The Badlands of South Dakota is a must in every itinerary list of an RV road trip. It surely provides a unique and amazing camping experience due to its rugged, roughed, and isolated location. It also has a dry climate making it a perfect travel destination for any season.
Though badlands may be an inhospitable location to live in, it offers a good site for RV camping. A great example would be the Badlands National Park which encompasses 242,756 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles, and an undisturbed mixed-grass prairie.
The park is also home to bison, bighorn sheep, and prairie dogs where they can sometimes be in a far distance or up close. The only disadvantage of the area is that Prairie rattlesnakes can also be found here.
A Bit of History
Due to the occurrence of geological processes of deposition and erosion, the Badlands were formed. 69 million years ago, the deposition of sediment started when the ancient sea expanded across the Great Plains. Once the sea receded, land environments including flood plains and rivers continued to deposit their sediments.
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Though the period of deposition stopped 28 million years ago, the important erosion of the badlands began half a million years ago. Today, erosion still carves the Badlands buttes wherein it will eventually be eroded completely.
Age of Dinosaurs
Dinosaurs once roamed the Badlands before they became extinct. It was once covered by a warm, shallow sea including the Great Plains. Due to this, it has become contain one of the world’s richest fossil beds.
As most dinosaurs were land creatures, there was no presence of fossils found in the park. However, Mosasaurs, a giant marine lizard, streamed the ancient sea along with other fishes and sea turtles.
Camping in the Badlands
Though the park is open all year round, the best time to go here is during the summer season. Temperatures can soar as high as 100 degrees during the day so make sure to plan your hiking and biking early in the morning to avoid getting heat strokes. The badlands is also a dream destination for photographers due to its breathtaking and scenic views of sunrise and sunsets.
If you’re planning to camp at the park, the minimum time to spend is three days and two nights so that you can be able to fully explore it. Of course, it is still entirely up to you how long you want to stay there.
Getting There
Going to Badlands is easy. Here are some guidelines to give you an idea of how to get there:
You can take Interstate 90 (I-90) which is located north of the park and offers entry to Hwy 240 Badlands Loop Road. So, if you’re traveling:
- From West: Head to Exit 131 (Interior) and go south just three miles to the Northeast Entrance.
- From East: Head to Exit 110 at Wall, South Dakota. Go down south just seven miles to the Pinnacles Entrance.
Badlands Campground
Badlands also offers campgrounds to its travelers where they can rest and explore its area. You can choose from 3 campgrounds such as:
- Cedar Pass Campground: The campground has 96 level sites that all include a scenic view of the Badlands’ landscape. Its location is adjacent to the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. It features an electric service for RV campsites, picnic tables, and group sites with advanced reservations. Camping fees cost about $18 per night and $30 per night for those with electrical hook-ups.
- Sage Creek: The campground is located on the west side of the park’s North Unit. The road going to the campground can sometimes be temporarily closed during the winter season. Sage Creek offers 22 sites which are all free to use. However, it has a size limitation to motorhomes and vehicles wherein sizes that are greater than 18 feet in length are not allowed inside. If you like to rough it out then this campground is a great choice. Make sure to bring all the things you’ll need especially water as it is not available in the campground.
- White River KOA: Located just 4 miles from Badlands National Park, the campground features a remote and peaceful ambiance of rural life. The campground also houses the nation’s largest protected mixed-grass prairie wherein you can catch a glimpse of various wildlife such as pronghorn antelope, bison, bighorn sheep, mule deer and prairie dogs.