Badlands NP

[gcyeaw]

Originally Posted by atckip

Spend more time in the Rapid City area. Custer will be a quick stop.

Custer is just the camping spot, we have scheduled time with local historians and rangers in the area to do research for Kathy's next book.

P.S.
Since we are at Cabella's in Mitchell, is there any good reason to visit the Corn Palace?

[Ed Wimberley]

Gardner
Yes the Corn palace is FREE thats always good.
It's different every year thats cool we have been there
maybe 10X's in last 12 years.
Sometimes it doesn't take much to impress me.

[Rick]

Hey, Corn is good. I like it no matter how its fixed.

[birds_first]

Gardner, I took 44 from Scenic to Rapid City 2 years ago and it was a good ride, you will see more of the Badland type formations and very little traffic. There is a KOA right out of the park on 44 close to Scenic, you may not get a spot in the Badlands Park. The Lewis & Clark Trail is a good ride up to Peirre, we took 50 from Chamberlain up to 34 to Pierre & Fort Pierre before we went to the Badlands, it is off the mass transit routes and we loved it. Also if you go to Rushmore, Custer State Park is a must, but you will be lucky to get a site unless you make reservations days in advance. Right outside Hill City are several forestry campgrounds, we stayed at Oreville Campground for about a week, dry camped but it was cheap, cool and well worth it. I think we paid $12 a night, also that area is worth a week or so several forestry parks in the area and lots of wildlife. Wildlife loop is cool in Custer State Park hundreds of donky & buffalo. I wish I were with you. Enjoy.

[Mathew Reichert]

Gardner,

Are you coming to the ND Badlands as well? If so there is a little town called Medora. Old west style town with an out door musical that runs all summer. We go every year and recently last weekend. It was the best performance in the last three years. There is the Teddy Roosevelt NP there. Drive the park at sunset for most wildlife viewing. There is the Medora Campground, Red Trail Campground, NP camping and Buffalo Gap NP camping west of Medora on I94. We nromally stay at the Medora Campground so we can bike to town (1/2 mi).

[gcyeaw]

Originally Posted by Mathew Reichert

Gardner,

Are you coming to the ND Badlands as well? If so there is a little town called Medora. Old west style town with an out door musical that runs all summer. We go every year and recently last weekend. It was the best performance in the last three years. There is the Teddy Roosevelt NP there. Drive the park at sunset for most wildlife viewing. There is the Medora Campground, Red Trail Campground, NP camping and Buffalo Gap NP camping west of Medora on I94. We nromally stay at the Medora Campground so we can bike to town (1/2 mi).

Mathiew,
We have limited time in the Dakotas due to comittments in Oregon. Perhaps next time?

[birds_first]

Originally Posted by Mathew Reichert

Gardner,

Are you coming to the ND Badlands as well? If so there is a little town called Medora. Old west style town with an out door musical that runs all summer. We go every year and recently last weekend. It was the best performance in the last three years. There is the Teddy Roosevelt NP there. Drive the park at sunset for most wildlife viewing. There is the Medora Campground, Red Trail Campground, NP camping and Buffalo Gap NP camping west of Medora on I94. We nromally stay at the Medora Campground so we can bike to town (1/2 mi).

Shhhhhh don't tell everyone, the town of Medora & the Teddy Roosevelt NP is North Dakota's best kept secret. We loved it so much it is on our repete to do list. Fran & I enjoyed waking up to a heard of buffalo snorting right outside the bus. We really liked the different sandstone formations and the wild horses. Medora campground was nice but we liked the seclusion of the NP campground, no services means no big rigs it was like having the place to ourselves, except the buffalo

[Mathew Reichert]

Originally Posted by birds_first

Shhhhhh don't tell everyone, the town of Medora & the Teddy Roosevelt NP is North Dakota's best kept secret. We loved it so much it is on our repete to do list. Fran & I enjoyed waking up to a heard of buffalo snorting right outside the bus. We really liked the different sandstone formations and the wild horses. Medora campground was nice but we liked the seclusion of the NP campground, no services means no big rigs it was like having the place to ourselves, except the buffalo

Yes we camped there this past spring when the weather was a bit cooler. We went out bike riding one morning and rounded the corner to 4 buffalo right next to the road. Scared the %^*# out of me. Word to the wise, give these guys room. They can run as fast as a horse. Also went for the drive through the park at sunset one night and rounded a corner came down a hill with a curb side guard rail. A heard of 30 buffalo was comming up the road right at us. We just stopped right in the middle of the road and they went by on both sides as we had no where to go.

It is a fun place to spend a few days.

[Howard-James]

If you come the way McGinnis did a couple of years ago through Pierre, give us a call 605-222-2991. We are here till Aug 1st then heading for North Carolina.

[kgrimshaw]

Gardner

We traveled through the Badlands via 240 the summer before last with our PT. It was a great trip and well worth the detour off the highway. We took the scenic route through Custer and stayed at Custer's Blue bell campground and thought it was one of the best spots ever. The trip through Custer was filled with Buffalo and Pronghorn.

We continued to Keystone and stayed a night at the KOA. This has to be one of the biggest KOAs in the nation. Huge contrast to Custer but my daughter liked it. It was close to Mt Rushmore and Crazy horse so we went for the easy path.

After Wall Drug, Custer, Keystone, then Yellowstone, Medora, and Fargo we continued on for a week in Michigan's UP. I can truly say I wish I was back on that trip!

Enjoy!