Don't shower your friends with rocks!

Woke up at Badlands Interior Campground around 7:30. Breakfast of peanut butter sandwiches/toast and coffee was had. Showered up, packed up camp, and went to the Visitor Center.

From there we did two hikes: the first was a 1.5mi hike on the Notch trail near the Visitor Center. Lots of sandstone rock climbing, with a very cool view at the end. The second was a longer, 4.5 mile hike on the Medicine Root loop. We hiked through a long prairie before getting to these huge plateau and canyons. Unbelievable views.

The Badlands was named so by French trappers in the 1800's, mostly because of how difficult it was to traverse. I can imagine so, considering how quickly the terrain changes from prairie to sandstone canyon. Got so many good pictures, but they're all on the fancy camera.

It seems so desolate now, but it teemed with life before American settlement. When it became a national park in the 1930's, there were no bison remaining. A population was reintroduced in the 1960's, and we saw a whole bunch on our way out the back of Badlands. It was a dirt road for 20 miles with amazing panoramic views.

From Badlands, we drove an hour to Rapid City, which was another depressing South Dakota "city". Got some groceries and utilities before driving south to our campground in Custer State Park.

Our plan was to see Mt. Rushmore at night, but our late arrival at camp, added with our tired/laziness pushed it to tomorrow. Our plan for tomorrow is Rushmore, Wind Cave, and then a 300 mile drive to Cody, WY.

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