Today we visited the Scenic Loop in the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Our day was a combination of driving, hiking and overlooks. We began with the drive to Skyline Vista. The drive showed us the first of many animals we would see today. Of course we saw a bison. We also met the first of hundreds of prairie dogs that we saw today.
Skyline Vista shows you the beauty of the hills. It also shows how close the park is to civilization. It appears that Medora, North Dakota would not exist if the national park was not just next door. Even the interstate system seems to be modified here. There are at least two exits that lead only to the park.
We then headed to the Lower Paddock Trail. Our intention was to hike to the creek and then return. We did hike the trail. We enjoyed the hike and the creek. We did not know we would be walking through at least two prairie dog towns. The prairie dogs were the highlight of the hike.
We were literally surrounded by prairie dogs. It became obvious that there is variation in prairie dogs. There were brown ones, gray ones, tan ones, and even one that looked like a red head. They also had some social structure. As we approached, a few prairie dogs would bark out an alert. The alerts changed in intensity, frequency, and volume depending upon how we approached them. We noticed them playing with each other, eating frequently, and some just running around. Then there was that stray hare in the bunch.
We also got to observe what appeared to be a mother and child interacting. The human part of our thinking first read it to be hugs and kisses. Perhaps it was play. Or maybe they were just picking bugs off of each other. Whatever their motivation, it was fun to watch.
In addition to hares and countless prairie dogs, we saw a multitude of flowers. In spite of seeing them daily, they still catch your eye when you walk by them. The color they add to the world is refreshing.
Our next stop was Wind Canyon Trail. It was a short hike up a relatively steep hill.
The views from the top of the hill made the hike seem worthwhile.
The splendor of the river and the valley below the hill was awe inspiring.
Even on such a short hike, the flowers were numerous.
Boicourt Overlook was both an overlook and a hike. You could see long distance vistas, but a short hike added views of bison and some hidden valleys.
Buck Hill is the highest elevation in the park. You can see most of the south unit from here. We took pictures in multiple directions. From here you could look to the north.
This picture is to the east.
This picture is to the south and west. Every direction showed a different aspect of the surroundings.
After Buck Hill Trail, we went to Coal Vein Trail. There we saw some plants we have seen recently, some new plants, and a bird.
The Coal Vein Trail was a combination of over grown boardwalks and regular hiking trails. The hike takes you around a hill that has an exposed coal vein. This area has a history of coal vein fires. Today we were unable to complete the Scenic Loop Road because of an ongoing coal fire that started a few months ago. The last coal vein fire in this area burned for several years. There is no effective fire fighting technique because the fire is underground. Digging it up just adds a source of oxygen. So it just burns until it is out.
Once we completed the trail we traveled again by dirt road toward our next hike.
It was not a long drive to the Old East Entrance Station Trail. We pulled off into a small parking area next to the road and started hiking. It was not long before we could not see the car, so we chose the tan colored peak as our guide marker. Our destination was somewhere out in the open prairie in front of us. It was a relatively short hike to the Old East Entrance Station. The Station was abandoned several years ago. It is in good shape for an abandoned building. We then hiked back to our car over the fairly clear trail.
Even in the prairie, the flowers are prevalent.
Since we were walking across the prairie, it was not surprising to see prairie dogs. They come in ones, and groups of twos, and even groups of three like Theodore, Simon, and Alvin. (yes, yes, I know they were three chipmunks. But if you got the reference, you know that those three prairie dogs had the pose down pat!)
After the Old East Entrance, we were headed back to the hotel. We took the picture of the road closed sign for a couple of reasons. First, it is a reminder that we were unable to continue down the road to other sites because of an active coal fire. Second, it is a reminder that Google was recommending that we drive down that road for our return trip. After all the issues we have had with Google on this trip, we have learned that Google does not play well in rural areas.
On our drive to the hotel, we saw a large bird that looked something like a turkey. We also took a picture of Buck Hill from just below the peak.
Today was a really interesting day. We saw the widest variety of animals we have seen on this trip. We saw many flowers and plants including some new ones. We had a great combination of hikes and overlooks that gave us marvelous views of the park. It was a very nice day.