The Big Trip 9.7.20 - 9.23.20, Part 2 of 9: Badlands National Park - The First Day
We only spent one night at Devils Tower but that was enough to see the tower from two different perspectives. The morning of the tenth we left and connected back up to I-90, stopping at Wall Drug along the way (I got a bison burger) before dropping down through the northeast entrance to Badlands National Park to get to our next campground. Right after we pulled in there was a herd of bighorn sheep hanging in the grass right off the road. I think Bridgit snapped this one from her side of the RV.
bighorn rams
Going into the park at this entrance was amazingly cool. Part of the Badlands is a sixty mile wall of Badland formations of every shape, size and oddity you can imagine. It definitely had a feel like Canyonlands but the geography is much different. The road drives up towards the wall and then actually goes through the wall at Cedar Pass. The scenery through this drive is spectacular. We drove through the pass and down the other side past the visitor center and the yucky looking park campground to a KOA just outside the park in a treed area on the White River. It was a much better base for us than it would have been at Cedar Pass Campground.
Badlands formations near the northeast entrance
We were only here for two nights so I of course wanted to get as much out of it as I could. Bob was game to go for a late afternoon drive so we took the Corolla up to the junction by the visitor center and started driving the Badlands Loop Road. The formations were amazing and I was just stunned by how cool everything looked. Especially incredible was the area right near Norbeck Pass but it was all really spectacular. Since we were planning to drive the road all together the next day I promised Bob I wouldn’t stop at every single pullout until we got to my spot. I had read that the late afternoon light is particularly nice at a place called Yellow Mounds Overlook because it is on the west side of the park so it gets great afternoon light. Along the way I did end up stopping at one other overlook called White River Overlook and I’m really glad we did because the views and the early evening light made for some incredible scenery.
White River Overlook
Jon and Bob at White River Overlook
Just past Dillon Pass we came to the Yellow Mounds Overlook. It really was a unique place with all sorts of colored dirt and rock, dried cracked mud, grassy mounds and colorful grasses. We wandered around there for about a half hour before heading back to camp.
Valley below Yellow Mounds
Yellow Mounds Overlook
King Bob
I love the contrast between the dried mud and the bright yellow mounds
Yellow Mounds Overlook
Evening sun on Yellow Mounds
Once we left the Yellow Mounds and drove back I was looking for one other formation I had read about. It was called Toadstool Rock and it was sort of hidden in a wash off the road near Norbeck Pass. We eventually spotted it and I dropped down into the wash to hike to it and get a closer look. It was well worth it.
Formation at Norbeck Pass
Toadstool Rock
Toadstool Rock
The next day would be our only full day in Badlands National Park so we planned to drive the entire Badlands Loop Road. Stay tuned for Part 3 and I’ll tell you all about it.