The Badlands in South Dakota

First Sighting

We entered the Badlands National Park through the Northeast entrance after an hour drive from Rapid City via I-90.

Our first stop of the day was at 8:30 to fuel up at the Badlands Trading Post. Off to the side were some “Touristy” bison. Being the tourist that we are, Becky and I went to have a look. Becky just about backed into a little prairie dog’s hole. She was fascinated with them the whole trip and didn’t realize at the time that she would not get any closer than this the rest of the trip. That was not a bad thing since we later learned that they will bite and carry lice and other bugs.

We Made It

We entered the Badlands National Park at 9:00 a.m. and stopped for an entrance shot before heading on to the first of many overlook stops of the day.

The Big Badlands Overlook

We discussed getting to the Big Badlands Overlook early enough for the sunrise, but decided since we were going to try to see sunset at Pinnacle Point, the day might be a bit too long. The Badlands loop was 40 miles in length, but we took so many stops along the way.

Luckily, we did not see a rattlesnake the whole trip. However, there were warning signs everywhere. The temperature was cool enough that I was comfortable with my jacket and shorts as we looked over the beautiful land before us.

It is reported that the harsh winds and heavy downpours are the primary forces that sculpt the landscape seen today. Erosion is destroying the Badlands at an alarming rate. It has been estimated that the badland areas of Badlands National Park erode at the relatively high rate of about one inch per year.

Pictures are NOT the same!

Photo Struggles

I have to admit, I always take TOO many pictures. Travis may/does grumble, but you can always count on an unexpected look from him. I just go with whatever I get.

The Wall

The Wall (behind us) is described as being the Heart of The badlands.

Don’t Look Down

We walked out onto the wall trails in several places for pictures and views. If you really thought about what would happen if you stumbled or fell, a person would think twice before venturing out. I put a video of Travis and myself walking this narrow trail on my Facebook page. Becky and Kenny patiently waited on us as we took pictures of each other across the wall ridges.

The Badlands Loop

At 9:30 we headed off along the Loop for our next stop (5 minutes away). Just turning around from the Badlands Overlook and this is the road/view you see. Ten minutes later we arrived at the first hike of the day. This is the one I had been looking forward to, The Notch Trail.

Substitution Here

We did the Notch Trail, Windows Trail and Door Trail. We did not do the Castle Trail.

Notch Trail

The Notch Trail was about 1.3 mile round trip hike. It did have climbing along the way but easy enough for people of all ages. We started off walking through a canyon surrounded by buttes and spires.

He is a HAM

The Ladder

Yes, I made them all stop and pose for a picture. Why else would I go first? The wooden ladder lets you climb about 50 feet up the side of a rock.

One View from the Top

We then walked along the Badland Wall taking in all the scenery.

Headed Across the Trail

As if that view wasn’t gorgeous enough, we headed along the trail to see the other side.

Danger…

It really wasn’t that bad. Again, if you thought about the possibility of sliding on all this loose rock… He followed me anyway.

Clastic Dikes

Clastic Dikes are vertical sheets of rock that cross-cut the horizontal layers of the badlands, like in the picture below. They are usually a different color than the surrounding rock, with tan, green, and red shades most common. These colors are caused by minerals like hematite (rust) and chlorite.

The Safer Way

The safer way was not the quicker way. Travis and I just walked around the boulder. Kenny and Becky tried the recommended way and had more climbing to do.

Love this Guy!!!

Right around the corner from the first picture was the view and the 2nd picture. We never knew what was ahead or how quickly the landscape would change.

Windy

Group Photo

There is always a family or group close by that needs a picture taken. We swap out as often as possible for a good group shot.

God is GREAT!!!

Headed Back

We still had to go back across the Wall and then back down that ladder. Going the other direction gave all new views and pictures. The entire hike took us about an hour as we weren’t in a hurry and stopped to enjoy views along the way.

Window Trail

We may have spent 10 minutes on this trail. It was along a boardwalk and a great view for those who cannot climb.

Door Trail

The Door Trail was at the end of a 100 meter boardwalk. At the end, it descended into the badlands desert, a rugged terrain of ancient fossil beds. This trail went into the desert about a half-mile. If it had not been staked off, it would have been easy to get lost and just wander around. Everything looked the same with no natural significant landmarks to follow.

We were able to complete this hike in 30 minutes so I am not sure why the sign said it would take and hour.

Prairie Homestead

The Prairie Homestead had not opened for the season for people to even get close to it. Therefore, I just took pictures.

Minuteman Missile

Leaving the National Park and heading to Walls for lunch, we stopped in at the Minuteman Missile Museum.

After visiting the museum and watching “Beneath The Plains: The Minuteman Missile On Alert,” a 30-minute park film that introduces visitors to the story of the Minuteman Missile, we became more aware of the fenced in areas as we explored. There were more than 1,000 missiles buried in the Great Plains during the Cold War.

For those who didn’t know (like me) …The Minuteman is a strategic weapon system using a ballistic missile of intercontinental range. Missiles are dispersed in hardened silos to protect against attack and connected to an underground launch control center through a system of hardened cables.

Wall Drug Store for Lunch

The signs leading up to wall Drug store were NUMEROUS. It was interesting when I read that over 2 million people visit Wall Drug Store every year as compared to the 1 million that visit Badlands National Park. It is advertised that Wall Drug has grown from its humble beginnings in 1931 to a thriving oasis. Wall Drug offers dining, activities, gifts and souvenirs, visitor information, and of course, free ice water. The free water was what drew people to the drug store at the beginning. They also had 5 cent coffee if you dined in.

Tourist Again!

Bless It!

Travis did not grow up on a farm. I am not sure if this was intentional or not. We may never know.

Something for Everyone

We grew tired of the commercial side very quickly and were ready to head back out to the loop.

Stops Along the Way

We re-entered the park through the Pinnacles Entrance. We then quickly turned right and headed down Sage Creek Rim Road. Along this gravel road was Hay Butte Overlook, Badlands Wilderness Overlook, Robert Prairie Dog Town and the Sage Creek Basin Overlook. This road was described as off the beaten path and a great place to see wildlife. The road was fairly easy to drive but we didn’t see anything besides bison and prairie dogs. I had seen so many of them by this point it was like driving in Mississippi and seeing deer and skunks. At the end of Sage Creek Rim Road we turned around and drove back to the Badlands Loop Road.

Yellow Mounds

Yellow Mounds Overlook is a great place to get a look at older Badlands geology in the form of brightly colored rock layers. We drove by this overlook twice and the change in the sun gave it a totally different look each time.

Silly Friends and Photos

As noted in the first two pictures, Becky missed the silly face memo when we started. The I tried some road stripe pictures. I’m not really sure what we were going for with me in the road. I won’t give up my day job. Finally, just a picture of each side of the road. Gorgeous view on the left and an overly prepared traveler on the right side fixing his sandwich out of the back of his truck. I don’t have this many sandwich condiments in my fridge at home!

The Overlook

More Gorgeous Views

Yes, we chose to carefully wander out into the park. Badlands is an open-hike park, so they tell you to feel free to explore the features of this overlook and others.

Homesteader Overlook

https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/homesteading.htm

Reading about the Homestead Act was interesting and informative. I did some history research when I had internet service.

After reading the sign, we all just sat and imagined what it would be like to try and live in this environment year round. We decided the picture was goofy, but just went with it anyway.

Panorama Point

Panorama Point offers a wide view of the Badlands landscape, downward towards the White River Valley. The view is similar to what is seen in the Big Foot Pass area.

Saddle Pass Trail

This is a short (.25 mile round trip) trail, but quite strenuous. It gains about 200 feet of elevation. The trail took us up into the upper level of the Badlands as we made our way to the saddle between two of them. The rocky surface is very loose and it is easy to slip and slide going up and down. I managed ok going up, but squatted and slid on my feet in a seated position coming down. It was either that or fall flat on my butt.

At the top, the view was fabulous and the trail connected to the Castle Trail and Medicine Root Trail. We took pictures and then attempted to get back down to the bottom safely. Video of my descent on Adventures of the MTNESTRS Facebook page. We were able to complete the trail in 30 minutes.

Heading Back to Pinnacle Point for Sunset

We did part of the loop from the Northeast Entrance before lunch and the remainder of the loop from The Pinnacle Entrance. This actually allowed us to see the whole loop twice. We turned and headed back toward The Pinnacles Overlook at 6:45.

We had not stopped at The Pinnacles Overlook after lunch because we planned to be there at sunset. We slowly wandered back taking pictures and observing how the lateness of the day changed the views.

Some interesting and NEW wildlife was seen climbing across the Badlands like it was the easiest thing ever. I guess it was to them.

Waiting for Sunset

We were sitting in our spots at The Pinnacles Overlook at 7:45 waiting for the sunset that was supposed to occur at 8:18. The temperature had dropped significantly and we were all chilly.

The Canadian Wildfires cheated us out of a sunset but we were able to see some very unique colors before the sun just DISAPPEARED! The times on the bottom of the photos below showed how fast it happened.

I cheated on the departure picture. 8:30 P.M was our departure time, but an early morning photo (9:00 a.m.) of our group because I knew it would be too dark.

Perkins

We arrived back in Rapid City at 9:30 p.m. Shared meals at Perkins located right beside our hotel was a great way to end a fabulous day in the Badlands National Park.

Pictures could never portray the beauty and wonder of the Badlands National Park. I truly wish everyone could view it themselves and just see God’s creation in such a mighty way.