A brief history
The French trappers who discovered the area, now, known as South Dakota’s Badlands NP, christening the area by naming it “bad lands to travel across”. Today, people from all over flock to witness the pinnacles, ravines, and spires that created hardship for early travelers. With one-of-a-kind terrain and over 5- miles of views, Badlands National Park is for those seeking adventure.
Main attraction
The park is an excellent destination for hikers and adventure seekers. Miles of designated hiking trails wind throughout the park’s rugged landscape. From flat prairie sections to steep climbs that weave throughout the Badlands unique rock formations, the hiking possibilities are as endless as the park’s night sky.
Surprising to many visitors, the park is also a hotspot for cyclists. First-time cyclists to the area are often surprised to witness how impressive Badlands formations seem without the glass from a windshield affecting their view. However, anyone interested in exploring the park by bike should know that bicycles can only be ridden on designated paved, dirt, and gravel roads.
Related article: Camper’s Guide: California’s Yosemite’s Half Dome
Anyone in search of a fun family activity can participate in a GPS adventure. Simply download the GPS Adventure Activity Book and use a GPS device to find an interesting assortment of the park’s natural features, exhibits, trails, and much more.
Children and people of all ages are sure to enjoy the Paleontology Lab. Badlands National Park is famous for its fossil history. Throughout the years, fossil remains of saber tooth cats, mammoths, and a variety of dinosaurs have been found, and many of these fossils can be seen at the park’s popular Paleontology Lab.
In addition to offering great visual sites during the day, the park’s night skies are wondrous as well! On any given night, there are over 7,500 stars, planets, nebulae, moons, and star clusters lighting up sky. During the summer months, people can visit the Cedar Pass Campground Amphitheatre and use telescopes for some cool visuals.
When to go
If weather is your main concern, we recommend visiting the Badlands, during the Summer months, June, July, and August. These months will bring temperatures ranging from mid 80’s to low 90’s, but comes with a Summer crowd. Now, since we’re all just barely dipping our toes in the “post covid” world, we understand why you might want to avoid crowds. The best time to go for a relaxing, less crowded visit, would be in the Fall months. During your Fall visit, you can expect to be camping in temperatures between 40 and 70 degrees.
Related article: Camper’s Guide: Katmai National Park, Alaska or Camper’s Guide: Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
Featured Image from Josh Carter/Unsplash
