South Dakota is one of our favorite states to visit and every year during our travels we end up finding our way there. This year we were heading to Wyoming to escape the heat wave and needed a free spot for the weekend. Badlands National Park just happened to be on the way so […]
Located within Badlands National Park, the Cliff Shelf Nature Trail eluded our exploration during our 2020 trip, so we made sure we hiked it during our visit this year. The trailhead is located on the Badlands Loop Road half a mile east of the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. Covering a distance of half a […]
South Dakota is one of our favorite states to visit and once again we found ourselves spending time in the state this year. We needed to head to Wall Drug to pick up a special item for the camper (we bought a mounted jackalope) and since Badlands National Park is right there we decided to […]
When you start traveling and living full-time on the road I think there are a few places that all full-timers are just expected to check out. Sedona, Quartzite and Moab come to mind, but The Wall in South Dakota is also a place I think a lot of travelers tend to stop at at least […]
The Medicine Root Loop Trail is a 4 mile loop trail located inside Badlands National Park in South Dakota. You can start the trail where it connects with the Castle Trail near the Old Northeast Road. You can also reach the trail from the end of Saddle Pass Trail where it intersects with Castle Trail. […]
The Notch Trail is a 1.5 mile out and back trail located in Badlands National Park in South Dakota. The trailhead can be found off Badlands Loop Road. The trail begins at the south end of the parking lot for the Door and Window trails. The trail has a couple drops offs and 130 […]
Saddle Pass trail is a 0.7 mile round trip (or 1/4 mile I’ve seen both listed) trail located in Badlands National Park in South Dakota. This trail may be one of the shortest hikes in the park, but it’s also the steepest. The trail is approximately 2 miles West of the Ben Reifel Visitor […]
The Fossil Exhibit Trail is by far one of the easiest and most educational trails in Badlands National Park. It is located on the Badlands Loop Scenic Road approximately 5 miles west of the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. This fully accessible trail is a quarter mile loop on a boardwalk. Interpretive signs feature replicas of […]
Bison Taxonomy Class: Mammalia Order: Artiodactyla Family: Bovidae Genus: Bison Species: bison Subspecies: bison In 1963, the Badlands received a herd of bison from Theodore Roosevelt National Park that were successfully re-introduced to the park! Now the herd of bison that call the Badlands home numbers 1,200. Bison can get up to 6.5 feet tall and weigh […]
Prairie Dog Taxonomy: Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia Family: Scuiridae Genus: Cynomys Species: ludovicianus If there is one thing Badlands National Park has no shortage of it is prairie dogs. They are kinda everywhere throughout the park and surrounding areas. You can see their extensive colonies on the sides of most of the roads you drive on through […]
