Theodore Roosevelt National Park offering free entrance, camping this weekend

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Theodore Roosevelt National Park isn’t known for being a winter wonderland, but visitors this weekend get a chance to check it out for free.

Entrance and camping fees are waived Saturday through Monday as part of Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend.

“Winter is a beautiful and quiet time to visit the park,” said TRNP Superintendent Valerie Naylor in a press release. “Wildlife watching at this time of year is spectacular, as are the photographic opportunities. This is also an excellent chance to test your mettle against the elements with free winter camping and great cross country skiing and snowshoeing.”

Eileen Andres, TRNP Chief of Interpretation and Public Affairs, said the park hasn’t had many visitors so far this week because of the extreme cold weather.

Lows in the region have dipped to minus 20 but the temperature is expected to warm up slightly in the next few days with high reaching 20 by Friday, according to the National Weather Service. The extreme cold returns Saturday with lows that night dipping down to minus 9.

Andes said there is still wildlife to see in the area.

She said she seen deer, elk and bison on her drive in from Dickinson in the morning.

There are also plenty of opportunities to spot wildlife on the scenic drives in the park.

The South Unit’s Visitor Center is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. MST daily and the North Unit’s Visitor Center is open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. CST daily.

Tags: outdoors, recreation