Who doesn’t like last minute camping? Well, typically, we don’t. I like to plan things, which takes time to research and explore all the possibilities. This time, though? We took a chance. And it was worth it!
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It’s been such a busy summer for us, between the house renovations and the RV electrical upgrades, to helping our oldest navigate his first few months of adulthood and preparing the girls for life back on the road, not to mention all of the little things that have to happen before you leave your home base for 8 months. Needless to say, by them time we returned from our test trip in mid-August I was exhausted (more than normal, anyway).
But what was that on the horizon? A three-day holiday weekend? I could disappear, fall off the grid, enjoy the quiet of nature all by myself! Wait… I bet the kids would love to join me in that. And if I’m bringing them I might as well invite my husband along…
Okay, a long weekend in Medora it is! We’ve been there before, it’s a short 4-hour drive away, and sure, it’ll be busy (holiday weekend and all), but we’ll find a place to camp without a reservation, right?
In all fairness, I did give myself a week to make a plan. I scoped out possible camping spots and campgrounds, checked the route, made plans for food. The only thing stopping us from leaving for the weekend was getting our generator working, which we did.
We left for Medora, ND Saturday morning (which is rare, we try not to travel on Sabbath), stopping for a restroom break and lunch in Washburn, and arrived at our first choice of campgrounds around 1:30pm mountain time. Check-in at Buffalo Gap campground was 1:00pm. I knew there were a handful of first come, first serve spots there and was taking the chance that there would be a site to fit our 33′ fifth wheel.
Upon arriving in the parking area, we were greeted by the camp host who was able to point us to site 24, the last site that would fit our rig, and mentioned that there were only a few spots left. By the time we got parked and set up, the campground was full.
Once we were set up our daughters and I headed to Painted Canyon Visitor Center for a half-hour hike into the small canyon there. The weather was perfect and the area was quiet, with just a few other people enjoying the view and hiking the same trail. If you haven’t visited before it’s worth a stop just for the views.
The next morning we headed into Theodore Roosevelt National Park. My husband has an America the Beautiful Access Pass, which allows him and those with him (in the same vehicle) free entry into all national parks and historic sites. We presented his pass to the ranger at the entrance, declared his service animal*, and made our way into the park to check out the views and hike some trails.
*Note: You are not required to declare your service animal. However, we choose to do so since the rangers can tell us where not to go for the safety of our animal. Sometimes they require some papers to be filled out, sometimes they ask what the animal is trained to do, but this time we didn’t have to do any of that. If you want more information about how we travel with a service animal in national parks, check out this post.*
Inside TRNP, we saw plenty of Bison, many right near the roadway, legions of prairie dogs, and even a pronghorn. We hiked a portion of the trail near Peaceful Valley Ranch (up to the river crossing, we were not prepared to get wet), the Wind Canyon trail, and Burning Coal Vein Trail, before heading back to our campsite for lunch and a short rest.
After lunch the girls and I headed into the town of Medora to explore all it had to offer. We stopped for fudge and ice cream, explored the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame (kids enter free on Sundays!) and a few of the shops, and learned about the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library being built just south of the Burning Hill Amphitheater. An early supper back at the truck (we packed a picnic dinner) and then it was up the hill to Burning Hills Amphitheater for the 5:30pm performance of the Medora Musical.
It had been quite a few years since I’d seen the Medora Musical, and kids are free on Sundays, so we decided to splurge on tickets and popcorn to watch the “greatest show in the West”. And it didn’t disappoint. It was funny and charming, with plenty of singing and dancing and a bit of historical education to boot.
It turned out to be a great weekend for us, helping to reignite our love of camping and travel, and just what needed to energize us for the last three weeks at our home base before leaving for the winter.
Want a review of Buffalo Gap Campground? Click the link below!
Have you been to Medora, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, or the Medora Musical? What did you think? Let us know in the comments! You can also find us on Instagram and Facebook @simplejoyfuljourney, or email me at alicia@simplejoyfuljourney.com. And don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of the page before you go. Have a great week!
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