Badlands to Buttes: Ultimate Outdoor Adventure Guide to Dickinson, North Dakota

The crown jewel of any Dickinson-based adventure has to be Theodore Roosevelt National Park, just a 30-minute drive west. At $30 per vehicle for a 7-day pass, it's one of America's more affordable national parks and offers astounding value. I spent three full days exploring its 70,000+ acres, and I could have easily stayed longer.

The park is divided into three units, with the South Unit being the most accessible from Dickinson. The 36-mile Scenic Loop Drive provides an excellent overview, but to truly appreciate the park's rugged beauty, you'll need to leave your vehicle behind. The Coal Vein Trail (0.8 miles) offers a fascinating glimpse into the area's geological history, while the more challenging Petrified Forest Loop (10.3 miles) rewards hikers with ancient fossilized trees that are over 60 million years old.

What surprised me most was the military history hidden within this natural wonder. The Maltese Cross Cabin, where Roosevelt once lived, showcases frontier military architecture, while the remnants of old U.S. Army routes through the badlands speak to the region's strategic importance during westward expansion. As someone who's explored countless European battlefields, I found these subtle historical layers particularly fascinating.

For wildlife enthusiasts, the park offers exceptional opportunities to spot bison, wild horses, prairie dogs, and elk. I recommend bringing a quality spotting scope for distant wildlife viewing without disturbing the animals. Dawn and dusk provide optimal viewing conditions, especially along the Wildlife Viewing Loop in the South Unit.

Just an hour's drive east of Dickinson lies Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, a site that immediately captured my interest as a military history enthusiast. At just $7 per vehicle, it's an absolute bargain compared to similar historical sites I've visited across Europe.

The fort served as Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer's last headquarters before the infamous Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876. Five reconstructed military buildings, including Custer's house, offer a remarkably detailed glimpse into frontier military life. The meticulous historical accuracy of the interior design particularly impressed me—my interior design background made me appreciate the attention to period-appropriate furnishings and architectural details.

What many visitors miss is the On-A-Slant Mandan Indian Village located within the same park. Six reconstructed earth lodges represent the once-thriving Native American settlement that predated the military fort by centuries. The juxtaposition of these two historical sites creates a more complete narrative about the complex history of the region.

I spent an entire day exploring the grounds, joining the guided tours (an additional $8 but well worth it), and hiking the park's network of trails that connect historical sites. For military history buffs on a budget, this park delivers exceptional value. I'd recommend bringing a detailed historical guidebook to fully appreciate the significance of what you're seeing beyond the provided information panels.

The fort's position on the bluffs above the Missouri River also provides spectacular landscape photography opportunities, particularly at sunset when the golden light bathes the reconstructed buildings.

While most visitors to western North Dakota stick to the main attractions, I've compiled what I call the 'Badlands Hiking Circuit'—a series of interconnected day hikes that showcase the region's most spectacular geological formations without breaking the bank.

My circuit begins at Makoshika State Park, technically just over the Montana border but easily accessible from Dickinson (about 1.5 hours drive). The $8 non-resident entrance fee grants access to some of the most otherworldly badlands formations I've seen outside of Eastern Europe's karst regions. The Diane Gabriel Trail (1.5 miles) and Cap Rock Nature Trail (1 mile) provide excellent introductions to the unique geology.

Next, head to the Painted Canyon Visitor Center, just off I-94 near Medora. This free roadside stop offers spectacular panoramic views and access to the Painted Canyon Nature Trail (1 mile), which descends into the badlands for a more immersive experience. The geological stratification visible in the canyon walls tells a 65-million-year story of environmental change.

For more adventurous hikers, the Maah Daah Hey Trail represents the ultimate badlands challenge. This 144-mile trail system connects the three units of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, but can be tackled in manageable day-hike sections. I particularly recommend the 4.4-mile Buffalo Gap segment, which offers spectacular views with moderate difficulty.

Proper footwear is essential for these hikes—I relied heavily on my hiking boots to navigate the often unstable terrain. The combination of clay, silt, and sand that forms the badlands can become treacherously slippery after rain, so check weather forecasts carefully before setting out.

My background in archaeology always leads me to seek out lesser-known historical sites, and the Dickinson area delivers several fascinating options that most tourists completely overlook.

The Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site (free admission) sits just an hour northeast of Dickinson and preserves the archaeological remains of Northern Plains Indian earth lodge villages. What makes this site particularly interesting is the visible depressions in the earth where lodges once stood—these subtle features remind me of similar archaeological landscapes I've documented in Scandinavia. The on-site museum contains an impressive collection of artifacts, and reconstructed earth lodges provide insight into indigenous engineering techniques.

For those interested in paleontological history, the Dakota Dinosaur Museum in Dickinson itself ($8 admission) houses an impressive collection of fossils excavated from the surrounding badlands. While small by international standards, the museum's focused collection offers excellent value and context for the region's prehistoric past.

Perhaps my favorite discovery was the Writing Rock State Historic Site, about two hours north of Dickinson. This free site features two boulders with mysterious petroglyphs believed to have been carved by indigenous peoples centuries ago. The isolated location means you'll likely have the site entirely to yourself—a stark contrast to similar petroglyph sites I've visited in Europe that are overrun with tourists.

Documenting these sites properly requires good equipment. My travel camera with its compact size and excellent low-light performance proved perfect for capturing detailed images of petroglyphs and artifacts in varying lighting conditions. I'd recommend bringing a small tripod as well, particularly for the indoor museum exhibits where flash photography is prohibited.

Keeping costs down while maintaining comfort is always a priority in my travels, and Dickinson offers several excellent options for the budget-conscious explorer.

I based myself at the Roughrider Hotel & Suites in Dickinson, which at $65-85 per night (depending on season) provides exceptional value with clean rooms, free breakfast, and—crucially for planning adventures—reliable WiFi. The hotel also offers weekly rates for extended stays, which I negotiated down to $59 per night for my week-long exploration.

For those seeking even more economical options, the Dickinson State University opens its dormitory rooms to summer travelers at around $40 per night when classes aren't in session. The accommodations are basic but perfectly comfortable, and the central location provides easy access to downtown amenities.

Camping represents the ultimate budget option, with Theodore Roosevelt National Park offering sites at $14 per night. The Cottonwood Campground in the South Unit provides flush toilets and drinking water—luxuries compared to some of the Eastern European sites I've camped at! For a free alternative, the Little Missouri National Grassland permits dispersed camping, though you'll need to be entirely self-sufficient.

For meals, I quickly discovered that Dickinson's local diners offer the best value. Country Kitchen became my regular breakfast spot, with hearty portions under $10 that fueled my day's explorations. For lunch, I often packed supplies from the local Cashwise Foods supermarket, supplemented with fresh produce from the Dickinson Farmers Market (open Saturday mornings in summer).

Dinner at the Brick Oven Bakery was my favorite splurge at around $15 for excellent wood-fired pizzas using local ingredients. For budget evenings, the Pit Stop serves massive burgers for under $10 that easily provided enough leftovers for the next day's lunch.