Jaw. Dropping. These badlands are so not bad and actually just command you to stare at them in wonder. In fact I think it was quite dangerous to drive our scooters through the Badlands Loop State Scenic Byway as I had to whip my head around at every turn so I didn’t miss anything. Like the buttes in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, the clay structures here changed colors throughout the day with the varied sunlight.
We first visited Wind Cave National Park south of Custer and was bummed to find out ahead of time that their elevators into the cave were closed at the time of our visit and would be closed through late August. We made the most of it though and found out there were lots of neat hiking trails and wildlife to see above ground.
After spending the night at Broken Arrow Horse Camp we drove to the Wind Cave Visitor Center and learned a few interesting facts. Established as a national park in 1903 by Theodore Roosevelt it is the 7th oldest national park and the cave is the densest cave in the world and contains rare formations such as box work and frostwork. It is also home to the largest natural mixed-grass prairie in the U.S.
We talked with a park ranger and set out to hike 3 short trails – 2 of which we could hike with Rocky. We then headed to the original cave entrance and could feel the wind rushing into the hole. Reportedly the cave was discovered after a dude got his hat sucked in the hole.
The first trail was near the visitor center called the Prairie Vista Trail and provided sweeping views of the prairie. There were so many butterflies and wildflowers.
We hopped on our scooters to head to the Rankin Ridge Nature Trail. The ride there was a lovely winding drive through the ponderosa pines. We spotted a bison near the road.
The Rankin Ridge Trail was absolutely beautiful and the scene at the top up by the fire tower included sweeping incredible 360 degree views of the Black Hills and prairie. Maybe one of my favorite hikes so far. I’m amazed at all the things that can grow and thrive with only an average of 17 inches of rainfall per year. We could see the Badlands from the top some 90 miles away.
A highlight of the park was driving the NPS 5 unpaved road which was like driving a scooter on a safari as we came across bison, prairie dogs and pronghorn antelope. The prairie dogs liked to make their holes through the road so it was a bit bumpy at times. Fortunately we didn’t get charged by any bison as our scooters would barely be able to outrun an angry bull at 35 mph. The open views of the prairie were stunning and I was smiling the whole time and subsequently swallowed a few bugs.
After the scooter trip we hiked one more trail with Rocky through the prairie, the Elk Mountain Trail which allowed us one last chance to revel in the beauty of the prairie and pines.
Now what trip to the Badlands is complete without a stop to the famed presidential mountain carving? I had not yet seen Mount Rushmore in my lifetime so we had to stop and climb the 200+ steps up the Presidential Trail to the base of the carving. At the sculpture studio we listened to a neat informational talk by a park ranger on the making of the sculpture.
We found a dingy little place to park our RV in Interior, which was a convenient 2 miles south of the entrance to the North Unit of Badlands National Park. The gas station in Interior was a dive but fortunately it gave us enough gas to get us through the main scenic drive (31 miles) all the way to Wall, SD where we of course stopped for souvenirs and donuts at Wall Drug before we turned back to make the drive again. What a genius that Hustead guy was to attract so many people to the middle of nowhere.
I was floored when I first got a glimpse of the gorgeous orange spires contrasted with the yellow flowers of the prairie and clear blue sky. The vastness is absolutely breathtaking.
That was a marathon ride but Rocky was a champ while riding on my husband’s chest the whole way. I have never killed so many butterflies in my life! There were so many little yellow ones littered across the highway.
We then took a long nap, ate some supper and then drove back to the park to catch the sunset and see the changing colors of the magnificent stone structures. At one of the overlooks we met an interesting guy from the area who had a Lakota grandmother and who was full of stories. We also strolled the short Fossil Exhibit Trail and climbed a butte. Unfortunately we didn’t see any fossils sticking out of the stone like a young girl did back in 2010 when she discover a saber tooth tiger fossil.
After a gorgeous sunrise the next morning we made our way to Colorado to discover the parks there. I’ll never forget what I saw here in South Dakota – a remarkable place!
Class C M.D. 