Visiting a national park for the first time is always a special experience. It is even better when you are able to camp right inside the park. Cedar Pass Campground in Badlands National Park is very centrally located and has great views. It only provides electric, which is okay with us anytime we staying in a campground a week or less. The first two days we were in the park, we had great weather in the 70’s and 80’s, and were able to get in quite a few hikes. We hiked the Notch Trail at sunrise, which was beautiful. I was a little nervous coming down the ladder, but it wasn’t too scary. My favorite hike was the Castle Trail, a 10 mile out and back trail that allowed you to see so many rock formations, canyons and spires. The Badlands Loop Road was a very scenic drive where we also saw bighorn sheep, prairie dogs and bison. The last two days we were there were cold and stormy. We felt bad for all the people staying in tents in the park, but they were pretty resilient.
Devils Tower National Monument was our first stop in Wyoming since 2018. We were fortunate to stay in a KOA that was only a block or two from the entrance, with spectacular views of the tower. It was wonderful to be able to run, hike and drive to the tower during our visit. The best hike was the Red Beds trail that took you through the woods and around the monument. We watched the movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” again, which was cool to see being so close to the tower.
Next, we continue our westward trek towards Yellowstone.
Entrance to Badlands National Park
Sunrise View
Early Morning Hike
Big Horn Sheep Rams
Climbing Down the Ladder on the Notch Trail
Leucistic Prairie Dogs
Badlands View
Favorite Hike in the Park
Gorgeous Clouds in the Badlands
