail page to confirm that the stop is worth it, then carry that decision into a trip draft while the park context is still fresh.
South Unit Visitor Center Details
The South Unit Visitor Center is open year-round with a staffed information desk to assist with questions or provide recommendations. A museum, exhibits, and the movie "Refuge of the American Spirit" provide additional insight into the park history, geology, and park founder Theodore Roosevelt. Park ranger presentations are also available June through mid-September. The Theodore Roosevelt Nature and History Association operates a bookstore in the South Unit Visitor Center as well as an [online bookstore](trnha.org/shoptrnha.html). Theodore Roosevelt's first home in the Dakotas was the Maltese Cross Cabin, which he purchased after becoming enthralled with the region during a hunting trip in 1883. The cabin still stands and is located on grounds of the South Unit Visitor Center. Facilities include a picnic area, drinking fountain, and wheelchair-accessible restrooms. The South Unit Visitor Center is open every day, year-round, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. MT; summer hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.
Difficulty
Low
Distance
N/A
Estimated time
N/A
Region
N/A
Nearby Parks Around South Unit Visitor Center
Compare nearby parks around South Unit Visitor Center when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.
Nearby Points of Interest Around South Unit Visitor Center
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond South Unit Visitor Center while the map context is still fresh.
0.0 mi away
Overview
The 26th president of the United States came to North Dakota as a wealthy young man intent on hunting bison, he left with an appreciation of the hardships of life in the Badlands and a passion for conservation.
0.0 mi away
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
The 26th president of the United States came to North Dakota as a wealthy young man intent on hunting bison, he left with an appreciation of the hardships of life in the Badlands and a passion for conservation.
0.0 mi away
Maltese Cross Cabin
Theodore Roosevelt's first home in the Dakotas.
0.2 mi away
Medora Overlook
A panoramic view of the town of Medora, with a glimpse of the Little Missouri River.
0.2 mi away
Medora, N.D.
The small town of Medora, N.D., is the gateway to the South Unit of the park.