Badlands

We only spent a couple of hours in The Badlands. But it was a few hours that we will never forget.

This national park is easy to access off Interstate 90 in South Dakota. We entered the park at the Pinnacles, took Badlands Loop Road, and made several stops along our drive eastward to climb on the rocks, which you are allowed to do. We exited at the Northeast Entrance. South Dakota, by the way, is huge and fascinating in so many ways.

The Badlands received its name twice. The Sioux tribe called it "mako sica," or "land bad." The French called it "les mauvaises terres," or "the badlands." The bare rock presented few hunting opportunities and the area has extreme weather and no potable water. The weather was pleasant here during early July as there was a breeze. But we can imagine how rough the conditions would be if you camped here overnight. There is very little shade. A park ranger told us you can do backcountry camping anywhere in the park that is not visible from the road.

We made several stops and just looked in wonder at the landscape. We also took the fossil trail, where you can learn about the dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures that once called the Badlands home. I wish we had time to hike the Notch Trail, but we were on Day 15 of our trip and were ready to start our long drive back home.

G says: I loved to do parkour on the rocks. It was so cool that you could just climb practically everywhere.

L says: I thought it was really cool because it was similar to the Grand Canyon. I had fun climbing down it.