Medora is nestled in a crook abutting the south unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park in western North Dakota. Just off Interstate 94, Medora, with a population of 100, provides a few hotels and restaurants for its many tourists. Three hotels (the Bandlands Motel, Bunkhouse Motel, and Rough Riders Hotel) are all run by the same company plus the chain of AmericInn has one hotel in Medora. All lodging is within earshot of the trains that barrel through the community hourly.
A small mini-golf course is located behind the Badlands Motel, which is also across the street from a large, western-themed playground. The playground sits at the foot of one of the bandlands many bluffs. Across the street is a doll house museum with a unique paper-doll shaped white fence. A grocery store/service station can provide food for a bagged lunch for taking into the National Park. A bit south of town is the Chateau de Mores, a ranch home built by the Marquis de Mores for his wife, Medora, for whom the town is named.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Theodore Roosevelt National Park has its entrance right in Medora, but because of a meandering time zone line, Medora is in the Mountain time zone while TR National Park is in Central. Following the main road, which loops around the park, is the best way to visit. The Ridgeline Trail is a short, easy-to-walk trail that provides great views of the badlands stretching for miles. Look for wild horses and bison in the park. Prairie dog homes can be spotted at many places in the park. Take the Coal Vein Trail to see where a fire burned for 26 years, turning the rock a purplish hue. Be sure to stop at the Skyline Vista, an overlook area that shows the valley between Medora and Theodore Roosevelt, where I-94 snakes through.
The Bully Pulpit Golf Course
The Bully Pulpit advertises great views on a course that winds through the Badlands, although only three holes in the second nine are actually in the badlands. The views are terrific though, with rocky buttes rising in the background. As a tourist course, expect play to be slow and fivesomes to be common.
Medora Musical
The Medora Musical is a very popular stage show set right in the badlands in the outdoor "Burning Hills Amphitheatre". The show is family friendly and provides a mix of western, gospel, and patriotic singing and dancing. Even though the show is exposed to the elements, the Medora area is hot and dry in the summer, with rain cancellations only occurring a handful of times a year.
Medora, although a tiny town, has a few big attractions for the traveler passing through western North Dakota.
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