Driving into Badlands National Park is like entering another world. After hours of driving through the grasslands with nothing much to look at except for the billboards for Wall Drug, the rock formations of the Badlands seemed to come out nowhere. Jack and Liam were in awe. Up until this point, the places that they have visited haven’t varied all that much from the hardwood forests of the northeast. This was their first glimpse of the variety that exists within this beautiful country, and I don’t think they’ll ever forget that first drive into the Badlands National Park. Our time there was full of scenic drives, amazing hikes, and plenty of wildlife sightings!
Yellow Mounds
Scenic Drive
Most people who visit Badlands National Park just spend a couple of hours driving through the main road that runs from east to west in the park. There are many places to pull off and take in the unbelievable views. We drove this route several times as we traveled around the park, and each time we would make different stops. No two views were quite alike, and we never tired of hopping out of the car to check out the scenery at that stop. The boys fought over the camera every single time!
Hiking
On our first morning in the park, we woke up to a bright sunny morning. This is a good time to mention that the previous evening, we experienced an insane storm with relentless winds, thunder and lightning. It really helped us see how the Badlands got its name. The winds were so bad that our tent poles buckled, collapsing a side of the tent while we were in it. I fled to the car with the kids in the middle of the night while Ryan held the tent up until the storm passed. It was a storm we won’t soon forget.
The boys along the Door Trail
The next morning dawned without a cloud in the sky. After some coffee, we headed out to hike the Notch trail. It was an awesome hike! One section required us to climb a three-story ladder on the side of the rocks. After maneuvering along the edge of a cliff (and keeping the kids close), we made it to the overlook. The views of the valley below were stunning and well worth the stressful moments of the climb.
Another trail that we enjoyed was the Door Trail. It was pretty short, starting on a boardwalk and then wandering off into the formations. Instead of looking down at the views, we were right among them. The boys loved climbing up the rocks and exploring all the pathways. It can be easy to get lost here, but we kept an eye on the numbered trail markers as we made our way through this section of the landscape.
Wildlife
Bison seen near Sage Creek Campground
If you ask Jack and Liam, the highlight of the Badlands was the wildlife sightings that we had. We drove to Sage Creek Road one afternoon, basking in the air conditioning, and hoping to see some bison. We came across a small herd very far from the road. We looked at them through binoculars, tried to take some pictures (they looked like brown dots), and thought that might be the best we could do. We were actually just excited to see them. We continued down the road and turned into Sage Creek Campground. There was an amazing herd of well over 100, with several wandering in the field near our car so that we could get a close look and some amazing photographs. We sat there for the better part of an hour, just watching the amazing animals. We were the only car there. It was awesome!
In addition to watching the bison, we visited the prairie dog town along Sage Creek Road as well. Liam especially loved these little creatures, watching them run around and pop up all over. On our way back, we stopped at an overlook, and right next to the path was a little rattlesnake all curled up. He wasn’t too happy to have people around, and we could hear him rattling, so we decided to retreat to the car and try to visit that spot another day. I’ve never seen a rattlesnake, so that was an interesting event!
Wall Drug
Sitting on the Jackelope at Wall Drug
No trip to this part of South Dakota is complete without a trip to Wall Drug. There are billboards for this tourist stop for hundreds of miles in every direction, advertising free ice water and five-cent coffee. Wall Drug is actually a huge complex with a restaurant, ice cream shop, and dozens of different stores selling all kinds of western merchandise, clothing, artwork, and more. You have to visit to truly experience it! I used their free WiFi to update the blog while the boys wandered around, sitting on the huge jackelope, looking through the rock and gem shops (Jack’s obsession this summer), and begging for toys and souveniers. They ended up getting authentic miniature Native American tone hammers, with feathers and horsehair adorning then. Perfect for their collection boxes. We finished out the afternoon with ice cream and several cups of five-cent coffee for Ryan and myself. It was a fun way to beat the heat of South Dakota.
The Badlands left a strong impression on our family. It is a beautiful, yet inhospitable land that is starkly different from what we’re used to. We enjoyed learning about the climate and culture of the area and coming to the understanding that natural forces make this area of the country so difficult to live in, yet it’s these same natural forces that worked over millions of years to create the breathtaking landscapes found in Badlands National Park.
View from our campsite
On The Road Together 