A Quick Visit to Badlands National Park
We began our day at the KOA near Mount Rushmore and had a long way to go to get across South Dakota. We were taking I-90 and making stops along the way, including Wall Drug, Old MacDonald’s Farm, and of course The Badlands. This meant we didn’t have a lot of time to spend at this National Park. But, I enjoyed the little bit of time we were there.
Park Info
Location: SW South Dakota. About an hour drive from Rapid City
Established: 1978
Elevation: 2,365 – 3,340 feet
Things to See: multiple types of rock formations, mixed grass prairie, bighorn sheep
Things to Do: Explore the Visitor Centers and Fossil Preparation Lab, become a Junior Ranger, go on a hike, drive Badlands Loop Road
Lodging/Camping: Cedar Pass Lodge, Two Campgrounds, and Back Country camping are available
Food: Restaurant at Cedar Pass Lodge
Dogs: Dogs are allowed in the campgrounds and picnic areas. Prohibited at Visitor Centers, on trails, and backcountry areas.
Entrance Fee: $30/car click here to see current fee pricing
Park Maps: Link to park maps
Badlands Loop Road
Badlands Loop Road winds through the amazing geological features. There are a number of overlooks and trails to fully appreciate the buttes, pinnacles and canyons.
I’m just in awe of the rugged beauty. It is a snapshot of the passing of time. Each layer is built from the changes in the earth including a sea that once covered the area, fossilized soil, and volcanic ash from the Great Basin. The varying rock types stacked together to create this geological wonder, and are now eroding away.
Bighorn Sheep
The horns on these sheep are spectacular. It’s always a thrill when we spot a ram. I feel like this one was giving us the side eye.
You might also see bison, prairie dogs, and rattlesnakes.
Personal Info
Date Visited: July 2006
What I Wish We Experienced, but didn’t: Climbing the ladder on the Notch Trail and learning geological history along the Fossil Exhibit Trail
Badlands:
Day 9
of 20 Day Road Trip
LEAVE NO TRACE
Weird, but True
Scientists estimate that in the next 500,000 years, the Badlands will have eroded completely.
from the NPS website
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