2023 Epic Summer Road Trip, Part 2 (Badlands National Park)

This is the second in a series of posts sharing photos from a 21-day road trip with my older brother, last month.

Steve and I had a full day to explore Badlands National Park on June 12. We started the morning at the western end of the park watching the soft early day light release the pastel hues of the landscape. As the day progressed, we visited Conata Basin, and Burns Basin overlooks, watched the cliff swallows buzzing about at Fossil Exhibit Trailhead, took in a couple of prairie dog shows in the grasslands near Panorama Point, admired the bison bulls grazing the sweet summer grass, and spied a battle-torn coyote stalking a meal. It was a fine day in South Dakota.

Soft morning light illuminates the emerald plains at Conata Basin Overlook in the Badlands.

Sunlight kisses the Badlands formations at Burns Basin Overlook.

Badlands cliff swallows at the Fossil Exhibit Trailhead.

A prairie dog pup snuggles close to Mom in Badlands National Park.

An old channel zags and zigs its way through the otherworldly formations of Badlands National Park.

Bison bulls graze on sweet summer grass in the Badlands.

A battle-torn coyote prowls the tall grass at sunset in Badlands National Park.

Bill (left) and Steve Ferris at Badlands National Park.

Amazing photos Bill, I'm so jealous of your trip 😍

Great pictures, Bill. I'm a sucker for prairie dogs!

David

Thank you. I wasn't expecting Badlands to be so green. It was like a golf course designer had snuck in and installed some greens while everyone was looking the other way :)

We were also very fortunate with the weather. Other than a couple of cloudy, rainy days at Grand Teton, we were treated to partly cloudy, cool weather in all the parks.

Thank you, David. They are cute and, in the safe environment of a national park, not disturbed by a photographer parking roadside and making a few snaps through an open window 😊

We passed through at the end of last July and it sure wasn't green. 🤠 But there was a lot of rain this spring and it is interested to see the Badlands not look so "bad." We're headed out for a long tour starting in the Badlands, then 4 days at Burgress Junction in the Big Horns, three days on the top of the "great divide" at Togwotee Pass and on to Jackson Hole coming back through Dinosaur National Monument and on Great Sand Dunes for a couple days, leaving in two days. Given the heat and humidity this summer in FL, all I can say is Road Trip! 👍

Truman, while you're in Jackson Hole, if you've got time in your schedule for a side trip to Dubois, Wyoming to visit the National Museum of Military Vehicles, it's quite impressive. Here's wishing you a fine adventure and safe travels.

We were there a year ago, along at the Big Horn Sheep Museum in Dubois. Both well worth the trip. We pull out tomorrow - truck packed and the animal setters are set. Road Trip.

Cute prairie dog kiss... and awesome eyebrows on your brother! 😄

Thanks for sharing your trip - I enjoy seeing the scenery.

Truman

Enjoy your trip to Wyoming. Last week I was just out of burgess jct and saw a large heard of elk with fawns and about 10 moose along the highway. Also they said on the news that the aurora should visible in Wyoming as far south as Cheyenne on Thursday.