Welcome to our National Park series, where each week I will be highlighting a national park that my family and I have visited in 2020/2021. This year my son is in 4th grade which meant that he qualified for the Every Kid Outdoor Pass. The Every Kid Outdoor Pass is a free pass for 4th graders that gives 4th graders and their families free access to hundreds of parks, lands, and waters for an entire year! This includes our National Parks and many other government agencies. This year was our year of National Park vacations and since September we have visited over 10 parks with plans to visit more this summer! If you are also interested in visiting some of our national treasures, I hope that my experience can help you to prepare and have a great family trip.
I will admit, Badlands National Park was not on my original to-do list. I heard about Badlands National Park and how much people loved it, but I still wasn't convinced. I did want to take everyone to Wall Drug, and the Badlands were only a few miles away, so we decided to give it a go. We made a good decision and I personally, was amazed by the beauty of Badlands National Park. By the time we got to the park we didn't have much time to spend in it, but we did most of it in about 2 hours. If I was going again, I would take 4 or more hours to really explore this wonder. Here are 4 must dos when you visit Badlands National Park!
1. Scenic Drives - There are many scenic drives in this park and you can take hours and hours driving them and exploring the beauty. If you have downloaded the GyPsy Guide for the Black Hills region, Badlands National Park is already included. Turn it on and enjoy the drive around the park! We drove the Badlands Loop Road (Highway 240) and enjoyed views of the north part of the park. On this drive, there are many overlooks and trail heads , giving you a chance to experience the park even more. You can also drive the south part of the park and Sage Creek Rim Road. The ranger that we talked to when we entered the park told us that Sage Creek Rim Road was a great drive and a must do, but be warned it is a dirt road the whole way. If you don't think your car can handle that, please don't try. We had one car in our group that the driver didn't feel comfortable, so we did not do that drive.
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2. Fossil Discovery - If you have a fossil lover in your group, Badlands National Park is the place to go. Badlands National Park contains one of the world’s richest fossil beds and there are a few different ways you can see them. Visit the Fossil Preparation Lab. Inside the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, in the north portion of the park, is a working paleontological laboratory. You have the chance to watch park paleontologists and interns perform the amazing work of fossil preparation. Another way to experience fossils is to hike the Fossil Exhibit Trail. It is a very short (0.25 miles) and very easy hike that features fossil replicas and exhibits of now extinct creatures that were once in the area.
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3. Spot the Wildlife - There are different species of wildlife at Badlands National Park, but they can be tough to spot. As you drive around look carefully and see how many different animals you can find! We saw bison, big horn sheep, and prairie dogs. If you do come across wildlife during your visit, keep in mind that these animals are wild and can be dangerous if approached.
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4. Become a Junior Ranger - You can pick up the Junior Ranger booklet for Badlands National Park at Ben Reifel Visitor Center. You can also choose to do a GPS Adventure and/or complete the Badlands BADLibs. Both are activities the family can do together and have lots of fun while doing them!
I hope you have a great time at Badlands National Park!
