Day 4: Badlands National Park

A day mostly spent hiking at Badlands National Park, admiring the magnificient, rugged butte formations and expansive prairie of the Badlands. The sun exposure and heat were brutal. I was initially going to camp in the Badlands for two nights, but the campground I was at was disappointing and I decided to skip the second night. Instead, I decided to move and camp for two nights at the Elk Mountain Campground in Wind Cave National Park, located around 2 hours away and at nearly 8000’. I spent the last of the daylight on a cool evening hike near Wind Cave, returning to the car to the sound of howling coyotes, then drove out to a truck stop to get a desperately needed shower. I saw lightning on the distant horizon as I drove to the campground in the late evening and set up camp in the dark. The quiet and remoteness of the place felt chilling and exhilarating at the same time, though the spell broke the following morning, after seeing the throngs gathering at the nearby Visitor Center to see the caves that the National Park is known for.