Ahhhh….The Badlands…
If we can’t be backpacking, this is how we want to explore our national parks. We were able to take several full days here, which meant that no day was rushed. We got up in the morning, knocked out school work and spent the afternoons covering nearly every day hike the park had to offer.
The Badlands has an open hike policy. This means that you are allowed to hike off trail and as long as you do so safely, you can really explore the rock formations and surrounding area. For kids like ours, this translates to “heaven”. Â A million years ago, The Badlands was the first national park I ever experienced on my first trip westward from Indiana. It was (and still is) surreal and beautiful and otherworldly. I was hooked on national parks and “the west” and trails and everything outside from that moment on.
Our kids had a similar experience with The Badlands. Being able to go anywhere in the park and climb whatever they wanted and see the views that looked like the moon go on for miles was overwhelmingly perfect for them. Â The basic hikes that are available there are good for a variety of skill levels – many of them are on boardwalks to make them very accessible. There are a few that require a bit more courage and no fear of heights, but I handed those off to Brian to cover with the kids.
We stayed less than 2 minutes outside of the park at The Badlands Interior Motel and Campground. We had every bit of the same views that folks had staying inside of the park, but our site had the added benefit of full hookups and a playground. (It’s the little things that make life nice when you’re living on the road with a family). Our kids took full advantage of the playground and both of them made quick friends with some of the other littles that were there. One of the real treats of this playground was the time that Jovie got to spend with our RV neighbor, Miss Linda.
Miss Linda has been a full-timer for years and while outside, she noticed Jovie’s extreme interest in the beautiful rocks that were used on the RV pads in the park. As an avid rock collector herself, she took the time to teach Jovie tons about the rocks that were there (apparently, there was a reason to be impressed with the casual display under the rig – in that area, the majority of basic “gravel” is scooped up from the bottom of the Snake River). Jovie learned about, then went in search of, bubblegum agate, jasper, rose quartz…and the list goes on. Miss Linda introduced her to what life was like with a rock tumbler and our little rock collector was hooked. We left with bags of rocks, a wealth of knowledge and a new friend that Jovie still references regularly.
