Theodore Roosevelt National Park Alerts and Current Conditions

Cover of Brian Russ's guide to Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Last checked: October 25, 2026. This page tracks what's closed, what's changed, and what's coming up at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota, from the park's alerts, conditions, and hours pages. I check it daily and rewrite it when the park posts something new, so bookmark it rather than an old news story. Snow and ice can close parts of the scenic drives once winter sets in on the badlands, so check the park's own alerts the morning you go.

Current alerts

  • The park is cashless. Since May 1, 2026, entrance fees, campground fees, and Interagency Passes are paid only by credit card, debit card, or digital payment. No cash or checks. (NPS)
  • Use the right address for the South Unit. For mobile maps, the park says to enter 201 East River Road N., Medora, ND 58645, to reach the South Unit Visitor Center and entrance station. (NPS)
  • Changed directions to the Petrified Forest trailhead. Use the approved legal route from I-94, Exit 10, toward Camels Hump Lake and follow the marked posts. The route keeps hikers on good terms with the neighbors and inside park boundaries. (NPS)

Open and closed right now

  • The park is open 24 hours a day, every day, in all three units (North, South, and Elkhorn Ranch), even when entrance stations and visitor centers are closed. Entrance is $30 per private vehicle, good for seven days. (NPS)
  • Time zones: the North Unit runs on Central time and the South Unit on Mountain time.
  • South Unit Visitor Center (Medora): open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on winter hours, which run through May 24, 2027. It's open for park passes and bookstore sales. (NPS)
  • North Unit Visitor Center: open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on winter hours, which run through May 30, 2027.
  • Painted Canyon Visitor Center: closed for the winter as of today, October 25. The park lists it as closed through mid-June 2027.
  • Cottonwood Campground (South Unit) and Juniper Campground (North Unit): both open year-round. Every site is by reservation on Recreation.gov, and the park can't take reservations itself. Juniper's group site is open only May through September. (NPS; NPS)
  • Roundup Group Horse Camp: open through October, by reservation only, at least five days in advance.
  • Roads: no road closures are on the park's alert list today. The park warns that parts of the South Unit Scenic Loop Drive and the North Unit Scenic Road may close in winter for snow and ice.

Coming up in the next few weeks

  • Sunday, November 1: Roundup Group Horse Camp closes for the winter, through April 30, 2027.
  • Thursday, November 26 (Thanksgiving): the South Unit Visitor Center is closed.
  • Christmas Day and New Year's Day: both the North Unit and South Unit visitor centers are closed.
  • Winter roads: as snow and ice arrive, portions of both scenic drives may close. The park doesn't give dates, so this is one to check day by day.
  • Later: Painted Canyon Visitor Center is listed as closed through June 15, 2027.

What this means for your trip

The Painted Canyon closure mostly affects I-94 travelers who planned to stop at the visitor center there. The building is closed until next June, but the park says the park itself stays open even when its visitor centers are closed. For maps, passes, and questions, the South Unit Visitor Center in Medora is the closest one that's open.

Mind the time zones if you're doing both units in one trip. The North Unit Visitor Center's 4:30 p.m. closing is Central time, which is 3:30 p.m. on the South Unit's Mountain clock. If you drive up from Medora in the afternoon, it's easy to arrive and find the doors already locked.

Campers need a reservation even now. Both campgrounds are open all year, but every site goes through Recreation.gov, so book before you drive in, and bring a card, because the park no longer takes cash. As the weather turns, check the road status the morning you go. A scenic drive closure can cut off the stops on the far side of the loop, so have a second plan that sticks close to the entrance.

Before you go

If a closure knocks out part of your plan, my guide to Theodore Roosevelt National Park has nine one- to three-day itineraries at easy, moderate, and strenuous effort, each with a backup plan for weather or closures. You can also check alerts and conditions for every national park.

This page is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service. Always check the park's current alerts before you go.