I love parks. Especially national parks. Especially now more than ever. My favorite of favorite things is hiking deep into the back country, to experience wilderness and solitude and beauty that you just can’t access any where else. For now, I’m still sidelined from that. But that’s the beauty of parks.
As Teddy puts it: “…the edges of the wilderness lie close beside the beaten roads of present travel.” I find that especially true in the South Dakota Badlands, at Badlands National Park. You drive out into the prairie, miles and miles and miles. Then, suddenly it all comes to a stop, the grass and green falls away–and all that’s left is stone. You don’t have to trek out 20 miles to get there. It happens right beside the car window and all you have to do is squeeze the breaks and pull off.
Lots of people overlook the Dakotas, writing them off as a bit of a no man’s land. Which, I guess in a few ways, that is true. But that’s also kind of the charm, the beauty of this wilderness. And to Theodore Roosevelt, the Dakotas were the most inspiring place on earth.
There are only eight marked trails in Badlands National Park. Something that really sets it apart from its counterparts across the country. That’s because in the Badlands you can roam, horseback ride, or hike anywhere–unless marked otherwise. Just don’t lose your way.
Some of the trails that are marked are done very loosely. A couple walk along boardwalks over the rocky terrain to an over look. The others are mere suggestions of places to head. You move from one small marker to the next…until you find yourself at the final vista. There has been no cutting of stone or rolling out of asphalt. How you get there is true “choose your own adventure” experience.
It’s unlike any other place I’ve ever been. {Well, except the North Dakota Badlands at Theodore Roosevelt National Park…they’re comparable.} The only way I can describe it to you is to say that is it other worldly. The texture, color and sheer vastness of it all confuses your depth perception.
The sky is huge and vibrant over the monotone rock formations. We arrived to only a few cloud in the sky, but about an hour into our visit we could see big storms blowing up in the distance. It was incredible to be able to see the sky be so angry and fierce in one direction and so sunny in another. To see a wall of rain falling miles away, sweeping across the Badlands at the same time puffy clouds floated lazily somewhere else.
It’s a unique kind of wilderness. It make you feel like the foreigner, like you are standing on Mars, or inside a Star Wars movie. Or, like you are driving along the bottom of the ocean.
If you drive the Badlands Loop Road, you’ll get amazing views of this rugged creation–along with plenty of opportunities to get out of the car and take in the sights at overlooks and trail heads. Be sure to drive the whole road for the full effect, you’ll be glad you did.
If you visit:
Like I said, drive the Loop Road.
Know that the visitor’s center isn’t right inside the gate. You’ll have to drive a bit to get there. Be sure to take the map they offer you at the entrance gate. Pull off to overlooks, stop, and hike along the way to the visitor’s center–don’t plan to go there first then do the other stuff because you’ll only end up backtracking.
Stop at the visitor’s center and see paleontologists at work in the fossil lab. Real paleontologists. Cleaning real dinosaur bones. That they found in South Dakota. It’s seriously cool.
If you don’t hike anything else, at least check out the Door, Window or Notch trails. They are short and even a girl with a bad back can do one of the three.
Take water. It’s bone dry.
Bring binoculars.
Get dinner, lunch or breakfast at Wall Drug. It’s a roadside attraction to add to your road trip. You can miss it. There are a million signs. {Actually, we counted 56 from Rapid city to Wall…it’s a 45 mile drive.} The donuts are awesome, the coffee is cheap, and the souvenirs are plentiful.
