Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Unit)-Prairie Dog Town and Oxbow Overlook

The best pictures I could take of a prairie dog with a phone camera. All those light colored spots are a prairie dog home. They call this area Prairie Dog Town. 

While hiking to Prairie Dog Town, I had the pleasure of seeing some Buffalo grazing.

 The video below the prairie dog let me get really close and didn't scurry in his hole even with the small child making all sorts of noise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgXbG-rBLHo

This second video you can't see much, but you can hear the prairie dog sounding the warning to all the other prairie dogs of me approaching. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRSYMfC2PFU

The Scenic Drive is 14 miles long or 28 miles round trip and dead ends at the Oxbow Overlook. To reach the Oxbow Overlook you follow the North Achenbach Trail 1.2 miles. 

The view from the parking area. I had thought this was the trail and walked that trail 1/3 of a mile only to dead end at a cliff.

View from the Oxbow Overlook

Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Unit)-Caprock Coulee Trail

The Caprock Coulee Trailhead sign is quite informative that shows you a map of where you're going, and how long it should take. Today they had posted an extreme heat advisory.

I never associated cactus with North Dakota.

I did not see Buffalo on this particular hike, but the evidence was left behind to let me know they were somewhere, and I just wasn't seeing them with my eyes.

 The Little Missouri River

The trail took you up through the rocks at times.

I'm standing on the trail, and the post with the brown sign of a hiker is assuring me I'm not lost. Incredible, breathtaking views all along the Caprock Coulee Trail made the 4.2 miles hike in 90+ heat worth it.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park-North Unit

This is a warning sign you will see throughout the park. I understand this sign because Buffalo looks to be very docile creatures, but they are a 2000 pound wild animal. 

 So what do you do if a buffalo walking towards on the road? Stop the car and hope it doesn't get perturbed and ram your vehicle and do some severe damage. 

Since it's so close might as well take a picture.

I like this picture because of it being a more natural setting for a Buffalo. The Little Missouri River is in the background.

Here are some education signs that you can read at a pullout along the 28-mile Scenic Drive.

The camp host said it was going to be hot for the next few days and he advised we find a shady campsite. I think we did a pretty good job at doing just that. This is campsite 27 at the Juniper Campground.

We were told Buffalo will wander into the campground and we weren't disappointed. Our tent and campsite were not in any danger because we were at the far end of the wooded area.

Each night at 7 pm a Park Ranger would have an educational talk at the amphitheater. This night was about Buffalo and Aaron is holding a horn. The other talk was about Voltgers which was quite fascinating. 

A view of the Bad Lands along the Scenic Drive.