We got started around 8:30 or so that morning and made our way to Wall, SD. I have always known about Wall Drug and I was determined not to make a stop at a "tourist trap". However, the hotel breakfast looked like a disaster and my pen pal had mentioned that Wall Drug Store had delicious donuts....so we decided to grab breakfast there before heading into Badlands National Park.
I take back every notion of not wanting to stop. Wall Drug, although a definite tourist stop, was a wonderful breakfast place. We shared the eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, plus a regular and a chocolate-covered donut. We spent some time browsing the gift shop for a trip trivia prize and April also snagged a Badlands hat. You can also get one of their iconic bumper stickers (1 free per family). You could spend a few hours at this place easily. They've got it all: hats, boots, belts, art, jewelry, novelties, books, games, and more.
After leaving Wall Drug Store we drove the 35 minutes to the Badlands Interior Entrance (there is a closer BNP entrance but we opted for the Interior entrance because that was where we wanted to start our hikes.)
We picked up our yearly NP pass (America the Beautiful) which is an $80 fee. Otherwise, it would have cost our vehicle $30 to enter. Read more about NP entrance fees= https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/entrance-fee-prices.htm
We were in awe at our first pull-out spot of the beauty and vastness of the Badlands.
A cool thing about BNP is that Badlands National Park has an Open Hike Policy, meaning that you are allowed to hike off-trail.
We did a few hikes (Door, Window, Notch) and had a great time exploring. The weather was a bit on the cool side earlier in the day which made our hikes enjoyable. Notch Trail was our favorite because of the ladder. April, who is scared of hikes, chose to stay back and sit this one out. The ladder is exactly what I had read about. For me, it was a bit more nerve-wracking coming back down but nothing that Avery or I couldn't manage.
Several people were waiting on their friends/family members at the bottom of the ladder. Knowing that there was room to wait, April could have joined us and just waited for us to complete the hike.
The view overlooking White River Valley was beautiful.
It was at the Badlands that we finally got to see our first herd of Bison. We made our way to the Ben Reifel Visitor Center where we got our NPS Passport Book stamped, watched the archaeologists in the Fossil Preparation Lab, and had a picnic lunch at one of their picnic tables.
From there we drove through the park pulling over multiple times to look at the wildlife (prairie dogs and bison) and the formations. We knew that a "storm was brewing" because of how dark the clouds were.....we could even tell that it was raining miles away. Out of nowhere, a rain shower turned into a hail storm. This was the biggest hail storm that we have ever experienced driving through.
And as soon as that storm started, it was over. We made our way some more taking in all the sights and exploring.
We made our way to the Sage Creek area of the park before exiting near Wall. In all we probably spent 4-5 hours at the park and we didn't see it all. I know many people call this a "drive thru" park and I can see why. You can easily see the beauty from the car....but to really experience it you must do a few hikes, get out on the formations and explore!!
Looking back Badlands National Parks was one of my favorite parts of this trip!! I'm sure. you will love it too.
Did you read days 1 and 2 of our Great American West Road Trip? Check it out now!
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