Do I need a reservation for Theodore Roosevelt?

No. Theodore Roosevelt National Park does not require a timed-entry or vehicle reservation to enter in 2026. You still pay the entrance fee ($30 per vehicle) or show an accepted pass.

Is there an entrance fee at Theodore Roosevelt?

Yes. A private vehicle pass is $30 per vehicle. An America the Beautiful pass is accepted for the entrance fee, and does not cover any reservation or permit.

Theodore Roosevelt reservations & entry requirements, 2026

The 2026 season at Theodore Roosevelt

This is what applies across the published season. Use the date checker below for a specific day.

No reservation is required to enter Theodore Roosevelt National Park in 2026.

An entrance fee or accepted pass is required on every visit, separately from anything below.

Park entrance
Required
You must pay the park entrance fee or show an accepted pass.
- Private vehicle: $30, valid for 7 days.
- Motorcycle: $25.
- Per person on foot or bicycle: $15.
- An America the Beautiful pass covers this entrance fee. It does not cover any reservation or permit below.
- An entrance fee is required year-round and covers all units. Fees are collected at entrance stations May through September and inside visitor centers the rest of the year. The South Unit station is in Medora; the North Unit station is about 15 minutes south of Watford City. Self-pay stations operate when staffed locations are closed; there is a drop box near the visitor-center flagpole.
Timed entry
Not applicable
Theodore Roosevelt National Park has no timed-entry system.
Vehicle, road, or corridor
Not required
Nothing here is required in 2026.
- North Unit is on Central time, South Unit is on Mountain time - one hour apart. The park is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year, in all units - North Unit, South Unit, and Elkhorn Ranch Unit. Even when entrance stations and visitor centers are closed, the park itself remains open. Portions of the South Unit Scenic Loop Drive and the North Unit Scenic Road may be closed in winter due to snow and ice. Any posted visitor center or program time must be read against the unit it belongs to.
- South Unit Scenic Loop Drive and North Unit Scenic Road may close in winter. Closures are weather-driven and only affect portions of the roads - NPS publishes no fixed winter closure dates. The park itself stays open 24 hours a day even when a scenic road is closed. The North Unit Scenic Drive is almost entirely paved with one gravel stretch and is open to RVs and cyclists.
Shuttle
Not applicable
Theodore Roosevelt National Park has no shuttle system.
Your campground or lodging
Required all year
Juniper Campground reservation applies on every date in 2026.
- Juniper Campground reservation
  Dates
  Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026
  Hours
  All day
  Fee
  Not published
  Opens
  Not published
  Applies to Juniper Campground, North Unit
  - NPS does not state the Juniper Campground nightly rate on the North Unit page - it links to a separate status-and-rate page. Amount unknown from the pages checked.
  - Sites are primitive with no RV hookups.
  - NPS notes Juniper only occasionally fills to capacity on summer weekends.
  - Backcountry camping requires a separate free permit, issued at the North Unit visitor contact station.
  - A campground reservation does not include the park entrance fee.
  - This booking gives you a campsite only - the entrance fee is still owed.
Selected activity
Not applicable
Theodore Roosevelt National Park has no headline activity permit that visitors confuse with entry.

Fees and passes

Entrance fee rates at Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Private vehicle	$30
Motorcycle	$25
Per person, on foot or bicycle	$15
Valid for	7 days
Park annual pass	$55

An entrance fee is required year-round and covers all units. Fees are collected at entrance stations May through September and inside visitor centers the rest of the year. The South Unit station is in Medora; the North Unit station is about 15 minutes south of Watford City. Self-pay stations operate when staffed locations are closed; there is a drop box near the visitor-center flagpole.

An America the Beautiful pass is accepted here. It covers the entrance fee only. It does not cover a timed-entry permit, a vehicle reservation, a parking tag, a shuttle ticket, or an activity permit.

The $55 Theodore Roosevelt annual pass is valid one year from the month of purchase and admits the purchaser plus passengers in one private non-commercial vehicle, or the pass holder and immediate family when entering on foot or bicycle. Unlike most parks in this batch, the THRO visitor centers accept cash as well as credit/debit for commercial fees.

Fee-free days

Feb 16, 2026
May 25, 2026
Jun 14, 2026
Jul 3, 2026
Jul 4, 2026
Jul 5, 2026
Aug 25, 2026
Sep 17, 2026
Oct 27, 2026
Nov 11, 2026

From 2026 a fee-free day waives the entrance fee for U.S. residents. Other visitors still pay it. A fee-free day never waives a reservation, a permit, or a booking fee unless the park says so.

Rules that apply to one area only

These do not apply to the whole park. Where you go changes the answer.

South Unit entrance station in Medora, North Unit entrance station about 15 minutes south of Watford City, and the Elkhorn Ranch UnitTheodore Roosevelt National Park entrance fee · Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026
Juniper Campground, North UnitJuniper Campground (North Unit) - all sites require a reservation · Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026

What a campground or lodging booking does and does not cover

Theodore Roosevelt National Park entrance feeNot covered by an in-park booking. Juniper Campground (North Unit) and Cottonwood Campground (South Unit) reservations are separate from the entrance fee. There are no services, restaurants, or lodging inside the park.
Juniper Campground (North Unit) - all sites require a reservationNot covered by an in-park booking. This booking gives you a campsite only - the entrance fee is still owed.

Quick answers

Do I need a reservation for Theodore Roosevelt?: No. Theodore Roosevelt National Park does not require a timed-entry or vehicle reservation to enter in 2026. You still pay the entrance fee ($30 per vehicle) or show an accepted pass.
Is there an entrance fee at Theodore Roosevelt?: Yes. A private vehicle pass is $30 per vehicle. An America the Beautiful pass is accepted for the entrance fee, and does not cover any reservation or permit.

Official links, coverage, and sources

When reservations are released

Theodore Roosevelt National Park entrance feePasses can be purchased online in advance or paid on arrival; there is no release window.
Juniper Campground reservationNPS says reservations are made through Recreation.gov but publishes no release date, release time, or booking window on the North Unit page.

Official booking and park information

Official park alerts and conditionsnps.gov(opens in a new tab)Alerts override anything on this page.
Official fees and passesnps.gov(opens in a new tab)

What this does not cover

Road, weather, and fire closures that change day to day. Check the park’s alerts page.
Backcountry and wilderness permits beyond the headline permits listed above.
Commercial use authorizations, filming permits, and group-size rules.
Availability. We tell you what is required, not whether anything is left.
Individual campsite and lodge availability, which is handled by the booking system.

Effective dates and sources

Fees and passesNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Park entranceAn entrance fee is required to visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park year-around. Fees are collected at entrance stations May through September and in visitor centers the rest of the year. The park does not issue timed entry permits.
Fees & Passes - Theodore Roosevelt National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Theodore Roosevelt National Park entrance feePrivate Vehicle $30.00 Valid for 7 days for all persons traveling in a single, private, non-commercial vehicle. Motorcycle $25.00 Valid for 7 days. Per Person $15.00 Valid for 7 days for a visitor traveling on foot, bicycle, horse, or other non-motorized means of travel.
Operating Hours & Seasons - Theodore Roosevelt National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to North Unit is on Central timeThe park is open 24 hours a day, year-round. Please note that the North Unit operates on Central time, while the South Unit operates on Mountain time.
Operating Hours & Seasons - Theodore Roosevelt National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to South Unit Scenic Loop Drive and NorthPortions of the South Unit Scenic Loop Drive and North Unit Scenic Road may be closed in winter due to snow and ice. Check the status of the park roads.
North Unit - Theodore Roosevelt National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Juniper Campground reservationAll sites in the North Unit's Juniper Campground require a reservation. Reservations can be made through recreation.gov. Juniper only occasionally fills to capacity on weekends in summer. Sites are primitive (no RV hookups). Camping in the backcountry requires a free permit.

Something wrong here?

Park rules change, sometimes at short notice. If a line on this page does not match what the park publishes, tell us and we will fix it and re-check the source.

corrections@nationalparkentry.com· Last factual change 2026-08-05 · Sources last reviewed 2026-07-26

Nearest other national parks

Chosen by distance from Theodore Roosevelt, not by editorial preference.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park entry requirements