Past Event: A Weekend in the North Unit of TRNP (2023)
Big Cottonwoods and Bighorns: A North Unit Theodore Roosevelt National Park Weekend for Badlands Conservation Alliance.
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Bighorns at North Unit October 2022 photo by Lillian Crook
The group campsite is reserved at the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park for a weekend BCA gathering on Friday, June 9 through Sunday, June 11, 2023, in the rugged beauty of this badlands gem. The day hikes, led by Lillian Crook and Clay Jenkinson, will vary from easy to strenuous including on Saturday at 10 a.m. CT a long way down from Oxbow Overlook to the cottonwood bottoms of the Little Missouri River on the Achenbach Trail, and back up – about five miles roundtrip! Bighorns might be spotted, and some giant cottonwoods are a sure thing. Options might include a moderately challenging hike to Achenbach Hills wilderness, all varied terrain with splendid views of the Park and the Little Missouri National Grasslands surrounding it. Abundant snow of this winter holds promise of spectacular flora and fauna. Participants may arrive on Friday night or the weekend mornings by 10 a.m. CT to rendezvous with BCA in the group site parking area. Evenings will include campfire conservation conversations. BCA’s first hike was in the North Unit in 1999. Let’s celebrate our resiliency. Individuals are responsible for their own meals and snacks, weather and sun & insect protection, and such. Hats, walking sticks, and sturdy shoes or boots are encouraged. Water is available at this non-electric group site. The North Unit is in the Central Time zone and participants will need to pay a personal TRNP entry fee.
More information on the North Unit is available at nps.gov.
In the park, dogs must be on leash and they are not allowed on the trail. You can find more information about pets here.