Badlands NP

The next morning we started out on a hike up Notch Trail.

The trail went winding through the canyons and ended with a beautiful view looking down on the rest of the Badlands. The formations were sprinkled with hidden caves and crevices, which were definitely worth exploring.

Erin and I exploring one of the caves along the trail.

Early blooming wildflowers lit up the trail - pink, yellow, and purple.

Yellow cactus flower along the trail.

Rain accompanied us the next day on our hike. The trail climbed steeply up a ridge and spit us out in a prairie, where we then traversed around the outside of the rock formations. We found out the hard way that these rock formations turn into sticky clay when wet, and we were covered in mud by the time we made it back to the car.

Me hiking through the prairies alongside the Badlands. (Photo courtesy of Adam) 

Our boots were so muddy that we had to tie them to the roof for a couple days.

After our hike, we drove down into the valley at the edge of Badlands National Park, where we camped for the night. As we ate dinner a couple bison grazed in the field right along side of us. We spotted a good number of different wildlife while in the Badlands - a few bison herds, an entire prairie dog town, and even a bighorn sheep!

A beautiful bighorn sheep crossing the prairie in Badlands NP, South Dakota.

Prairie Dog

Grazing bison.