As I embarked on my journey to the National Parks, I was filled with anticipation to document my experiences.

I left the State of New York mid-morning and started my drive out West.  I drove as long as I could stay awake and found a nice, quiet park and ride along the highway to sleep for the night.  I continued bright and early the following day, leaving Ohio and driving to catch a sunset in South Dakota.  Once you cross the Mississippi, you are certainly in the Plains, Windmills everywhere, and the speed limit is 80 mph!  I was a little farther away than I had planned timing-wise, but I ended up catching what felt like the most prolonged sunset I had witnessed as I drove west.  The sunset and glow lit up the sky, and the blue hour following was just as magnificent as my first glimpse of my final destination, The Badlands.  I achieved part of my goal, which was to watch Sunset in The Badlands. I would have preferred to have parked for the night, but I have no complaints!  

After some online research, I stumbled upon some fantastic coordinates for boondock camping along the rim of the Badlands, just outside the Pinnacles entrance to The Badlands National Park. Following the directions, I crossed the cattle bars and navigated the bumpy dirt road to find an open spot along the rim. The clear skies and the sight of the Milky Way reminded me of the beauty of the West.  I took a moment to appreciate the view before settling in for the night.

The following day, I woke up early to catch Blue Hour. I got my things out to make coffee and set up a timelapse. Soon after, the sun rose over The Badlands and painted the landscape with the most beautiful colors.  

I got ready for the day and made my way just a few minutes to the park entrance.  I pulled up to the gate and bought my America the Beautiful Pass.  Moments later, I was in the park and headed to the first overlook.  I was greeted with a herd of bison grazing alongside the road.  

One of the things I loved about the Badlands National Park was its open-hike policy, a testament to the freedom and flexibility it offers. You can venture off the trail and choose your own path, exploring the park in a way that suits you best. With eight official hiking trails, ranging from 1 mile to 10, and from beginner-friendly to expert level, the park caters to all hiking enthusiasts. I relished the opportunity to hike around at various viewpoints, using this open-concept policy to gain a unique perspective that I might not have seen from an overlook.  

The first two hikes I took were the Castle Trail and Saddle Pass Trail. The Castle Trail is the longest in the park, traveling five miles (ten miles round-trip) between the Door and Window parking area and the Fossil Exhibit Trail. The trail is relatively flat and passes along some badland formations. This trail would be a good backcountry camping spot, too.  I accessed the Saddle Pass trail from the Saddle Pass Trailhead.  This trail climbs up the Badlands wall to a view over the White River Valley. The trail connects with the Castle and Medicine Root Loop trails. This short trail is one of the steepest climbs, with about 300 feet of elevation if you want a quick burner hike.

My next stop was the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. I collected my passport stamp, a few stickers, and a pin and was on my way to my next stop. Be sure to check ahead of time before traveling to a National Park; some visitor centers are closed in the off-season and shoulder season.

The next hike I was really excited for, as it is the most popular hike in the park.  The Notch Trail starts at the South end of the Door and Window parking area.  This 1.5-mile out-and-back trail involves a log ladder climb and several ledges with drop-offs before arriving at “The Notch,” which overlooks the White River Valley.  I really enjoyed this trail and the experience with the different elements, I wore sturdy hiking boots and felt confident with all my steps. If this hike seems too much, the same parking lot accesses the Window and the Door trails, which are short, accessible trails with similar views.  

I made one last stop at the overlook adjacent to the entrance before exiting the Northeast Entrance.  I hopped back onto I-90 and stopped at Wall Drug.  Wall Drug is a popular roadside attraction and tourist stop just down the road from the National Park.  If you had driven along I-90, you would have seen the countless road signs advertising Wall Drug.  Is it worth the stop?  I think so.  They do have 5-cent coffee and free ice water!  The experience of walking around and seeing the decorations makes you feel like you are back in time,  into another era.  

There was an impending storm so I ran to the local market to grab a few things for dinner and head back to the same spot as the night before.  I found a new place to grab a different angle from my car.  The wind had become extremely strong for hours since I was in the open.  I had some trouble lighting my windburner stove but made a wind blocker and was able to make a warm meal.  The storm started with a lighting show in the South followed by torrential rain.  I thought my car would slide down the hill from my parking spot in the middle of the night!  

The next morning I got up early to make a plan for the day before heading on the road.  My original plan was to hike around the Black Hills and stop at Mount Rushmore.  If I continued Southwest, the weather was still forecasted for rain and some snow behind that.  So I headed instead to The Devils Tower.  My trek out of my parking spot was dicey.  Thank god my car has an off-road mode or I don’t think I was going to make it out of there without getting stuck in the mud or sliding everywhere.

All in all, I really enjoyed my quick visit to Badlands National Park. This was just a stop on my road trip out West, but I highly recommend stopping here. It is an extremely underappreciated National Park.   

Hikes mentioned :

Castle Trail : Moderate – 10.3 miles – 305 ft elevation gain – 3hr14min average Time – out & back (Also connects to the Medicine Root Trail, Saddle Pass Trail, and the parking lot of the Notch, Door and Window. If you have two vehicles, this could be a nice trail to connect to another parking lot instead of doing an out & back.)

Saddle Pass Trail : Moderate – 0.7 mile – 216 ft elevation gain – 26 min average time – out & back (Also connects to the Castle and Medicine Root Trails)

Notch Trail : Moderate – 1.5 miles – 127 ft elevation gain – out & back (includes one ladder climb)

The Window Trail : Easy – 0.3 mile – 13 ft elevation gain – 6 min average time – out & back

The Door Trail : Easy – 0.9 mile – 22 ft elevation gain – 17 min average time – out & back (The same parking lot accesses the Notch, Window and Door trails if you want to hike all of them in one go!)

Other things to note:

-Current entrance fee is $30 unless you have a current Annual America the Beautiful pass.

-All of this was accomplished in one day at Badlands National Park, but I recommend 2-3 days to really see everything and the other stops nearby!

-I recommend downloading the hikes, before you leave, on AllTrails. From my experience the reception in National Parks is spotty.

-Download the National Park Service as well and toggle *Save this park for offline use* so you can access the NPS app in areas of the park with no service. Familiarize yourself with the app before you go. I am a big planner before I travel to places and make notes of things I have to see and make that a priority.

–https://app.rockporch.com/llink/OUvgdv7iO8ank

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