Custer State Park and The Badlands

We have covered so much ground over the last few days I am not sure where to begin. We took US16 alternate route which is a Scenic Byway recommended by all the local literature, heading for Custer State Park we climbed up into the hills over ‘pigtail’ bridges, so called because you cross over the same road in a tight circle, and through tunnels cut at a precise angle so that the exit frames views of Mount Rushmoor.

The road winds and climbs with hairpin bends and more views of Mt Rushmoor this time framed by avenues cut into the forest of pine trees. Then down again and into Custer State Park, at first nothing was any different, and then suddenly as we turned a corner right on the side of the road a huge bull buffalo was just ambling along all by himself.

He took no notice of us as we stopped to take a photo, even so we moved on quickly. Then nothing again for a few miles, we followed the ‘Needles Highway’ signs onto Hwy 36 and back into the park through the main gate. The Ranger told us where the herds of buffalo had last been seen; some of the buffalo wear radio collars so that they can keep track of them.

Almost immediately we saw a group of buffalo on the road ahead and another group grazing on the hillside. Around the next corner a small group of donkeys are begging from the passing cars, we don’t escape and they leave nose marks on the windows and doors. Next we see wild turkeys in the long grass and then prong deer, and still more buffalo. We must have seen at least half of the estimated 1400 buffalo in the park. They say there are Mountain Lions and Coyote in the park as well but we didn’t see them.

After the wild life loop we head for Sylvan Lake for lunch and then back onto US16 alternate and over the pigtail bridges again and out of the park.

There was just enough time to visit Bear Country, a drive through Wildlife Park. There were Rocky Mountain goats, artic wolves, brown and grizzle bears, mountain lions, Rocky mountain elk and of course buffalo, but the best part was Babyland.

A keeper was playing with a nine month old Mountain lion club and because there weren’t many visitors, the keeper came with us to the young bear cubs and encouraged them out of their den with treats so that we could get some really great pictures.

As we walked around to the other side of their enclosure they followed and climbed the trees and wrestled with each other. There was also young lynx and a family of otters. I took so many pictures that the memory card was almost full when the battery gave out.

The next day we visited Rapid City, the downtown area is scattered with statues of past presidents and we visited a gun shop where Dave had a very long conversation with one of the assistants; the shop’s walls were covered with stuffed animals and birds. Our last stop was at a western store where after trying on loads of boots finally decided on a pair of cowboy boots each, both black but to Dave’s disappointment mine have silver decorations!

The next day we pack up and head for the Badlands. First we are to stop at Wall Drug Store where if the billboards are to be believed they have anything and everything your heart could desire. In fact it turned out to be a huge tourist trap selling souvenirs of the area; evidently it survived the great depression by giving away iced water to passers by to entice them in to purchase something. Today they offer coffee for 5c, it still seems to work! When we came out the snow was blowing across the road and the wind was bitter cold.

When we approached the Badlands National Park the sky was dark and it looked like the mountains from The Lord of the Rings movies. The ‘mud’ hills range from smooth and round to sharp and jagged, shaped by the wind and rain they form wild and weird shapes.

The colours change from yellow to green to beige depending on the silt that formed the sea bed they have been carved from and the rain washes the colours down the slopes like melted icing on a cake. The road wound its way up through Cedar Pass and then followed the edge of the cliffs until the grass lands took over at Cactus Flats. We had intended to make our night stop at Kadoka but a short tour changed our minds, instead we carried on to Murdo. The time changes here to Central Time so we put our watches on an hour and walked across the road to the Rusty Spur for supper.

In the morning we awoke to snow on the car and a bitter wind blowing again. We packed up and ventured into the Pioneer Auto Museum, a collection of buildings and barns filled with over 250 cars, trucks, tractors and other miscellaneous antique bric-a-brac. We spent a couple of hours looking around before we got so cold we had to give up and head indoors for a coffee. In the gift shop we found some mugs and a corvette t-shirt.

We got back out onto the I90 and at Kennebec we turned north on a detour along the Iron Nation Scenic Byway. It takes us through the Lower Brule Indian Reservation and along the banks of the Missouri River. The Black Hills are very evident here contrasted by the remaining snow and the only animals we have seen are prairie dogs. We crossed the river at Fort Thompson and then turned south on Hwy 50 to follow the east side of the river down to Chamberlain. I explored the excellent Akta Lakota Museum Collection housed within the School grounds and containing plains Indians history and artefacts. We had intended to stay in Chamberlain but again a short tour changed our minds so we travelled on to Mitchell.

The motel was warm but when we got up the car was frosted and the wind hadn’t got any warmer. We went into town to see the Corn Palace, Mitchell’s claim to fame. Originally built in 1892 it is decorated each year with over 275,000 ears of corn (maze) in 11 different colours. It takes them 3 months to completely redecorate the building each and every year inside and out; they saw the cobs in half and nail them to the building.

A short walk down Main Street we came across Harry Oxandaburu’s collection of safes. He has been collecting for 25 years and has over 60 of the two ton antiques. As we were the only visitors he gave us a personal tour of them with a short history of each piece. Amazingly it was very interesting.

Back on the road again heading for Sioux Falls….