Many people don't even know what The Badlands are but it sure doesn't sound like anywhere most people would want to visit. We found ourselves near them on a visit to family a number of years ago so we went to check it out.
It was amazing! It was like the Grand Canyon on a smaller scale. The rock formations and colors were gorgeous and the prairie dogs entertaining. Like so many National Parks, the open spaces were available to hike, picnic, etc. The indians called it the Badlands because vegetation doesn't grow there and it is difficult to navigate on foot or horse.
There isn't much in the way of a city nearby other than Kadoka which consists of a truck stop and a motel, but Rapid City is about an hour away. And on the way, you can stop at the world-famous Long's Drugstore in Wall. Long's Drugs is home of the "famous" free ice water and life-size dinosaurs. (Think Pee Wee's Big Adventure). Once you get to Rapid City, you are at the foot of Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and Keystone.
There are various indian reservations dotting the entire area that are usually open to visitors. What kid wouldn't love that?
