Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [393]
Buckhorn Trail
11 miles RT. Moderate. Access: From the Caprock Coulee Nature Trail (see "The North Unit," above).
About a mile into this loop is a large prairie-dog town. Of the five varieties of prairie dogs, only the black-tailed variety inhabits Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
Organized Tours & Ranger Programs
From mid-June to early September, ranger programs, including nature walks and longer hikes, take place at various locations. If snow conditions permit, rangers may conduct ski tours in winter.
Historic & Man-Made Attractions
There are a variety of historic attractions, both in the national park and nearby.
A museum in the Medora Visitor Center features personal items that once belonged to Theodore Roosevelt, ranching artifacts, and natural-history displays. Tours (free, about 20 min.) of the Maltese Cross Cabin run from mid-June through Labor Day; you can take a self-guided tour during the rest of the year. Roosevelt used this cabin, which was relocated to its new home behind the visitor center after a detailed restoration program.
At the Elkhorn Ranch site, where Theodore Roosevelt started his second cattle ranch in the area, no buildings remain (save the foundation stones from the main ranch house). To get there, take the dirt road that goes north out of the South Unit (its turnoff is at the top of the Scenic Loop Dr.) and drive another 20 miles; you must cross the river to get to the ranch site. Inquire at the Medora Visitor Center about river conditions before attempting this trip. An alternate route leads to the site from the west.
Chateau de Mores State Historic Site (☎ 701/623-4355; www.state.nd.us/ hist; click on "Historic Sites," then "De Mores"), near Medora, is a 128-acre site that contains the Chateau de Mores, Chimney Park, and De Mores Memorial Park. The town of Medora was built by the Marquis de Mores, an entrepreneurial French nobleman, on the Northern Pacific Line and named for his American wife. The Chateau de Mores, a 26-room rustic summer home built in 1883, contains many of its original furnishings. The ruins of the Marquis's meat-packing plant, in Chimney Park, recall his ambitious plans to revolutionize the meat-packing industry. A young Theodore Roosevelt was an acquaintance of the Marquis. Admission costs $6 adults, $3 kids 6 to 15, free for children under 6; group tour rates are available. Guided tours of the chateau are offered from mid-May to mid-September from 8:30am to 6:30pm, and other times by appointment.
Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, consisting of three villages along the Knife River, was inhabited by the Hidatsa, Mandan, and later the Arikara from the early 1500s to 1860. A half-mile north of Stanton, North Dakota (on County Rd. 37), it offers insights into the life of the Northern Plains Indians. The site is open daily 7:30am to 6pm from Memorial Day through Labor Day, 8am to 4:30pm daily the rest of the year. Admission is free. The exhibits and 15-minute orientation video depict life in the villages before and after Euro-American contact. Earth-lodge tours run daily from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The annual Northern Plains Indian Culture Fest is held the last full weekend in July.
The Lewis & Clark bicentennial focused attention on Knife River Indian Villages. This area is believed to have been the home of Sacagawea, her new baby, and her husband before they joined the Corps of Discovery for the arduous trip west.
Various short trails run to the three village sites. Other trails meander through prairie and woodland ecosystems. Check at the visitor center for trail hours. Some trails are wheelchair accessible. For information, contact the Knife River Indian Villages NHS, P.O. Box 9, Stanton, ND 58571 (☎ 701/745-3300; www.nps.gov/knri).
In the farthest reaches of Missouri River country, the Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site preserves the restored