Travel from Badlands to Hot Springs, South Dakota

We drove our coach 132 miles, about 2 hours of driving, from Badlands, South Dakota to Hot Springs, South Dakota.

Here’s the map route, heading west then south:

Route

An interactive map:

As mentioned yesterday, I added a mount for my 360 camera to the truck; it’s a magnetic mount, but I also secured it with three tethers, out of an abundance of caution:

Camera mount on truck

The camera mounted on the truck; I thought it would be fun to record the view from the truck on travel day:

Camera mounted on truck

The truck connected to the coach (aka toaded); ready to go:

Truck connected to coach

After leaving the campground, crossing White River:

White River

Badlands:

Badlands

Cowboy Corner in Interior, South Dakota:

Cowboy Corner

Badlands:

Badlands

A prairie dog town:

Prairiedog town

Bison:

Bison

Roadworks:

Roadworks

I caught a stowaway wasp:

Wasp

Badlands

Leaving Badlands National Park; the Badlands was good:

Leaving Badlands

The roads were not so good (using my max-zoom technique to show the bumps):

Rough road

Big sunflower field going to seed:

Big sunflower field going to seed

Dinosaur:

Dinosaur

Road

Travel center lunch stop:

Travel center lunch stop

The camera was still there (I took it inside to secure and charge it during our lunch stop; check out today’s travel video for the fun footage):

Camera still there

Travel center lunch stop

Questionable food choices:

Questionable food choices

Onward:

SD-79

The Mammoth Site:

The Mammoth Site

The city of Hot Springs has some nice historic architecture:

Hot Springs

Our destination:

Our destination

Our site:

Our site

Our coach:

Our coach

Again, check out the travel video in the next post for a combination of the usual coach dash cam footage plus the 360 cam perspective from the truck. An unusual view!

(And if you haven’t yet subscribed to the Sinclair Trails YouTube channel, please do so. It doesn’t cost anything, but will help me build my channel, which will let me do more with it.)

Video

Video: Badlands National Park timelapse

A series of clips of timelapse video from my 360 camera as we explored Badlands National Park.

Badlands National Park

We visited Badlands National Park several times while staying nearby. Badlands was good lands; we enjoyed exploring the park.

Here’s a map; most of the scenic stuff is in the North Unit:

An interactive map:

Entrance sign

Relief map in the visitor center:

Relief map in visitor center

Exhibits in visitor center:

Exhibits in visitor center

Pressed penny:

Pressed penny

Badlands:

Badlands

The Stronghold Unit visitor center:

Stronghold visitor center

Badlands

Back to the North Unit:

Badlands

RVers camping on the top of the wall:

RVers camping on the top of the wall

Big horn sheep:

Badlands

Cows on the road:

Cows

Badlands

We enjoyed the badlands.

Travel from Spearfish to Badlands, South Dakota

We drove our coach 127 miles, about 2 hours of driving, from Spearfish, South Dakota to Badlands, South Dakota.

Here’s the map route, heading southeast:

Route

An interactive map:

Leaving our site, in a cloud of dust from the gravel:

Leaving our site

Leaving the campground:

Leaving the campground

Heading east on I-90:

I-90

Rapid City exit:

Rapid City exit

A fuel stop at Flying J; we don’t get a discount there, and have to go in to pay, but it was more convenient to our route:

Fuel stop

Almost 82 gallons of diesel, a bit over half a tank:

81 gallons of diesel

We parked our coach, with the generator running so the ACs would keep it cool, and went in to have lunch:

Parked

At the Country Market restaurant in the Flying J:

Restaurant

Menu:

Breakfast for lunch; a little underdone:, but tasty enough:

Breakfast for lunch

We had a choice between continuing on I-90, or going on SD-44; we opted for the highway, since we generally prefer them to freeways:

SD-44

A sea of sad sunflowers, done blooming and going to seed:

Sad sunflowers

Entering Badlands National Park:

Entering Badlands National Park

Badland National Park

Roadworks; driving on gravel isn’t particularly enjoyable in our coach, so we kinda regretted our choice to come this way (we knew that there was roadworks, but didn’t expect a lack of paving):

Roadworks

A prairie dog town (one visible by the fence):

Prairie dog town

An old cabin and pond:

Old cabin and pond

Badland National Park

Interior, SD, population 94:

Interior, SD

Badland National Park

White River:

White River

Our destination:

Our destination

Guided to our site:

Guided to our site

On his recommendation, we untoaded (unhooked our truck from our coach) before reaching the site, then followed separately:

Following coach

Parking in our site:

Parking in our site

Theodore Roosevelt National Park South Unit

We also visited the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota.

The South Unit is easier to get to, and thus more popular, but in our opinion not quite as interesting. Still scenic, though. This post is about the South Unit; see yesterday’s post for the North Unit.

Here’s a map:

Map

An interactive map:

Entrance:

Entrance

Info signs:

Info signs

Info signs:

Info signs

Display:

Display

Gift store:

Gift store

Exhibits:

Exhibits

Cabin

Jenn and David:

Jenn and David

View

Prairie dog town:

Prairie dog town

Scenery

Wild horses:

Wild horses

Scenery

Bison:

Bison

Scenery

Bison

Scenery

Wild horses:

Wild horses

Scenery

Hike:

Hike

Scenery

Bison

Theodore Roosevelt National Park North Unit

We visited the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota.

The park is split into the North and South Units. The North Unit is a bit more remote and less popular, but in our opinion more scenic. This post is about the North Unit; see tomorrow’s post for the South Unit.

Here’s a map:

An interactive map:

The entrance:

Entrance

Info signs:

Signs

The Visitor Center is just a modular building:

Visitor Center

Heading into the park:

Scenery

Bison:

Bison

Scenery

A viewpoint:

Scenery

Nice rustic scenery.

Travel from Yellowstone to Cody, Wyoming

We drove our coach 80 miles, about 2.5 hours of very scenic driving, from Yellowstone, Wyoming to Cody, Wyoming.

Here’s the map route, heading east:

Route

An interactive map, with potential stops; we had lunch at Newton Spring Picnic Site, and got some fuel at the Sinclair station:

We paused bringing in the slide to let the pooled rain drain off:

Rain coming off slide

A GIF of checking the brake controller; the air brakes of the coach triggers this piston that pushes the brake pedal in our truck for proportional braking assistance:

Brake controller

Checking the truck lights:

Light check

Another check, moving the coach forward a couple of feet to engage the tow bar and make sure the truck wheels turn freely (reversing GIF):

Pull test

Leaving the campground; starting the Bluefire app for coach info:

Leaving campground; starting Bluefire app

The coach GPS mistakenly said “No Recreational Vehicles Allowed” again inside the park:

No Recreational Vehicles Allowed

Yellowstone Lake:

Yellowstone Lake

One of the last glimpses of a geyser:

Geyser

And a bison:

Bison

And deer:

Deer

A very scenic drive on the way out of the park:

Scenic

Leaving from the east entrance of Yellowstone National Park:

Leaving from the east entrance

Leaving Yellowstone National Park

The scenic drive continues outside the park; rather Utah-like:

Scenic

We stopped at Newton Spring Picnic Area for lunch:

Newton Spring Picnic Area

Lunch:

Lunch

Paladin sitting on upturned dining chairs:

Paladin on upturned dining chairs

Onward:

Scenic

Smith Mansion:

Smith Mansion

Scenic

Three tunnels by Buffalo Bill Reservoir:

Tunnel

Scenic

Cody:

Cody

A fuel stop at a Sinclair station; not needed, since only down a third of a tank, but gives us peace of mind, since there are no truck stops along this route, other than stations like this:

Fuel stop