South Dakota – Badlands, Missile Silos and Wall (Jul 8)
So we continued looking at all the sites in this area. We have to mention if you are coming in this area to plan at least 2 weeks at a minimum because there is so much to see and do.
Today we went to the Badlands. The temperatures here have been very high (100 degrees+) and in fact, are 10+ degrees or more from their normal. So going to Badlands and driving around was nice. There are a ton of hikes in this area from short 1/4 mile to hikes over 10 miles. We didn’t do any hikes today mostly because of the heat.
Anyhow, the Badlands National Park is 244,000 acres and “contain one of the world’s richest fossil beds. Ancient mammals such as the rhino, horse, and saber-toothed cat once roamed here. The park’s 244,000 acres protect an expanse of mixed-grass prairie where bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, and black-footed ferrets live today.” “The landscape of Badlands National Park is roughly half badlands geologic formations and half mixed-grass prairie ecosystem.” It is full of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles, and spires blended with the largest undisturbed mixed grass prairie. Certainly a hiker’s dream.
What was interesting about this area was the rugged mountains next to some flat grassy areas. We could not imagine anyone surviving in this area but many Native American Indians, called the Lakota, did make this their home. You can read about the Lakota and other tribes and their history in this area by reading the Badlands National Park wiki.
We were able to see some Big Horn Sheep and their small ones. It was fun with everyone pulling over to watch them cross the road and jump up the side of the hill/mountain.
From there we went to the Prairie Homestead specifically to see the White Prairie Dogs. White Prairie Dogs are rare unless you are this site and you can see tons of them popping up.
Along the road from there are two Minuteman Missile National Parks. “During the Cold War, a vast arsenal of nuclear missiles were placed in the Great Plains. Hidden in plain sight, for thirty years 1,000 missiles were kept on constant alert; hundreds remain today. The Minuteman Missile remains an iconic weapon in the American nuclear arsenal. It holds the power to destroy civilization, but is meant as a nuclear deterrent to maintain peace and prevent war.” For those of around during this time, it is amazing that we didn’t know how many of these sites there were across the country. Here is a map of all the sites. (Of course the map may not be inclusive but it will give you a sense.)
Seeing the site in person was amazing to know that these were actually here.
We ended the day by being the true tourist and heading to The Wall Drug Store. This place is full of lore and started with the owners giving away free water to get customers to come to their place. It has been visited by many celebrities as well as tourists. The place is very “old-school” and not upscale. Just a local place where the rest of the town grew around it. It has been said, “Doesn’t matter what you think, you just have to go.” So we finished our day with that.
