Cross Country Adventure (day 5)

 Badlands KOA Campground, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Interior, South Dakota

19 July 2022

Colorful Badlands

Marc-  We had a short travel day today of only 120 miles to the Badlands National Park.  There were heavy winds during the night that rocked the trailer a bit.  By morning the wind had deceased to 20 gusting to 30 mph.  Temperatures were only due to reach the 90's today.  We had reserved a campsite at the Badlands National Park Campground but it had no electric (not good with these high temperatures).  I have also noticed that the fridge is not running off of the inverter when we are traveling.  The solar panels on the roof seem to be keeping the batteries fully charged.  For comfort we opted for a campsite in the nearby Pine Ridge Indian Reservation with all the amenities (the campsite even has large shade trees and a nearby river).

Our drive West started out like the last day of travel with rolling hills and grasslands, in a word: prairie.  Another thing here is billboards by the side of the highway.  The Wall Drug billboards began 300 miles ago.  There was an abrupt change in terrain as we approached the Badlands.  The grasslands end in jagged cliffs and ravines for miles around.  The Park Welcome Center was excellent with Rangers explaining what is offered in the Park and some of its history.  We visited the Fossil Center where Park paleontologists study the many fossil remains found here.  We met Mary who was working on a saber tooth cat fossil 22 million years old.  I am looking forward to the night time Ranger lectures of the Dark Sky and Park history. 

Our exploration in the Park today was mostly in the truck but we did walk on one trail among the awesome scenery.  This place look like it belongs on another planet... like something seen in a Star Wars movie.   We did eventually reach Wall Drug (population 600+) in the town of Wall, South Dakota.  This is a small town with a drug store morphed into 2 blocks of tourist trinkets and Western memorabilia and even includes a play area for the kids.  I was happy the town had a Dairy Queen.

On the trail again.

View from the end of the trail.

Many prairie dogs live in this area.

Past creatures of the Badlands.