Our August 2017 trip to Minnesota and the Dakotas continued with a visit to Badlands National Park near Wall, South Dakota. SD-240 is a 40 mile road that begins at exit 131 on Interstate 90 and ends in the town of Wall at exit 110 on I-90. The route includes 27.7 miles inside the park as Badlands Loop Road. Mileage on SD-240 in the park is measured from the park boundary at the Northeast Entrance station.
We learned from our previous visit in 2008 that we needed to drive the scenic Badlands Loop Road from west to east to have the best views of the park. To reach the park from Wall, head south on SD-240 for about seven miles. About ¼ mile into the park, you'll reach the Pinnacles Entrance. Past the entrance station, the road turns southeast where it descends from the prairie to the base of the Badlands and ascends back to the prairie several times along the route.
Pinnacles Overlook (MP 26.5)
 |
| Wooden stairs down to the overlook |
Ancient Hunters Overlook (MP 25.9)
 |
| Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) on hillside above the road |
Pullout MP 24.7
Pullout MP 24.5
 |
| Road slumping with the terrain |
Pullout MP 23.5 (100 yards east of Conata Basin Road)
Yellow Mounds Overlook (MP 23.3)
Conata Basin Overlook (MP 22.6)
An entrance fee of $20 admits all the passengers of a single vehicle for seven consecutive days to Badlands National Park. A fee of $10 applies to motorcyclists. Other entrance fee options include a Badlands National Park Annual Pass for $40, an Every Kid in a Park 4th Grade Pass for free, and a variety of America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes providing access to most national park, national forest, and BLM fee areas
- Annual Pass for $80
- Military Pass for free
- Lifetime Senior Pass for $80 or $20 annually for those age 62 and older
- Access Pass for free for visitors with a permanent disability
The park website is
https://www.nps.gov/badl.
No comments:
Post a Comment