Weesa's Next Great National Parks Adventure - NoDak & SoDak

I'm looking forward to seeing the awesome pictures from this trip. Extra vacation FTW!

 

Hey Lisa,

Good to see you back doing your thing...your threads are about all i check on this site lately,
so haven't seen you post in a while, was worried you had some health issues or met the sharp
end of a bear...haha...

Enjoy the new adventure, looks like it will be epic.

Best,
Paul

 

I'm from South Dakota. I have been to the badlands area many times. Be sure to go through Badlands park. Check out Spearfish Canyon too. Stop in Wall Drug so you can say you have been there. There are signs all over the world saying how many miles it is to Wall Drug.

 

Also from South Dakota, hey friend. Badlands national park is spectacular! I try to camp there a few times a year. If your up in spearfish canyon in the black hills (you should) community falls is a really cool little hike and more known only by locals. If it were me, I'd get fuel and an overpriced lunch in wall drug and head straight for the badlands...

 

All the locals know Wall Drug is a tourist trap, as does anyone with a brain. Having said that, I secretly look forward to a walk through the Wall Drug compound and most locals would admit that too. It is an iconic spot in South Dakota with a ton of history and quircky stuff to see. I would be surprised if you didn't find something cool to photograph there! I shoot with a Canon 5D and wouldn't think of going to Wall without it. It is also kind of the gateway to the badlands area and a good place to stretch your legs after a long drive. The scenery only gets better once you pass Wall.

 

Where do you plan on staying the night? Staying at a hotel, camper, or tenting it? From the looks of your route spearfish canyon wouldn't be to far out of the way and you'll pass through pactola reservoir on your way into rapid! It's really pretty and you can't miss it. Nice spot to stretch the legs.

 

There is a WHOLE lot of awesome places to visit in the Black Hills, looks like most of your trip is currently taking you to the southern hills and Spearfish Canyon is in the northern hills, I would highly recommend taking a look at the canyon as it is beautiful anytime of the year. if you could possibly spend a few days more here you would be amazed at some of the sights, and I'm not talking Mt. Rushmore or crazy Horse, both of which are impressive in their own right. There's Ice cave, bear trap cave and igloo cave all near wind cave (all of which you have to walk to but I would assume that wouldn't be a big issue.) Custer State Park of course to drive the wildlife loop and say hello to the cops, I mean burrows, (yes I do really mean burrows I am not one for disparaging police officers.) further North from there is Mystic and in that general area is a ruins of an old cabin that President Calvin Coolidge would visit anytime he was out here staying at the old Sylvan Lake Lodge (you should also go see that). About half a mile from there ( the old ruins) is a place called the hole in the wall, a group of miners blasted a mine shaft all the way through the mountain and the remnants of the old beds are still in there. Needles highway on the way to Rushmore with its 3 pig tail bridges. Flag Mountain near Deerfield Lake is one of the highest mountains in the area and is accessible by road all but the last 200-300 feet of which you again have to walk but its super easy. Its an old fire look out on top of the mountain and has a pristine view of the hills in all directions.

As far as food stuffs is concerned Sugar Shack on hwy 385 has some of the best burgers you will ever put in your mouth and Cousins right next door has GREAT pizza, if you are in to prime rib, Legends Steakhouse in the basement of the Franklin Hotel in Deadwood has the best prime this side of any where and will also make for about 2-4 meals in of itself depending on your appetite. There is Jambonz in Sturgis that has good Cajun cuisine and then the Bay Leaf and Leon's Creamery in Spearfish have great food and ice cream respectively and are a block or so from each other.

there is so so so much more to do here so please just ask. I have barely managed to describe the tip of the massive iceberg of things there are to do here.

lol also obviously I live here and have ventured far off the beaten path to mind cool and unique areas.

 

I'm not at a computer right now just my phone but I'll get more info to ya on Saturday, just didn't want you thinking I wasn't gonna respond

 

Don't worry about the bugs.....they are only big enough to harm small children and the elderly. You should be fine with all of your immunizations up to date.

 

The Theodore Roosevelt National Park North Unit is worth the tiny detour to go north at Belfield 45 miles. The North Unit is way cooler than the South Unit(Medora). The to get back to Dickinson you can go from Grassy Butte to Killdeer and then south to Dickinson. I grew up in Grassy Butte so I know that area quite well. And for your photography fun, the "Old Post Office" in Grassy Butte is really cool. It is now a little tiny museum but the building itself is great to photograph. It is in lots of calendars of North Dakota. And 3 miles north of Grassy Butte on the land that I grew up on is now an Emu Farm. Kinda cool to see a bunch of Emu in North Dakota. If your in interested I can pin it on a map so you can see where it is. Only a couple hundred yards off the highway between Grassy Butte and the North Unit.

 

In the north unit a hike up Battleship Butte just inside the gate is a must for me every time I go back. Just a cool short hike. I think alot of it might be because of childhood memories of hiking it. We would always climb the face and it has been like 10 years since I have been there so it might even be shut down from going up the face. It is dangerous and we can't let people make their own decisions anymore. And the other really nice thing in the north unit is to make the drive through it and there is almost always lots of bison on or just off the road.

 

Sadly Flintstones village has closed. I know, sorry to burst that bubble. Now back to your question from a few days ago, I do not know to many out of the way campsites, I personally don't use the camp sites at all, usually find a good dirt road/ trial and make my way back up in there and find a quiet peaceful spot. That being said you can't really have a fire of any kind unless it is in the campsites so I always pack MREs, loved them when I was in the military and still love them now, (minus the breakfast vegie omelet, Satan called he wants his food back.) As far as bugs go, honestly they aren't to bad overall but just in case couldn't hurt to pack the screen if you can spare the cargo.