Badlands National Park

South Dakota

Badlands National Park — Year Two. It’s our go-west tradition now. This time we based at Sleepy Hollow Campground in Wall, just 7 minutes from the Pinnacles Entrance. We rolled in at daybreak and the whole park glowed gold — perfect timing. Bighorn sheep wandered the cliffs like it was their stage.

Last year, the mid-day heat kept us from hiking. This year? We hit the trails. Together we did The Door Trail (easy boardwalks into otherworldly formations), and I braved the Notch Trail — through a canyon and up that famous ladder. Honestly? Not as scary as it looks. Total bucket-list hike.

Timing made it wild: we left home August 1st and rolled straight into Sturgis Bike Rally madness. The rally energy spilled way beyond town — every road, every stopover was buzzing. It made the trip more electric but also way more crowded.

Next time we’ll finally tick off Wind Cave NP, but this round we blasted west — Badlands to Red Lodge, Montana — gearing up for a sunrise drive over the Beartooth Highway into Yellowstone (with a Billings pit stop along the way).

Where to Stay

Camping: Sleepy Hollow RV Park (Wall), Cedar Pass Campground (inside park), Sage Creek Campground (remote & free).
Lodging: Cedar Pass Lodge (cedarpasslodge.com, 877-386-4383), plus motels & inns in Wall (wall-badlands.com).

Badlands is raw, wild, and unforgettable — sunrise light, ladder climbs, and that “end of the Earth” vibe you can’t find anywhere else.

#BadlandsNationalPark #Sturgis2025 #RedLodgeMontana #BeartoothHighway #RoadtripVibes