Midwest National Parks

Holy cow, no posts since 2013. Well, there are a lot of national parks in the midwest, along with some BLM, national forests & grasslands, lots of US Fish and Wildlife Refuges. No off-roading in most of them, but there are some roads and trails available, lots of wildlife, lakes, streams, campsites, dispersed camping (camping where there is no designated campground).

Also, it kinda depends on where your definition of "midwest" is...it kind of imperceptibly merges into the "west". Like, is Theodore Roosevelt NP the "west" or the "midwest".

 

what are your thoughts on Fort Randall Dam?
gotta be something of back roads around the area?

 

The SDGFP website shows some State Recreation Areas and Game Production Areas, and Karl E. Mundt National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge itself is closed to the public but apparently has some great bald eagle viewing sites. Roads, again, kinda depends on your definition of back roads, it looks like there are a few. I have driven through the area years ago, might have to visit again.

 

I think it's prohibited in most national parks with exception to a bunch of the ones in the southwest. As for National Forests there's typically tons of USFS roads and two-tracks you can wheel on if you have an ORV permit.