We were excited to return to Badlands National Park after our first visit almost two years ago. We were there with our now-deceased dog Kelso and trying out a road trip in the Delica for the first time.
Our first stop was primitive boondocking in Buffalo Gap National Grasslands outside the park. We drove to the end of the road lined with RVs, fifth wheels, vans, and a few tents. The views along the ridge line were fantastic.
Although we only spent two nights there, we thoroughly enjoyed it. Poppy enjoyed it too.
And after the ticks and mouse tragedy in Oacoma, we were rewarded with a rainbow and a beautiful sunrise.
It was very windy at times.
The cattle moved in during the evening, and Poppy woke us up at 5am when she saw a cow outside the van.
We left Buffalo Gap National Grassland to boondock at Sage Creek Campground just outside the park. We camped there during our previous visit. Instead of one bison roaming the campground like last time, now there were two. It’s pretty thrilling to see one so close, let alone two.
They warn you to keep your distance, but the bison don’t keep theirs. Twice one of them walked right through the campground, getting very close to the tents and people. During the second visit, he came right through our campsite, Poppy in his path. She has no fear of large animals. I was able to get her out of the way just in time and start filming how close he was to our picnic table.
On our last day, we drove the loop through Badlands National Park. And even though we were not allowed to walk the trails with Poppy, we enjoyed the overlooks and stunning views as much as the first time we saw them.
We even made sure to stop at the same overlook where the photo below of me and Kelso was taken. I realized afterward that we were on a different outcropping, but memorable nonetheless. We did our best to recreate the photo from memory with Poppy and scattered some of Kelso’s ashes.
As always, one of our favorite parts of traveling is meeting people, and we had quite a few interesting conversations during our stays at both locations. The van is always the starting point. I always walk away from these encounters learning something new.
Next stop: The Black Hills
WanderLyd 