The Badlands – South Dakota

It was a long but very pleasant drive to the Badlands from Omaha.  The scenery on the way there was just stunning, low rolling hills of lush green vegetation, cows in the pastures, and you could see for miles and miles.

We arrived and got set up, a process which is now becoming much more routine and comfortable.

The KOA staff lady was very informative.  She suggested we drive through the park in an overview fashion, then we can decide where we want to spend time, what hikes to take and so on.  She also suggested a dirt road to ride bikes on, outside the park, which features breathtaking views from a distance.

On our first trip driving through the park, we came upon a small herd of Big Horns, five of them.  They traveled close together and were in no hurry at all.  It was amazing to see them in the wild, in their native habitat.

While in the Badlands we also:

• Hiked the Fossil and Castle trails
• Rode bikes on a dirt road outside the park, with amazing views
• Ate fudgesicles
• Bought matching Badlands baseball caps (that actually fit my little noggin')
• Played putt-putt golf and cribbage
• Had breakfast at the Kookhouse
• Discovered that working phone booths still exist, what year is this?

The Badlands were breathtaking and perhaps underrated as a National Park.  They exceeded our expectations!