A Photo Tour of The Badlands NP

It's raining today, so it's a good day to catch up on what we've been up to lately. We were feeling a little sorry for ourselves this afternoon after seeing Facebook posts of everyone back home in shorts enjoying warm weather while we're still wearing our fleece, but then we remembered what we're experiencing and how lucky we are to be having this adventure.

Yesterday we arrived in The Badlands NP early in the day. It was a beautiful, blue sky day, so we took advantage of every minute until dark. These photos will give you a glimpse into what we saw as we explored the park. It is truly a magical place!

This area, called the Yellow Mounds, is colorful all the time.

Big-Horned Sheep (Ewe above, lamb below)

We branched off the Loop Road to the unpaved Ridge Road, which took us along the prairie where the prairie dogs dig their tunnels and the bison roam free.

The welcoming committee at the first overlook on Ridge Road

The bisons all looked a bit shaggy because they were shedding their winter coats.

A push-me-pull-you (apologies to Dr. Dolittle!)












Prairie dogs really do bark!

We returned to the campground to await sunset. This killdeer was roaming in the grass.











We went out on the Loop Road later in the evening to watch the changing color of the rocks at sunset.

The night scenes as we returned to the campground

Despite the rain today, we did manage to get out for a little while. As a bonus, we came upon a group of big-horned sheep.

     One was nice enough to pose for me!

Although the sky was very gray, the colors were enhanced. 

Off to the Black Hills!