Medora, ND

Tucked right against the rugged North Dakota Badlands, Medora is a tiny Western town with a colorful history. It was founded in the 1880s by a French nobleman whose historic chateau still looks out over the valley. Today, the town serves as the gateway to the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, surrounded by sculpted bluffs, roaming bison, and some of the most striking scenery in the state.

ATTRAnonymous Unknown author / Public domain

With around a hundred year-round residents, life here is quiet and close-knit most of the year, though the warm months bring a lively influx of travelers for park hiking and the famous outdoor Medora Musical. Between the wooden boardwalks downtown and the vast canyon country just down the road, it offers a peaceful, front-row seat to the western frontier.