Badlands National Park - August 2020

Wayne

Wayne

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On our way to Glacier NP, we stopped for a couple days in the Rapid City area to see sights. There are a couple national parks in the area and of course Mt. Rushmore. Since most of Wind Cave NP is closed, we'll save that for another time.

Badlands National Park is located just south of Wall, SD. The colors and shapes of the eroded cliffs are quite amazing to see.

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We spotted some Bighorn Sheep near the east entrance early one morning on our way into the park.

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We started hiking up this trail, but didn't continue. It had rained the night before and to say the soil is sticky is an understatement. We thought about dry camping along the top of the cliffs where it is allowed and have been warned that if it is going to rain, then get out of there. The soil, when wet, turns into a sticky mud that has the consistency of chunky plaster of paris. It sticks to your shoes until you're carrying several extra pounds on each foot and is very slippery. If you try to drive on it with a vehicle, you will get stuck.

You can see our footprints in the lower left corner of the picture.

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Can you see the deer in this picture?

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Lots of these signs and I'm sure lots of them, but we didn't see any.

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Pine forest in the middle of the Badlands! This is in the Cliff Shelf trail area.

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This is at the Door Trailhead. It reminds us of the hoodoos at Bryce Canyon NP.

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Badlands NP is one of those bucket list parks to see with its very unique landscape. Of course, you should visit Wall Drug, just once, so you can say you've been there.
 
Camping on the rim was wonderful and the sheep were nightly visitors. I would avoid the road if there has been a lot of rain.
The road to get there is just before the entrance to the park, free camping, all you have to do is close the gate behind you.
 
T & R Willson said:
The road to get there is just before the entrance to the park, free camping, all you have to do is close the gate behind you.
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We saw lots of campers where I've highlighted in yellow. I can imagine the view would be spectacular, just don't get too close to the edge!

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When we were there our friends parked right on the edge, I prefered across the road! We were on the first bump out when you turn right at the end of the road. Had a great visit with the people camped at the very end. We will stay there again.
 
T & R Willson said:
When we were there our friends parked right on the edge, I prefered across the road! We were on the first bump out when you turn right at the end of the road. Had a great visit with the people camped at the very end. We will stay there again.
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I've heard caution against being on the dirt roads if it rains. I have seen how the soil is when it's wet - very similar to Plaster of Paris. Impossible to drive on it without getting stuck.
 
T & R Willson said:
When we were there our friends parked right on the edge, I prefered across the road!
Click to expand...
You like living on the edge!

How crowded was the camping area? Any form of reservations or just first come first serve? Are there any amenities like water or a dump?
 
Crowding depends on the time of the year, if it rains you do not want to be there it turns into a real slippery sticky mess. There are no amenities totally boon docking.
Wayne said:
You like living on the edge!

How crowded was the camping area? Any form of reservations or just first come first serve? Are there any amenities like water or a dump?
Click to expand...
It is definitely a must, stunning beauty in the desolate landscape and the Mountain Goats are not afraid of people. They don't come up to you they just go about their business and ignore us. If we are ever in the area we will stop again. I had heard that it may be closed, probably people not being respectful, the only rule when we were there was to close the gate behind us.
 
I haven't been to the Badlands in a long time(20 years or more) , but I don't remember it being particularly crowded.
sort of like Teddy Roosevelt NP... not high on the NP list. like Yellowstone, Glacier or GP.
We were in Badlands during Sturgis Bike Week and that would probably be the busiest Badlands ever sees.
seem to remember there was RV places in Wall..
and the secondary highway (44?) that takes you back to Rapid City ( not the interstate)
probably has those hole in the wall RV parks
if you can't find a place to stay in the park itself.
 
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