Petrified Forest

Wednesday, July 22, 2020 – Theodore Roosevelt National Park

It was a hot one this day. Ninety-two degrees and not a cloud in the sky. We were touring the South Unit, so there was no long drive to our destination and we were able to start early. We took a 1.5 mile hike to a petrified forest before it started scorching. We have seen a petrified tree in Yellowstone National Park – one lone tree off the side of the road with a fence around it. The experience at Theodore Roosevelt is much different. You simply walk the trail and suddenly there are petrified stumps and logs all around. It was great to be able to walk among them, touch them, and feel them. It’s hard to imagine these dry arid grasslands once being a swamp like the Everglades, but it was. Many of the stumps retained their shape and these native Floridians recognized cypress.

The petrified forest trailhead is in a remote area accessed from a dirt road, not from the main entrance to the park. When we returned to the trailhead parking area there were a few more cars than when we left, including an SUV with a solar shower mounted on its roof rack. It was an ingenuous design, one I wish I had invented, with a roughly 6-inch diameter and four foot long black tube to hold and solar heat water and a hose to shower yourself off with. I spent a lot of time admiring the shower when I noticed there was a dog in the car. The window was cracked open, but it seemed too hot for the dog to be alone in the car and Chrissy made some comments to that effect. And it was about then that we noticed there was also a person in the car. It was a bit awkward, so we told her how much we admired her shower and her dog, then we quickly got out of there.

Even though we only had three miles under our belt for the day, it was too hot for more hiking. So we drove the park road through the South Unit, stopping at several overlooks, and taking the short walk to the top of Buck Hill. Buck Hill is the highest accessible point in the park and the second highest point overall. It has beautiful views all around. It was a breezy day which made for very strong winds at the top of the ridge.

We were done in the park by 1:00 so we went for burgers at the Little Missouri Saloon in Medora, a walk around town, and our daily ice cream. Juneberry this time. I don’t recall ever seeing Juneberry ice cream before, but it was even better than Huckleberry.

Theodore Roosevelt spent time in Medora before entering politics and becoming President. The town is proud of its history with Teddy and its proximity to the park that bears his name. I feel somehow connected to Teddy Roosevelt as well, between my love for the National Parks which he started and the history of the Rough Riders in Tampa.

We were back in the campground by 4:00. We rested, read, and played some rummy. I wrapped up the day with a walk down to the Maah Daah Hey Trail and Little Missouri River. It was our last night at Sully Creek, our only three-night campsite of the trip. We really enjoyed Sully Creek, Medora, and Theodore Roosevelt National Park.