South Unit Scenic Loop Drive and North at Theodore Roosevelt: what applies in 2026?

Exact conditions

Status

Not required; the stated access rule still applies

Applies to

vehicles

Place or corridor

South Unit Scenic Loop Drive (Medora) and the North Unit's 14-mile out-and-back Scenic Drive to Oxbow Overlook

Effective dates

January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026

Release model

first come

Release detail: No booking. NPS gives no seasonal date range, only 'may be closed in winter due to snow and ice'.

Exceptions and limits

• 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.