Epinephrine Adventures: Badlands Natl Park and Custer State Park

For centuries humans have viewed South Dakota's Badlands with a mix of dread and fascination. The Lakota Tribe knew the place as "mako sica". Early French trappers called the area "les mauvaises terra a traverser". Both mean "Badlands.

A writer named Freeman Tilden described the region as "peaks and valleys of delicately banded colors - colors that shifts in the sunshine.

I personally think this writer is crazy or missing a few nuts ! Maybe he was from Portland, Oregon...lol He might have seen the "pretty colors" but I bet he didn't have to make a life here.

A Scientist once said; "Fancy yourself on the hottest day in summer in the hottest spot of such a place without water-without an animal and scarce an insect astir-without a single flower to speak pleasant things to you and you will have some idea of the utter loneliness of the Bad Lands."

I think it is very pretty and extremely interesting this time of the year. I am so glad we didn't miss this great opportunity.

We stayed in the National Park Camp Grounds...for some reason it was fairly expensive for a National Park. There is a place just to pull over and dry camp but the Ranger said the road was pretty bad to take our RV.

We found out later, after we set up and paid, the road was just fine. Other RV owners were told the same thing and were upset when they checked out the road after they too set up and paid. To be fair it wasn't the Federal National Park Ranger but a Federal Contract Agent that are hired to manage the RV Park. No discount for Access Pass either.

As you enter the park from the East.

About a five minute ride from our RV Spot

Goes on forever !

I decided to do a walkabout at sunset..well not really a real walkabout...I drove some too!

Andy is a morning person not an evening person. I am an evening person not a morning person. Here was the plan "we" came with; I was going to take the sunset pictures and she was going to take care of the sunrise pictures.

Right by our RV spot !

Colors do come alive at sunset

Sunset on the plains of the Badlands

Here is Andy's sunrise pictures:

Blank She didn't get up to take any ! Hey, I still love her anyway ! ! lol

A trip to the Badlands means a trip to Wall Drug ! What a tourist trap! Back in 1978 I went through this area and there wasn't anything here! Not even worth stopping for back then ! Now, you have to stop. Just to see how they created a tourist trap out of nothing !

We stopped long enough so Andy could see what she never knew she didn't need to see ! lol

Andy just had to ride one of these ! Told you Reggie there were Jackolopes !!

We are now staying at Ellsworth AFB in Rapid City, South Dakota which is right outside of Mount Rushmore and Custer State Park.

Today we decided to take a drive along the Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park. Custer State Park is about 25 miles from the Air Force Base.

The number one reason to go to Custer State Park is to witness the large free roaming buffalo and the beauty. Between 1300 and 1500 Bison roam throughout the park. The park features 71,000 acres of rolling prairie, pine-studded mountains and granite spires.