From Los Angeles to Medora: A Story of Finding Home in the North Dakota Badlands
Published on March 13, 2025
“You’re more in the moment with everybody in Medora. Everybody’s just waving at you while you’re driving by.”
Front Desk Manager Justin Morales is a familiar face in Medora. Justin is everywhere, from in various social media clips, occasionally suiting up as Sheriff Bear, working popcorn at the Medora Musical, and helping guests check in at the historic Rough Riders Hotel. One would think Justin has been a permanent North Dakotan resident, the way he perfectly embodies the “North Dakota Nice” attitude, but Justin is from a much different place than the small cow town of Medora.
Originally from Los Angeles, California, Justin came to Medora through A Christian Ministry in the National Park (ACMNP) during the pandemic. A group of his friends convinced him to join them for a summer job, so he packed up and headed east.
“We were supposed to go to Grand Teton, but they ended up cutting about two-thirds of their staff. Luckily, Medora was still hiring people, so we came here. I was supposed to go home in August, but I liked it so much I stayed until October. Five months later, I came back.”
After two summer seasons in Medora, Justin began to seek full-time employment with the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation. In the fall of 2021, Justin became full-time and has moved up the ranks to his current position, but Justin has done far more than just his job title. Justin has worked as a housekeeper, housekeeping supervisor, popcorn maker, concession manager, busser, host, bartender, and janitorial – but his official title is Front Desk Manager. Justin wears many hats but says that’s all part of living in Medora.
“The social life is great too; I have pretty good friends. You meet people out here who just graduated from college, and this is their first job, and they worked hard for it, and they end up in a beautiful place like Medora. They love what they do and love the people that work with them.”
Justin has had the opportunity to not only get to know the full-time staff of the TRMF but also several returning seasonal employees.
“My best friend is Nelly. She’s from Bulgaria. This is going to be her 11th season, I believe. And then her husband, Ivan, has been coming for 14 or 15 seasons. They just love Medora. They have worked here a lot and worked the same job in housekeeping, every single year. But they say that every year is never the same. It’s just completely different. And that’s what they love about it.”
There are many things to love about Medora. Not just the Medora Musical but Theodore Roosevelt National Park, where Justin says he goes hiking and stargazing with his friends. There are many different places in town that Justin enjoys in the summer, such as Point to Point Park, the Point to Point trails, Bully Pulpit Golf Course, the pickleball courts, Badlands Pizza, and other attractions that Justin gets to enjoy for free or at a discount. However, there is one thing about Medora that Justin loves the most.
“The people. You’re more in the moment with everybody in Medora. In California, everyone is rushing and upset, but here, everyone just waves at you while you’re driving by.”
Medora is a town of only 125 people, but it’s full of heart and a deep sense of community. In the summertime, the town swells with seasonal staff and visitors, yet it still keeps that small-town feel. Even in the summer, there are still people waving at each other from cars, hellos, smiles, and ‘how are you’s’ from passing strangers, and a sense of community that is not quite like anywhere else.
From busy summers to calm winters, there are lots of reasons to work and live in Medora. To learn more about employment opportunities, full-time or seasonal, visit https://foundation.medora.com/employment/. This summer will be especially unforgettable, with the 60th Anniversary of the Medora Musical starting in June. Join us and be part of the excitement in 2025!
