National Park Will Offer People's Choice Wilderness Hike

Date: August 25, 2009

The last wilderness hike of the season in the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park is scheduled for Sunday, September 6.

Hikers should meet wilderness ranger John Heiser at the picnic area near the amphitheater in the Juniper Campground in the park's North Unit at 9:00 a.m. CDT. Participants should be prepared for strenuous hiking and wear sturdy boots and durable clothes. It is essential that each person bring plenty of drinking water, food, sunscreen, and insect repellent.

Heiser is offering four options for visitors to consider: looking for bighorn sheep, hiking to the North Unit Petrified Forest, the Achenbach Hills, or the park's longest bentonite ridge. The hikers will decide the morning of the hike on a majority vote. Other considerations determining the hike will be the group size and weather conditions. The hike could last from 4 to 8 hours and cover 2 to 6 miles. 

"This will be a great opportunity for visitors to get out in the Theodore Roosevelt Wilderness Area and see some spectacular early fall scenery and wildlife," said Superintendent Valerie Naylor. "It's a beautiful time of year and we hope for a good number of hikers." 

Visitors are encouraged to bring binoculars, cameras, and a favorite poem or quote. In the case of extreme weather, the hike may be canceled; please call the North Unit Visitor Center at 701-842-2333 for current information.