The Badlands

I’d been near the Badlands before…at night…on Interstate 90. Though just a few minutes from the Interstate, the Badlands are a completely different place…especially in the daytime.

Before entering Badlands National Park I made an obligatory stop at Wall Drug. If you’ve ever driven through South Dakota on Interstate 90, you know Wall Drug. Mile after mile of billboard after billboard makes sure you know Wall Drug. So I made a quick stop for the free ice water, looked at the cowboy boots, and had an ice cream cone before heading into the lands that are bad.

I didn’t know this before my trip, but “badlands” is more of a geological term than a geographic one. Meaning, you can find badlands outside of “The Badlands.” In fact, much of Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota is comprised of badlands. That made visiting The Badlands a little anticlimactic. But still really fun!
I was surprised by the vastness of Badlands National Park. The erosion seemed to stretch on forever.

My favorite section of the park was Yellow Mounds.
I’d heard that Badlands National Park is home to amazing night skies. Unfortunately, I was there the same time wildfires were raging in the western United States. Though the fires were hundreds of miles away from me, the smoke settled over the center of the country. The days were shrouded in haze while the stars at night were nearly completely obstructed.
I was disappointed that I didn’t see the Milky Way stretching from horizon to horizon, but I still saw some spectacular nighttime sights. I visited the amphitheater for the Ranger Talks both nights I was there. We had a clear view of the moon and Saturn the first night. The National Park Service has high power telescopes that can be used for the Ranger Programs and I was able to see the rings around Saturn the first night. The rings! Incredible! The second night I saw a shooting star as I listened to the ranger and then looked a double star through the telescope. To the naked eye it just looks like one bright star, but with the telescope it is clearly two stars – one blue and one yellow. The blue star burns hotter. These evening ranger programs were one of the highlights of my trip. They’re offered every night during the summer at the amphitheater near the campground and they are free and open to the public.
While I loved camping in the Jeep throughout the trip, I had read that the Badlands can get really hot so I sprung for an air conditioned cabin at the KOA along the White River. With temperatures over 100 degrees during my stay, I know I made the right choice. AC and a swimming pool were the perfect way to end this trip.
On my final day of adventure I hiked the Notch Trail – log ladder up a hill included.
Along with big drop offs.

But ending with a beautiful view.
During an evening drive I finally saw bighorn sheep (although they would be more accurately described as littlehorn sheep). A herd crossed the road in front of me and I wasn’t the only one excited as the next driver to pass me gave a big thumbs-up and smile. Everyone is friendlier in nature. It’s usually a different finger being up associated with driving…
While the Badlands wasn’t the unique finish I thought it would be, it was a beautiful spot to end my trip and capture one last sunrise.
What places have you visited that weren’t like what you thought they would be?

Go. Live.