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.

Minuteman Missile National Historic Site

“World-wide delivery in 30 minutes or less, or your next one is free.”

The Minuteman Missile National Historic Site features a visitor center, Delta-01 missile control center, and Delta-09 missile silo of the Minuteman II nuclear missile system.

Visitor Center:

Visitor Center

We did a ranger-guided tour of the Delta-01 Launch Control Center (which requires an advance reservation):

Delta-01 Launch Control Center

A small elevator down:

Delta-01 Launch Control Center

A big door:

Delta-01 Launch Control Center

A video of a simulated missile launch:

Delta-09 Missile Silo:

Delta-09 Missile Silo

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

Mount Rushmore National Memorial

Mount Rushmore National Memorial is one of the most famous monuments in the country, though with some problematic history.

Entrance sign

Mount Rushmore

George Washington, First President of the United States:

George Washington

Thomas Jefferson, Third President of the United States:

Thomas Jefferson, Third President of the United States

Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States:

Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States

Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States:

Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States

Mount Rushmore

Selfie

Exhibit Hall:

Exhibit Hall

Mount Rushmore

Store

Mount Rushmore

Profile View:

Profile View

Crazy Horse Memorial

A massive monument in South Dakota is the Crazy Horse Memorial, a mountain-sized monument to an American Indian war leader named Crazy Horse. The monument was started by one guy in 1948, and is far from completion. Official website.

Crazy Horse entrance

Crazy Horse Memorial

The Welcome Center:

Welcome Center

Visitor Center

Crazy Horse Memorial

Visitor Center

A model of the planned finished product:

Model

Compare the model to the current state:

Model

Progress pictures:

Visitor Center

The artists studio:

Visitor Center

Progress pictures:

Visitor Center

Model:

Visitor Center

Another look at the current state:

Crazy Horse Memorial

Jewel Cave National Monument

We did a ranger-guided tour of Jewel Cave National Monument in South Dakota.

Entrance

Jenn getting her park passport stamp:

Stamp

Map

A map of the explored portions of the cave; it’s massive:

Cave map

Exhibits:

Exhibits

Gift store:

Gift store

Elevators to head down into the cave:

Elevators

The jewels of Jewel Cave:

The jewels of Jewel Cave

Cave formations

Cave formations and ranger

Cave formations

Lots of stairs:

Steps

Cave formations

Cave bacon:

Cave formations

Lots and lots of stairs:

Steps

Cave formations

Everyone needed to walk through a White Nose Syndrome mat when exiting:

White Nose Syndrome mat

Black Hills area

While staying in Spearfish, South Dakota, and later while staying in Hot Springs, South Dakota, we visited several of the nearby scenic byways and towns in the Black Hills area, including Spearfish, Belle Fourche, Deadwood, Custer, and Hot Springs, amongst others. This post is a collection of some interesting pictures from this region. (Several big attractions of this area, including Crazy Horse Memorial, Mount Rushmore National Monument, Custer State Park, Iron Mountain Road, and Wind Cave National Park, will be covered in separate posts.)

We really enjoyed the Black Hills area, and could see ourselves buying property here one day. Though we still have lots more of the country to see, so you never know!

Here’s an interactive map of the Black Hills area; part of it is in Wyoming, but the majority is in South Dakota:

Roughlock Falls Road, south of Spearfish:

Roughlock Falls Road

Spearfish Canyon Highway:

Spearfish Canyon Highway

Some mountain goats licking something on the road:

Spearfish Canyon Highway

Another day, still there:

Spearfish Canyon Highway

Custer:

Custer

Lunch at the Purple Pie Place:

Custer

Keystone:

Keystone

Deadwood:

Deadwood

Hill City:

Hill City

Dinner in Lead:

Lead

Dinner in Rapid City:

Dinner

Belle Fourche:

Belle Fourche

Belle Fourche claims to be the geographic center of the US, when including Alaska and Hawaii:

Belle Fourche

Hot Springs:

Hot Springs

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