Painted Canyon Visitor Center

The Painted Canyon Visitor Center is a small visitor center home to a spectacular panoramic view of the North Dakota Badlands.

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Painted Canyon Visitor Center Details

The Painted Canyon Visitor Center is a small visitor center home to a spectacular panoramic view of the North Dakota Badlands. You can find seasonally staffed information desks, exhibits, displays and the Theodore Roosevelt Nature and History Association Bookstore all in the Visitor Center. The Painted Canyon Visitor Center is located at exit 32, seven miles east of Medora on I-94. It offers the perfect spot for a picnic lunch, and has picnic tables and shelters, along with restrooms and drinking fountains, all of which are wheelchair accessible. Make sure you take in the breathtaking views of the ridges and stunning colors of the surrounding area. Keep an eye out for wild horses and grazing bison, easily spotted from the Visitor Center's vista. If you have time, explore either the .9 mile Painted Canyon Nature Trail for a trip down into the canyon or put on your hiking boots for the 19-mile Upper Paddock/Talkington Loop via the Painted Canyon trail. The Painted Canyon Visitor Center is open May - October, from 9:30 am - 4:30 pm.

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Low

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Nearby Parks Around Painted Canyon Visitor Center

Compare nearby parks around Painted Canyon Visitor Center when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.

7.0 mi away

Theodore Roosevelt

National Park · ND

228.4 mi away

Badlands

National Park · SD

387.1 mi away

Yellowstone

National Park · WY

421.0 mi away

Grand Teton

National Park · WY

464.1 mi away

Rocky Mountain

National Park · CO

488.6 mi away

Voyageurs

National Park · MN

Nearby Points of Interest Around Painted Canyon Visitor Center

Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Painted Canyon Visitor Center while the map context is still fresh.

0.1 mi away

Painted Canyon Trail

This two-mile trail starts at the Painted Canyon Visitor Center.

2.2 mi away

Buck Hill Trail

A trail to the highest accessible point in the park.

2.2 mi away

The Coal Vein Trail

This rail follows a coal vein that burned slowly from 1951 to 1977.

3.0 mi away

Lower Paddock/Lower Talkington/Jones Creek Trail

A connection of trails that can be hiked in short or longer segments.

3.5 mi away

Upper Paddock/Upper Talkington Loop

A connection of trails that can be hiked in short or longer segments.