The Enchanted Highway: A must-see side trip from Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Last updated on May 20th, 2026

Think there’s nothing to see in North Dakota? You’ll be surprised (and delighted) by the Enchanted Highway sculptures near Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

Here’s what you’ll find along this enchanting route and what you need to know to plan your trip!

I use links to improve your experience using this website. Some may be affiliate links that pay me a small commission if you use them to book a room, rent a car, or purchase goods or services. You don’t pay extra, but it helps keep this website running. To learn more, see my policies and disclosures.

What is the Enchanted Highway?

The Enchanted Highway is a 32-mile drive through a rural farming area that features an ever-growing number of VERY large metal sculptures.

All of these sculptures are the work of local artist Gary Greff.

Greff grew up along this route, in the small town of Regent. Like so many others, he left to find work elsewhere. (In his case, as a schoolteacher.) However, after a couple of decades away, he moved back. . . Only to find the small town he grew up in was slowly dying.

So, he decided to do something about it.

Inspired by the movie Field of Dreams, that something became a plan to attract tourists off the Interstate Highway 30 miles away by creating roadside art that even the most distracted of drivers would notice.

Surprisingly, Greff doesn’t have a background in art (he says he’s never taken an art class) or metalwork (his first experience welding was on his first sculpture). But you’d never guess that from the pieces he’s created. Right from the beginning they’ve been creative, whimsical, and very large.

Greff has done almost all the work himself for years. It generally takes about six years to create a new sculpture, with that timeframe dictated mostly by the time it takes to raise enough funds to both maintain the existing sculptures (North Dakota winters are harsh and the wind blows all year) and create new ones. Although he now has some outside funding, this is an expensive project. And he works alone, so actually creating the statues is a slow process too, but usually not as slow as raising funds to keep going!

And, while Greff succeeded in bringing tourists into town, he’s still trying to get them to stay long enough to support local businesses – including his own hotel, tavern, and steakhouse. So, when you get to Regent, you’re always welcome to spend some time (and money) in this small town.

Here are all the giant metal sculptures along the way

All the sculptures you’ll see along the Enchanted Highway are made from scrap metal. Metal salvaged from machinery, vehicles, and such, but mostly from the not-too-distant oil fields. It’s recycling on a grand scale.

(North Dakota’s oil boom happened not far north of Regent. And, while it was too far away to bring jobs to Regent, Greff has repurposed miles of scrapped well pipe and tons of oil tanks to create his artwork.)

The Enchanted Highway is also still a work-in-progress. Greff has of mock-ups for more sculptures, but this is a largely self-funded project that relies on donations from visitors and income from the gift shop and other businesses Greff runs.

All the sculptures along the route have a parking area. Most also have a picnic table (some tables are under a shelter) and an info kiosk.

Geese in Flight

As the holder of the Guinness World Records title for the world’s largest scrap metal sculpture, you’re unlikely to miss Geese in Flight as you cruise along Interstate 94 through western North Dakota.

It towers over the highway atop a hill (yes, there are hills in North Dakota) and is a good place to get a feel for the vastness of the prairie. (It’s also a good place to get buffeted by the wind!)

The dirt road up to the sculpture is lined with smaller flying geese.

The roadside geese make it a fun drive up the hill.

Geese in Flight is 110 feet tall and 154 feet wide. It weighs 157,659 pounds (79 tons). It was completed in 2001 and entered into the Guinness book of World Records in 2022.

There’s a kiosk and a picnic table sheltered from the sun at this site.

Deer Crossing

Deer Crossing consists of two deer (a buck and a doe) at a fence.

While it’s one of the simplest, it is pretty dramatic. That means it’s actually best seen from a bit of a distance.

(And it’s a good reminder to watch for deer along the road, especially at dusk and dawn.)

The deer are made from old oil tanks that were rolled flat with a bulldozer and then cut to create the patterns in the animals’ bodies. The buck is over 70 feet high and 60 feet long.

Deer Crossing was completed in 2002.

Grasshoppers in the Field

The longest distance between sculptures is between Deer Crossing and the grasshoppers. If, like me, you are starting to think maybe this little road trip isn’t worth your time and you should turn around and skip the rest of it – don’t!

At mile 15 you’ll be glad you kept going, because that’s where the grasshoppers are.

Grasshoppers in the Field has grasshoppers of various sizes—from 40 feet tall and 50 feet long to a few kid-size grasshopper versions of the spring rider horses that used to be in playgrounds. All these grasshoppers are hanging out in a scrap metal wheat field surrounded, of course, by real fields. (And probably plenty of real grasshoppers too.)

Grasshoppers in the Field was installed in 1999.

A small children’s play area features a few old-fashioned grasshopper-themed play items. If you have children and want to take a picnic break, this is one of the best spots along the way. It’s very park-like, with picnic tables.

Fisherman’s Dream

Fisherman’s Dream is both Greff’s most complicated sculpture and my favorite. It’s a riot of color, action, and humor. You really need to get out of the car to take a closer look!

The tallest fish (a rainbow trout) leaps above the surface of the pond to a height of 70 feet. But there’s a lot more to this installation, with a whole lake’s worth of fish and plant life.

Expect to spend some time wandering around this one to admire all those cool fish! (How well do you know your fish? Besides the trout and bluegill, you’ll find a walleye, small mouth bass, bullhead, and a salmon.)

Fisherman’s Dream was completed in 2007.

Pheasants on the Prairie

It was a photo of this pheasant family that made me decide it was finally time to visit the Enchanted Highway last summer. (When the light is just right, that male pheasant is absolutely gorgeous.)

Pheasants are not native to North Dakota or any part of North America. These beautiful birds were brought here (and many other places) as game birds, but are now very common on the prairies of the Great Plains.

This scrap metal rooster is 40 feet tall, 70 feet long, and 13,000 pounds (over 6 tons). The hen is slightly smaller. Together, this pheasant family weighs 30,000 pounds (15 tons). Unlike many of Greff’s other sculptures, this pheasant family was created from old farm equipment.

Pheasants on the Prairie was completed in 1996.

Teddy Rides Again

This two-part sculpture includes a 50-foot outline of Theodore Roosevelt on a rearing horse and a small (probably life-size!) stagecoach.

Western North Dakota is Roosevelt country. Before becoming president in 1901, Roosevelt spent a few formative years as a rancher here and maintained a connection to the state for the rest of his life. His time here was so critical that he claimed, “I never would have been President if it had not been for my experiences in North Dakota.”

Teddy and his steed are made from well pipe and weigh 9,000 pounds. It was completed in 1993.

(Despite the size, this one can be easy to miss coming from the south.)

The World’s Largest Tin Family

The Tin Family is the first sculpture Greff completed.

Created using old oil drums, telephone poles, and other scrap, Mom, Dad, and Junior keep watch over the surrounding farmland just outside Regent.

The proud parents stand over 40 feet high, and the family seems to be anchored by many, many telephone poles!

My favorite is the mom, with her barbed wire hair and flower basket. However, Junior with his lollipop is a pretty funny 1950s throwback.

The Tin Family was completed in 1991. It is one of the only sculptures created with lots of assistance from his neighbors in Regent. (Now, don’t come down on Greff’s neighbors for not helping more over time: This was his dream, not theirs. And he describes himself as a bit of a perfectionist — and perfectionists usually aren’t a lot of fun to work with or for. And large-scale metalwork isn’t usually seen as a family-friendly activity. So, there seem to be some valid reasons for their lack of involvement.)

Enchanted Highway Gift Shop, Wirly Gigs, and more

Once you leave the World’s Largest Tin Family, it doesn’t take very long to get into Regent and the Enchanted Highway Gift Shop. . . which has a large tin figure and a giant set of whirligigs right outside the shop.

Stop here to activate the whirlygig and then buy souvenirs that help fund creating and maintaining the giant sculptures you’ve been enjoying.

Sadly, we didn’t get to the gift shop (or stop for the sculptures) both because we were running very short of time and because it had closed by the time we went back. (But I did make a donation when I got home.)

And don’t skip the shop thinking you’ll just order something online. The online version is very limited. I think you have to visit in person to get the really good stuff!

Sir Albert and the Dragon

Greff’s most recent completed sculpture is located near the Enchanted Castle hotel and tavern he runs in Regent. (Greff is a busy guy.) This one features a face-off between Sir Albert and the Dragon.

Sir Albert is, of course, protecting the Enchanted Castle from a dangerous, fire-breathing dragon.

I thought it was impressive when I saw it in 2023, but when finished, the dragon is supposed to belch flames. And how cool would that be?!

Sir Albert is 41 feet tal, and the dragon is 100 feet long. Apparently the knight was originally going to be named Sir Regent for the city. However, after a local farmer leased Greff the land for Fisherman’s Dream and then volunteered to cut and stain all the wood in the castle, Greff renamed the knight for him. A fun and fitting tribute.

Spider Webs

I’m not sure how far along this one is, but the next sculpture under way is called Spider Webs. I saw part of it not far from the Enchanted Castle. It’s likely that is where it will be permanently located, as Greff is trying to create an art park around the castle..

Future Plans for the Enchanted Highway

Greff is in his 70s, and while he finally has outside funding to supplement the funds he raises himself, he still doesn’t have a lot of money to hire assistants to weld sculptures or keep the hotel and restaurants running. And handling everything is more than one person really can do on their own, although Greff manages somehow.

Greff originally planned to create 10 sculptures, and he has a couple still on the drawing board.

But it seems he has more ideas. And one of those is to create an art park on land adjacent to his inn and restaurant.

Creating an art park on his property in town addresses two problems: Getting visitors to spend more time in Regent and avoiding the need to buy or lease land for more sculptures along the highway.

See, not everyone in Regent is thrilled about Greff’s project. Indeed, there were supposed to be three sculptures along that empty section of highway between the leaping deer and the grasshoppers. However, none of the landowners in the area were willing to have the sculptures on or adjacent to their property. And the road to Geese in Flight was actually barricaded for some time just before COVID, when new property owners decided not to honor the previous lease agreement with Greff. That resulted in a lawsuit that eventually ended in an agreement to keep the site open and maintained with the help of state funds.

A foundation is now trying to address the long-term cost of maintaining Greff’s sculptures. But they are still a long way from achieving that goal. And that means the long-term future of these fantastic sculptures is still uncertain.

Take a road trip along The Enchanted Highway and make a donation to help keep this art around for a long time to come!

Plan your trip along the Enchanted Highway

The Enchanted Highway is a 32-mile paved rural road. It’s not very busy, but most of the traffic you meet will probably be big trucks or big machinery. So be cautious.

In August you may find yourself surrounded by sunflowers. Later in the season the sunflowers won’t be blooming, but other fields will be turning orange and gold. And you’ll be sharing the road with vehicles hauling the harvest to market.

Winter can be brutal in this area. For most, this is a spring-through-fall destination. (But think how cool the sculptures would look in a snowy landscape!)

Allow more time than you think you will need. This route has a LOT of fun photo stops, so give yourself plenty of time to get out, take a few pictures, and enjoy them all. . . with time left over to check out the shop and enjoy a snack in Regent. (Don’t be like me. I didn’t allow nearly enough time, so I didn’t get to do more than take a look at the sculptures before rushing on for the evening.)

Where is the Enchanted Highway?

Coming from either direction on I-94, take Exit 72 heading south toward Gladstone. You won’t miss the exit, as the world’s largest metal sculpture (Geese in Flight) is located on a hill above the exit. Heading south, you’ll see the first sculpture in just a few miles.

Coming from Theodore Roosevelt National Park, you can follow I-94 east through Dickinson for about 45 minutes to get to the Enchanted Highway. Or you can zig-zag along on rural roads.)

If you are coming from the south, you have a couple of options, including going all the way to I-94 and over to Exit 72 or taking one of several routes along smaller rural roads off US 12 or US 85.

All sculptures have a gravel parking area. Many have a picnic table.

Gas up before you head out and bring snacks, as there are not many places to stop for food, gas, or restrooms once you are on the Enchanted Highway. Gladstone is small, but has the most services you’ll find along the route.

Things to do in Regent

Regent (population under 170) isn’t very big. The only real visitor attractions in town are related to the Enchanted Highway or part of the Hettinger County Historical Society Museum. This is also a popular area for hunting.

Dining and lodging options are pretty limited in Regent. But, if you want to stay with the Enchanted Highway theme, Greff also has the Enchanted Castle Inn and Excalibur Steakhouse. Otherwise, you’ll find plenty of options in Dickinson or Medora.

Hettinger County Historical Society Museum

I didn’t get to the historical society museum (another thing I didn’t allow enough time for on this road trip) and didn’t realize that several buildings right on Main Avenue are part of the museum. For a tiny town, the county historical society (PDF) has a pretty extensive museum. It’s worth a stop, as it is impossible that there is anybody who wouldn’t find something that interests them in at least one of the museum’s collections!

Eating

The Excalibur Steakhouse is inside the Enchanted Castle. Like so many other things in Regent, it’s the work of Gary Greff. And, apparently, he knows how to run a steakhouse, as it has good reviews.

The Cannonball Saloon (Facebook) was also noted for having good food, but there don’t seem to be any recent reviews for this longtime local favorite. It may not be open anymore.

Lodging

When he moved back to Regent, Greff was hoping to revitalize the town enough to keep the old high school open. But that would have required a lot more than just attracting tourists to town. So Greff bought the school after it closed and turned it into the Enchanted Castle Inn. Of course, he had to create something that looked like a castle inside and out because just adding a hotel and restaurant to his workload wasn’t enough! But he appears to have succeeded, as the inn, restaurant, and tavern have good reviews. (Read more about this project on Roadside America.)

At the other end of the spectrum, the small and understated Crocus Inn Bed and Breakfast also has good reviews, but may not be open anymore.

Other things to do in the area

You probably aren’t going to come to this part of North Dakota just to see the art along the Enchanted Highway. And you probably already know there’s a national park nearby. But, just in case you don’t, here’s a bit on the park and another site you might want to visit while in this part of North Dakota.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Located in North Dakota’s badlands, Theodore Roosevelt National Park was created to preserve and celebrate the place the 26^th President of the United States claimed made it possible for him to become president. This is one of the best places in the USA to see both bison and wild horses.  It’s a fantastic, often overlooked park.

Dickinson Museum Center and Badlands Dinosaur Museum

If you have dinosaur-obsessed children, the Dickinson Museum Center and Badlands Dinosaur Museum is probably a must-stop.

The land where the Enchanted Highway runs today is where Lakota territory met that of the Arikara, Hidatsa, and Mandan (the Three Affiliated Tribes) to the north before the Fort Laramie treaties.

Look for more photos of the Enchanted Highway on CindyCarlsson.com