Sully Creek State Park, State park in Billings County, North Dakota, US
Rough Rider State Park, formerly Sully Creek State Park, is a public recreation area on the eastern banks of the Little Missouri River about two miles south of Medora in Billings County, North Dakota. It has camping and horse camping areas, equestrian facilities and canoe access to the river, and it is the starting point of the Maah Daah Hey Trail, which winds north to Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
The park lies along the Little Missouri River two miles south of Medora in Billings County. It was formerly named after nearby Sully Creek; when the name changed in 2024, the choice of Rough Rider considered General Alfred Sully, who led military campaigns against the Sioux, but the new name honors the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry led by Theodore Roosevelt, who ranched in the area in the 1880s.
The park serves as a starting point for the Maah Daah Hey Trail, a popular hiking route that runs through the Badlands. This path connects visitors with the rugged grassland landscape and draws hikers and riders looking to experience the region's natural terrain.
The park sits about two miles (3.2 km) south of Medora on the eastern bank of the Little Missouri River and is open seasonally. Camping and horse camping are available, and canoe access to the river lets paddlers launch from the grounds. The Maah Daah Hey Trail begins here and runs north toward Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
The park was renamed Rough Rider State Park in 2024, dropping the Sully Creek name; the change weighed General Alfred Sully, who led military campaigns against the Sioux, against the Rough Riders nickname of the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry led by Theodore Roosevelt.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,768 contributors worldwide.
