Teddy—what a guy

Heading west from Bismarck we stopped at Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Teddy first came to North Dakota Territory in 1883 to hunt bison. A year later he returned while mourning the deaths of his first wife and mother who died on the same day. He wanted to lose himself in the vastness. He became a cattle rancher and found adventure. He retuned many times. Roosevelt credited his experiences as the basis for his preservation efforts. As president 1901-1909, he created 18 national monuments, 5 national parks, and 150 national forests—over 230 million acres of protected land.

His park was created in 1947. It is situated in the rugged badlands of western ND. 

His cabin. 

And a wooden statue. 

Next up, Montana and Little Bighorn.