THE BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK

We have visited 2 national parks on this trip. The Badlands National Park was our second to visit. Remember back in my blog about the lady in North Dakota who was from South Dakota and she really bragged about the Badlands in South Dakota?  Well, she was right. It was much prettier and offered many more photo-ops. It was hot the day we went. So, some stops I would get out and walk. Other stops I was staying in the truck with the air conditioning running! 

We figured it was going to be an all day trip, so we packed a picnic lunch and headed out. We decided to stop by Wall Drug on our way there. Texas has Buccee's. South Dakota has Wall Drug. Wall Drug is about a city block long.  There are little stores within the big store. They are known for their 5 cent coffee and free ice water.  Now, they don't say anything about the size of the cup for each one of these. Believe me, you would need several to equal one regular size. They have a cafe inside and they make homemade donuts and sell them in the cafe.

The Badlands looks like something from outer space, the Middle East, and the zoo, all at the same time.

Badlands National Park has two campgrounds for overnight visits - Cedar Pass and Sage Creek Campgrounds. Cedar Pass lodge offers accommodations in modern cabins and full-service dining. There is also a large area of land designated for boondocking with some great views in the park. The Ben Reifel Visitor Center within the park offers a bookstore, special programs, and museum exhibits. The White River Visitors center in the park's South Unit offers information about the regions Lakota heritage.

The Badlands Wilderness protects 64,144 acres (100.2 sq mi) of the park as a designated wilderness area, and is one site where the black-footed ferret, one of the most endangered mammals in the world, was reintroduced to the wild. The South Unit, or Stronghold District, includes sites of 1890s Ghost Dances, a former United States Air Force bomb and gunnery range, and Red Shirt Table, the park's highest point at 3,340 feet.

Movies such as Dances with Wolves (1990) and Thunderheart (1992) were partially filmed in Badlands National Park.