The Baaaadlands - Aug 18-19, 2014

Well, I'm still in South Dakota....making the most of it I can!  Today's post is all about The Badlands National Park.  It just springs up out of miles and miles of plains and prairies.  This will be mostly photographs....they will give you a good idea what The Badlands are all about.

On the way to the park, I stopped at your typical highway rest stop and saw this:

First tho', my free campsite.  It's right in the park, which is nice, however, from the exit I took to the park entrance, the campsite was a 40 miles drive through the park...20 of it was a gravel road. But that was fine....I got a lot of good photos on the drive. The campsite is the Sage Creek Campground.  It's really more for tenters, but there was no signage that said "RVs Keep Out"....so I went in!

It's a large circle.  Period.  This was early in the day...it really filled up with tents by night, but everyone was very quiet and asleep by 9pm.  I started at the circle...see me on the left side, but moved off the circle to the equestrian section as no one with horses was there.  Much better! I know...this doesn't look like the pictures of The Badlands that you may have seen....this area was beautiful, rolling hills.  The circle reminds me of where a circle of covered wagons should be!

Oh...on the way to the campground, I saw a herd of bison crossing over an adjacent road.  I had just enough time to make a quick turn (well, as quick as you can make a turn in a 27' RV!) and get fairly close to them...

I wouldn't want to run into one of these in a dark alley!  They finally crossed and settled down across the road.

I also saw some other "wild animals" on the way to the campground...

Now for The Badlands.... not much commentary...just photos....and no cemeteries!  LOL!

This sign was at one viewing station.  I didn't see (or hear) any!

It was hard to choose just a few photos.  It was all spectacular.  A very good $15 investment!

Then back to the campground for a sunset, dinner, sleep and this morning's sunrise.  Next stop...Deadwood and camping near Sturgis, SD.  Hope you enjoyed the tour of The Badlands!

Mini-sunset...

...but a fabulous sunrise!