How often do you have an experience that actually exceeds your expectations?
For many years, I had heard about the Badlands and not known much more than just a few pictures that I had seen? And that was about it.
So when we came here, I really didn't know what to expect.
In fact, it was far better and more alien and exotic in look and feel than what I had expected. Many of America's national parks are famous, and with good reason. Think of the Grand Canyon, or Yellowstone, or Yosemite, or the Great Smoky Mountains.
Almost everyone would label those as the upper tier of the national parks in United States, right?
But you rarely really hear about the Badlands. I had seen pictures of a strange landscape that looked like a desert almost. Indeed, this is accurate, for that matter.
Yet, the Badlands were also so much more than that.
Each corner felt like it revealed something new. The hills, or small mountains, or whatever they are called - I heard the actual term but never remember it, for some reason - provide a different landscape all of the time. Some are incredibly jagged, while others are more well rounded. Some are massive and can be climbed. Some are tiny and appear too fragile to climb.
All of this is what the Badlands consists of.
However, there is just so much more to this place.
To me, the Badlands were almost like a mixture of other places that I had seen and experienced. It sometimes looked and felt like the Southwestern desert, not least of all because of the intense heat. Yet, it also at points resembles the Grand Canyon. There were parts that reminded me a bit of Yellowstone. And then there were other parts that revealed the rolling hills of tall grass of the Great Plains.
There was tumbleweed traveling across the landscape. This probably is no big deal for people who live out West, but it still fascinated me! We saw buffalo grazing on the hills, much like we had at Yellowstone years ago. There were some strong winds which sometimes whistled and once - very briefly - howled, just like in the movies. I could not help but imagine what such a strong breeze might feel like during the frigid winter months.
All of this felt fantastic. It was all what I thought about and longed for when thinking about the West.
And it all seemed to come together and be present during our visit to the Badlands.
We climbed atop one of the bigger hills, and indeed, it seemed like every step offered an entirely new and unique landscape than what you saw before. That was in the evening, after the peak temperatures had lowered and cooled a bit.
Early the next morning, I woke up early and took a walk, and climbed a much smaller - yet surprisingly steep! - hill, or abutment, or whatever they are called. The lighting at different times of the day makes these hills look and even feel different. The shadows that grow prominently in the morning and evening lend them a dramatic look and feel.
What an incredible experience!
We did not rush our visit. We climbed in the late afternoon/early evening, after setting up camp, of course. At night, we found a quiet place and just lay there. Sometimes we talked. But often we just stayed silent. We listened to the incredible silence, although it was not always quiet. The wind rustled the bushes. A couple of times, we heard the howling of coyotes off in the distance, also just like in the movies.
The next morning, I woke up very early. Nobody was up yet. I had the place to myself, or so it felt. So I walked up to the closest hills - the campground was very close and offered some magnificent views - and took some pictures, also enjoying the cool morning air and breathing in deeply.
When I got back to the camp, it was busy. Seemingly everyone was up and in the process of taking down their tents or preparing their RV's for departure. Eventually, I woke up my son and we did the Badlands loop.
Again, what an amazing experience. Should you, the reader, ever come here, I would recommend breaking your visit up among two days. Camp here overnight. It is worth the extra experiences, such as hearing coyotes in the distance. Climb. Walk. Do the loop. Find wherever the buffalo herds are. We found them scattered throughout the park.
Take your time. Give yourself a break from the every day. Soak up this astonishing, hauntingly beautiful place.
Again , this was a place and an experience that actually far exceeded my expectations.
Give it a shot, and it very well may just exceed yours as well.
Below are some pictures of our visit to the Badlands.
Enjoy!
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