Driving west across South Dakota it is flat with endless miles of grassland. Suddenly in the distance you start to see strange rock formations to the south of the expressway and the land scape completely changes. This park has such a rugged beauty with large buttes, spires, canyons, and tons of breath taking overlooks.
What is with that name?
This national park is called the Badlands has it pays homage to the Lakota people who called it mako sica which translates to bad land. They referred to this place as the bad lands because it is difficult to survive or even travel this area. The beauty of the canyons and buttes make it difficult to navigate and rain turns the ground into wet sticky clay. When we were there it was dry and hot and I was surprised that the ground was like dried up clay – it was super hard. Just ask Dave who slipped in the park and got a good scrape on this hand! It’s almost like concrete when it’s dry.
Why does the park look like this?
According to the National Park Service it is because that rocks deposited there between 75 and 28 million years ago and around 500,000 years ago those rocks started to erode. In fact these rocks are eroding super fast at a rate of one inch per year so if you return several years later the peaks might be several inches shorter! When you take a closer look at the rocks you’ll notice they are layered and this makes up one of the world’s richest fossil beds. Each layer corresponds to a different period of time and minerals of that time frame cause the colors in the rocks. Check out the more info on each layer here on the NPS website: https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/badl-geologic-formations.htm
Badlands Scenic Drive Loop
Even if you don’t stay in this park we would highly recommend taking the scenic loop drive. If you are like us (you like to stop and take in all the sights) this will take you a lot longer then the 1-2 hours it states. More information here: https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/badl-loop-road.htm
Sage Rim Drive
If you have the time for this is one drive I wouldn’t skip! This drive has the prairie dog town that is very worth while if you think they are the most adorable little creatures! This is also where we saw lots of the bighorn sheep and we were lucky enough to catch a good glimpse of the babies as well. The way the bighorn sheep navigate the terrain is surely an awe inspiring sight. Personally I could spend hours just watching them with their young. Link to more info: https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/sage-creek-rim-road.htm
The love of all things animals
Since this park is referred to as the badlands there must be almost no animals here right? Surprise! There are several animals in the park including some very large ones aka the bison, bighorn sheep, and pronghorn. Bison or the Lakota (local Native American tribe) word is Tatanka can weigh up to 2,000 pounds and are a commonly sighted grazing in the park (an activity they spend 10 hours a day doing). We spotted a large herd by the prairie dog park when we were there. Another large animal in the park are the bighorn sheep which are also grazers. Pronghorn can also be found grazing in this park and are often mistaken for deer at a distance but they are actually much smaller at only 3 feet high. One of the cutest animals in the park are the prairie dogs they live in underground colonies that are called “towns”. There is a prairie dog town that you can drive over and see. Several prairie dog predators also live in the park, including coyotes, bobcats, badgers, foxes, rattlesnakes, bird of prey, and the black-footed ferret (who’s diet is 90% prairie dogs). They have a link to where it’s most likely to spot these critters here: https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/badl-wildlife-viewing.htm. Also, these are wild roaming animals so the best way to find them is to check in with the rangers at the visitor centers. The rangers can tell you where others have recently reported animals roaming around.
Night Sky Program
We took in one of the night sky presentations at the Amphitheater near the cedar pass campground and we are so glad we did. The rangers did a wonderful job explaining all the constellations, the North Star, and planets that could be seen. They even had telescopes that visitors are able to view impressive sky objects! You can find more about this program here: https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/night-sky-badl.htm
Camping
Sage Creek Campground
A free campground that doesn’t take reservations located on unpaved Sage Creek Rim Road. Motor homes, pull behind trailers, and other recreational vehicles greater than 18 feet in length are prohibited.
Cedar Pass Campground
We camped here as it was going to be HOT and we knew we had our kids and dog with so electric hook up was going to be a must if nothing else for a good fan! This is located by the visitor center and within walking distance to the Cedar Pass Lodge. Level sites with scenic views of the badlands. Due to fire danger, campfires are not permitted in this campground and collection of wood is prohibited. But you can use camp stoves or contained charcoal grills.
What about Fiddo?
Keep in mind that in the summer and during the day this park is HOT make sure your pup has lots of water. On the flip side the temps can drop below freezing once the sunsets. Also consider that not all trails allow dogs (most don’t). NPS only has one recommended trail on their website for dogs. You can find that trail here: https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/badl-dogs-on-back-roads.htm
