Badlands South Dakota May 2007

[mike h]

I'm planning a trip from May 15 - June 3 that will take me from Maine to Salt Lake City direct (rt 80), then down to Moab for a weeklong reunion with friends. On the return leg, I want to explore South Dakota for about 3 days. Looking for some remote 4wd traverses of the prairies, grasslands, badlands, with an eventual stop at Rushmore. Not hardcore wheeling - just some remote pitches for solitude and photography. Prefer the remote BLM style of camping - we generally avoid all National and State Park campgrounds.

I've never been to SD, so I'm open to anything.

m.

 

[fisher205]

Mike,
The Badlands are closed off to any off roading even a bike. The hiking and road biking is great. There is a undeveloped campground that is pretty( I've had buffalo stroll through my campsite). The national grasslands to the east have some roads.The Black Hills have more of a variety of camping options and trails. Sorry I'll be out of the country during the timeframe you'll be through - Brad

 

[kcowyo]

She hasn't been online here in awhile, but it might be worth emailing Claudia/Dsrtrdr for some suggestions. She's in NE but has done trips in SD.

I've done mostly the tourist stuff in the Black Hills (Deadwood, Sturgis, Rushmore, etc.) but never any trails. I kind of think the Crazy Horse Memorial is overrated for the effort it takes to get there, but you might check it out. I would visit Mt. Rushmore and not feel bad at all for missing Crazy Horse. Custer State park is definitely worth a visit for the history buff.

Near Badlands NP, there are some mild and remote trails in the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands. It's been 10+ years since I was over there, but I did some running around the Grasslands in a stock Jeep. Very mild two tracks and very scenic.

I have www.BlackHillsBadlands.com bookmarked in my favorites for SD and Black Hills info, but I canceled a planned 4WD trip there so I don't have any first hand knowledge of trails in the Black Hills. I do know they do a big Jeep Jamboree there in the Fall that usually gets a write up in the Primemedia mags. Looks like the trails go from mild to wild.

Shoot, now you have me reconsidering a trip over there. Hope yours is a good one!

 

[awalter]

KC,

I am the opposite, I prefer the Crazy Horse Memorial over Mt. Rushmore, but folks should visit both of them. Custer State Park is also a must see, a lot of history there.

Al

 

[fisher205]

Mike, Sorry I meant to get back to this and expand on the trip possibilities. In the Black Hills a good trip is to follow the roads along the WY / SD border. It is totally away from the usual tourist areas and though it is a good road network you probably won't see anyone but loggers or Forest Service crews during the week and a few locals on the weekend.

Another suggestion is to get the book "Exploring with Custer". Custer's 1874 expedition to the Black Hills had with it: scientists, mining engineers, newspaper men, a band and an excellent photographer. The writers follow the expedition with GPS and recreate the photo points. A fun read if nothing else. - Brad

 

[mike h]

Follow up: I never made it to the Badlands, but had a great roadtrip from Maine to Ohio, then on to Moab for a week, and back to Maine. 6000 miles in the Pathfinder over 22 days. Most of the trip (Ohio and back) I had a co-driver, Jeff, an old road trip companion who is a photographer by trade. It wasn't a camping trip, although we had camping gear, we stayed with friends, or got cheap hotels, and in Moab rented a condo...not my usual style of travel. Moab was spent mtn biking with friends, not any real wheeling other than post-ride roadtrips to Shaefer trail, White Rim and Hurrah Pass and on a bit deeper, and up to Porcupine Rim. I spent a few years in the CO/UT area in the 90s so I know Moab pretty well.

We decided to skip the South Dakota pitch and return via a southern traverse across the Uncompahgre Plateau in Colorado, over to Montrose, CO and Rt 50. Then we took old Route 50 all the way across the plains and back to Ohio, and on towards DC - no interstates! 3 days of really great small-town America travel, on Memorial Day weekend - highly recommended route.

We did a big part of the drive out non-stop: Ohio to Denver - well, there was a 90 minute snooze in a rest area in Missouri at 4am - sleeping in the front bucket seats - this wore us out (reality check - we aren't 20 anymore!) so we decided the return trip would be a calmer drive. That was what put us on rt 50, and it was a great decision.

I have about 1500 pictures to sort thru and I'll post a follow up and webpage when I get around to it.

With James Bay recently completed in March, and this cross-country run in May, the Nissan needs a serious cleaning and a tune-up. I have a 1 week backcountry trip in Maine coming up in July, and in August I'm heading to the Outer Banks.

I think I need a Sportsmobile...

m.