Ever since some friends, Tina and John, shared their pictures and experience at this site, we knew it would be on our trip east! And we weren’t disappointed. I will be honest, I was beyond nervous when a spot opened up on the edge and John said let’s move over there. After he promised I would be safe and the winds couldn’t push us over the edge I agreed. I could sit at my breakfast table and look out the window over the edge. It was breathtaking! One wouldn’t think that an area known as the Badlands could be so beautiful. Watching the colors change throughout the day as the sun crossed the sky was magical. Our pictures don’t do it justice. This is a place we will stay at again and again!
Views from the Edge
What’s in a Name?
The Lakota were the first to call this place bad, giving it the name, “Mako Sica” meaning “land bad.” The French-Canadian fur trappers also found the terrain bad calling it “les mauvais terres pour traverse” or “bad lands to travel through.” In geological terms, badlands form when sedimentary rock is extensively eroded in a dry, windy climate. We found nothing bad here! Just Sayin’!
Exploring the Badlands
The Badlands National Park has 244,000 acres of sharply eroded pinnacles and spires, large buttes and canyons making for a desolate landscape. The erosion shows the different layers of sedimentary rock. The purple and yellow of shale; tan and gray of the sand and gravel; the red orange of iron oxides; and the white of the volcanic ash. Rugged Beauty is how we like to describe this badland!
Animals of the Badlands
The Badlands National Park is also home to the largest protected mixed grass prairies in the US. Driving through the park you can spot prairie dogs, bison, big horn sheep, and hawks. You always know when something interesting has been spotted from the line of cars pulled over to the side with everyone snapping pics! In the mornings we were greeted by a herd of bighorns that would come up to graze on the grasses behind our rig.
Bighorn Sheep 
Bison 
Visitors @ camp 
Prairie Dogs 
Tatanka
Daytrippin’
There’s so much to see in these Badlands of South Dakota. While the timing didn’t allow us to explore the Black Hills or Mount Rushmore, we didn’t have any trouble filling our days.
Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
This was a really cool find! Unfortunately due to Covid, we weren’t able to do a guided tour or visit the museum. (It is on our list the next time we travel through the area!) After a little searching, we found directions to this site in the middle of the prairie that at one time had the capability of destroying our world as we know. Active during the cold war era, there were 150 Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles scattered throughout the central and northern Great Plains.
Our Beast is on that ridge!
Wall Drug Store
Wall, South Dakota home to the famous Wall Drug Store where the promise of “free ice water” brought in thirsty travelers on their long trek across South Dakota.
In 1931, Dorothy and Ted Hustead moved to this small town on the edge of the Badhlands hoping to make their way as the proprietors of the only drug store for miles. Times were tough and no one was stopping in as they traveled the long dusty miles of Route 16A (Now I-90). Dorothy came up with the idea to offer free ice water to the travelers. After strategically putting up signs along the roadside offering Free Ice Water, business boomed. Today Wall Drug still offers free ice water and has become a huge tourist stop complete with an 80 foot dinosaur! The billboards are still along the roadside promoting everything from free ice water to the world’s largest drug store and huge western art collection.
The Prairie Homestead
The original sod home of Mr. & Mrs. Ed Brown who homesteaded 160 acres in 1909. It’s one of the last remaining original sod homes still intact today. It’s also home to the rare white prairie dogs. They were most entertaining as they wandered the property popping up like a game of whack-a-mole! (Enlarge the pics to read the signs. Quite interesting!)
Special Memories
Last day of my 5th decade around the sun! 
Happy 60th Bday to Me!!
New Friends! Brenda 
And Matt
Taking Drone Pics 
Happy Hour Sunsets
Sunrises over the Badlands
Sunsets on the Badlands
Time to Move On…
With a waiting appointment at Grand Design RV, we could not put our departure off any longer. Arriving October 3 and leaving October 8, we still had plenty of fresh water and waste water space in our tanks. And our solar power had no problem keeping up with demand! Being new to boondocking we are still learning the limits of our rig and lifestyle! 🙂 For all my adventurous friends out there, you need to put Nomad Viewing Dispersed Camping area on your bucket list! (Camping tips: To reach the ridge turn on the farm road just after the twin cell towers. The area to the left is big rig friendlier! There is a dump station at the RV park in Wall. You can also fill up with fresh water before you make the trek up the ridge.)
All hooked up and ready to roll 
A little message I left behind