painted canyon overlook

This is much more than a rest stop. It offers a wonderful view of a corner of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park with a glimpse of the Badland's beauty. If you are a photographer, try to be here during the golden light hours. Bring a zoom lens since you will want to isolate on some of the features.

This is not only a "visitor center" but also a rest stop. It is absolutely beautiful! It is right off of I-94 and if you are driving by, definitely stop!

There's no reason not to make a stop here. The Visitor Center is the rest area. From there you can take a hike, see wild bison, browse the gift shop, view National Parks Service videos, and get you National Parks passport stamped. There is also a fountain to fill your water bottles with filtered water.

A lucky accident to find this great stop, and if you are more lucky will even see the buffalo. A place we will visit again when we have more time.

The views of Painted Canyon from the overlook are spectacular. The hike into the canyon, however, is something to be missed. Instead, enjoy a hike on the Wind Canyon Trail within the park.

The Painted Canyon Visitor Center is right off Highway I-94 - it serves as a rest stop. There are restrooms along with a small visitors center - and of course an amazing view! We almost walked right by the bison in the grass in front of the visitor center - just minding its own business eating away. We did the +/-one mile long painted canyon loop trail; make sure to have on hiking shoes and it wasn't always solid footing. There was some elevation, but a fairly quick/easy hike (not for someone with mobility issues). Regardless of the hike or not - stop to see this beautiful view.

Wear the right shoes so you can walk the loop. It was so quiet and peaceful. We saw a bison. Don't miss it!

Wow!!! driving along the I-94 in North Dakota, getting bored we were going to past this rest stop, which had a sign saying scenic view, the last one that had a sign like that we stopped it was a great view. As I was passing the sign, I noticed through some trees this amazing view of the badlands, I immediately pulled into the rest stop. Thank God I did, what a view, we took so many pictures, we even planned on returning on our return trip next week, and spending some time travelling the walking trails and traveling the back country to get a better more upclose look at these lands. Totally awesome!!

You need to get off at the rest stop in order to see this. I wonder how many people ride right by it not realizing how instantly the park becomes completely beautiful. It is breathtaking. I have seen the Grand Canyon and true, nothing natural that I'v seen can compare to that, but this was still mindblowingly fantastic. There is a nice hike you can down down in the canyon, but not for the faint of heart and don't wear flip flops. We saw buffalo and took some great photos. This park is beautiful and I am also surprised that it is not as well known as it should be. This is a lot like South Dakota's Badlands, but there is more greenery.

I am amazed that this National Park isn't one that typically appears up there in the 'must see' list. Painted Canyon Overlook is easily accessible from the Interstate and is completely free. The unspoilt views are out of this world. If you're in the area its well worth the detour, and if you're not, its worth planning a trip.

The painted valley visitor visitor center is an easy exit to make from the interstate. I stopped here after spending two days at the park and was on my way to Bismarck, North Dakota. it was a scenic view and perfect ending to my time in this gorgeous intriguing area.

On our way to Medora, ND, we stopped at the Painted Canyon overlook and were very happy we did. The view is beautiful and the Canyon bears it's name well. This is more than just a rest stop to stretch your legs. Also, the history of the site with Theodore Roosevelt evokes images of the past. A must see if you are in this part of North Dakota.

My husband and I stumbled across this overlook by accident about a decade ago, on this trip through North Dakota we set aside time to stop and explore. This is not your average rest stop! The rangers at the visitor center were friendly and helpful - the store was not extensive but had more than expected. Our family did the quick canyon loop (about a mile) and it was a ton of fun and didn't take too long - definitely worth the stop!

This was our introduction to Theodore Roosevelt National park. We left South Dakota around noon and drove all day to get to North Dakota. The road is straight and flat and there is nothing but grass to look at. We arrived in Belfield,ND around eight thirty. It was still daylight so we drove towards Medora. We passed the sign for the exit to Painted Canyon Overlook and decided to stop in knowing that the kids passports couldn't get stamped and we were going to visit the South Unit the next day. What a view! The scenery is fantastic. So glad we stopped. The sun was on its way down and the colors in this canyon are dramatic. We stayed for an hour. The visitor center here was closed but the kids enjoyed running around and playing tag with some other children while just watched the buffalo and wild horses grazing in the meadow of the canyon. These badlands are similar to the ones in South Dakota and Montana but the colors are so different. These badlands are green, blue, yellow, grey, white and pink. Such a contrast from South Dakota. Loved the Painted Canyon. It's a great overlook and just made us happy that we included North Dakota and didn't skip this national park. Visited the South unit the next day.

Very close to the highway, easy access. Beautiful overlook, was there at sunset and it offered some great photo opportunities.