Weather forecast
Sat, Jul 4Start
Great Falls, MT
Forecast closer to the date
En route
Medora, ND
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Overnight
Glendive, MT
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Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Jr. Ranger Badge
Junior Ranger badge — South Unit VC closes 4:30 PM
Game Plan
8:00 AM departure: arrive ~2:45 PM with 1h45 before close — enough for badge + Wind Canyon Trail. An 8:30 start would leave only 1h15, cutting the loop drive. 8:00 AM is the sweet spot here.
- Wind Canyon Trail (0.4 mi RT) — Short bluff walk to a bend of the Little Missouri — the best view-per-step in the South Unit.
- Prairie Dog Town (roadside · any length) — Your noted stop — the kids could spend an hour just watching.
- Boicourt Overlook (0.2 mi · paved) — Big badlands panorama at the loop's far end.
- Painted Canyon Overlook before Medora — don't skip
- Maltese Cross Cabin behind the VC — ranger-led peeks inside
- Wild (feral) horses — unique to this park; scan ridgelines on the loop
Sunrise, Sunset & Golden Hour
Sunrise
5:05 AM MDT
Sunset
8:52 PM MDT
Be set up by (sunrise)
4:35 AM
Be set up by (sunset)
8:32 PM
Sunrise spot — MT-200 east of Lewistown — you'll be driving eastbound at dawn on July 4th. Pull over anywhere on MT-200 for a massive open-sky Montana sunrise. No buildings, no trees, just horizon.
MT-200 at dawn on July 4th is pure Montana. A 6:30 AM departure from Great Falls puts you in good light from 5:05–6:30 AM on the empty highway.
Sunset spot — I-94 eastbound between Medora and Glendive — North Dakota/Montana badlands from the highway at golden hour. Painted Canyon Overlook (I-94 exit 32) faces west into the formations.
You'll be on I-94 east of Medora around 8:32 PM — pull over at any rest area or exit for badlands silhouettes at sunset.
Heads Up
July 4th in Medora: the town goes all-out (parade, Medora Musical, fireworks). Expect crowds at the VC; badge early. Option: stay for fireworks and still make Glendive by ~11 PM — your call vs. the 9:30 rule.
A section of the Scenic Loop has had a long-term closure from road slumping in recent years — ask at the VC which segment is open and drive it as an out-and-back if needed.
Holiday fuel: some small-town MT stations close July 4 — top off whenever you see gas.
Trip Journal — Day 15
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