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Badlands National Park: Hiking, Cool Rocks & Prairie Dogs
The beginning of any trip of mine is accompanied by an overly detailed packing list, fully charged battery packs, my journal and a sense of urgency to get the hell out of town.
Our adventure commenced at 6:00 a.m. as we set out from Omaha, Nebraska, bound for western South Dakota and, more precisely, Badlands National Park. We got our first sight of the Badlands’ rock formations at the Big Badlands Overlook quickly after entering the east entrance of the park around 3:00 p.m.
Pro tip: The America the Beautiful pass lets you enter the majority of National Parks for the annual fee of $80. Split it between you and a friend, and it pays for itself after two parks.
Trails and stops within Badlands National Park
We snagged a postcard, patch and stamp for our national parks passport books at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center before beginning our hikes. The trails we opted for, all of which I would recommend to any…