Where the Buffalo Roam

In case you were wondering, three wild donkeys can fit their heads into a car window at one time, which means that if you happen to be surrounded by a herd of wild donkeys—which you will be if you take the spectacular Wildlife Loop Road in South Dakota’s Custer State Park—and if both the passenger and driver’s windows are open, you will have six donkeys trying to climb into the car with you, attempting to eat anything you happen to have—a grape, a throat lozenge, a quarter, a guidebook to hiking the incredible Black Hills.

The image of the Old West is no myth. It is alive and well in western South Dakota. Here is where the antelope play and the buffalo roam while bighorn sheep with curly horns snack on the hillside, deer stare curiously as you pass by, wild turkeys—and wild donkeys—take their time crossing the road, mountain goats scale the ancient rock formations that careen into the wide blue sky, and the Badlands’ moonscape towers and gullies sprawl as far as the eye can see.

This is where the prairie and desert meet, where cacti and yucca huddle in rock crevices, wildflowers bloom yellow and pink in the tall grass along 500 miles of hiking trails, and an endless sea of towering ponderosa pines creates the trick of light that makes the Black Hills black. This is where ranchers still ride horseback in herds of Black Angus, sheep, and, curiously, llamas, and where you drive through prairie dog towns as critters sit on their hind legs and sniff the air. This is where the night sky spreads like a black velvet blanket with flickering stars sewn on in clusters and solitary sparks.

The season starts in May and ends in October. The spring is rich with green grass and tall fields of wheat, blooming wildflowers, and hundreds of species of returning birds. The many animals protect their newborn calves and fawns and colts teetering on new legs. The summer can be stunningly hot, but also breathtakingly beautiful. The stark outline of the Badlands’ cliffs and endless miles of hills and valleys seems to shift and move with the sun, spreading out in all directions, as you walk between soaring formations and along cliff shelves. The fall presents a stunning array of turning leaves, dun-colored prairies, and mottled light along the forest floor.

It’s a common perception that the Black Hills and the Badlands are the same thing, but they’re wildly different landscapes and many miles apart.THE BLACK HILLS
The Black Hills represent the easternmost extension of the Rocky Mountain uplift—and are definitely mountains, not hills. With forests, lakes, grasslands, much flora and fauna, and a whole lot of monuments and parks, the landscape here is less dramatic but more varied than that of the Badlands. Here are some of the highlights:

Devil’s Tower National Monument (800-354-6316) rises high up into the sky, its columns of rock white and beautiful. At the border of South Dakota and Wyoming, it’s a drive, but absolutely worth it. Circling its base are two wonderful trails that provide incredible views from all perspectives; the Red Beds Trail takes you through the iron-rich cliffs and valleys that surround it.

 A day trip to the northeast will bring you to (605-347-5240) Bear Butte State Park, which is not a butte at all but a blue-gray mountain of igneous rock rising 1,253 feet above the prairie. The ancient mountain is of great spiritual significance and has been a Native American shrine for more than 10,000 years. It is still a place where residents pray, fast, and hold important ceremonies—do not touch, move, or photograph the many prayer bundles, offerings, and flags along the trails.

There’s no shortage of trails in the excellent park systems that cover this area of the country. In Custer State Park, don’t miss the challenging and exciting Cathedral Spires Trail (605-255-4464)—it takes you into the heart of an area of intricate wind-carved rock formations. Make sure to drive the Wildlife Loop, and definitely don’t miss Needles Highway, where views of the prairie and forest swing low beneath you and the namesake rock formations climb high above. In the Black Hills National Forest (605-673-9200), the Harney Peak Trail is a beautiful climb to the highest point in the Hills, while the shorter Sylvan Lake Trail winds around the lovely lake and through the rocky, wooded hills surrounding it.

While you’ll want to visit Mount Rushmore National Memorial, don’t be surprised if it doesn’t live up to expectations. It’s remarkable, of course, but it’s not the most beautiful thing here by a long shot. But it’s worth a visit to learn the history of the carving and see the surrounding area (605-574-2523).

Don’t skip a visit to the Crazy Horse Memorial (605-673-4681) and the museum of Native American culture and history at the site. This unfinished sculpture dedicated to the great chief will, when completed, rise 563 feet—higher than the Washington Monument. The face alone is larger than all four Rushmore faces together. Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowsk was invited to create the memorial by a group of chiefs who wrote to him that they “would like the white man to know the red man had great heroes, too.” Mammoth Site Museum of Hot Springs (605-745-6017)—where paleontologists continue to uncover complete skeletons and tusks of the giant creatures, and where a lively hands-on tour is available to visitors—is a great experience. At Wind Cave National Monument (605-745-4600), you can explore the massive underground cave that runs for 116 miles—the maze is still being mapped.

At Evans Plunge (605-745-5165) in the town of Hot Springs, you’ll find a number of excellent spas, water slides, hot and cold plunges, saunas, and more.

The famous Black Hills Playhouse (605-255-4141) presents a well-rounded summer season of plays, and the Music in the Park series runs seven Thursdays in summer, with concerts ranging from country and bluegrass to jazz and classical to Native American music and dance. The Passion Play—describing the last days of Jesus Christ’s life—dates from 1242 A.D., and the Black Hills Passion Play has run each summer since 1939 (800-457-0160).

Lodging in the area is not a luxury experience, but there are plenty of clean and comfortable places to stay. Of all the many tiny towns in the area, the most central is Custer. In town, the Custer Mansion Bed and Breakfast (from $80; 877-519-4948) is a lovely old home with comfortable, well-appointed rooms and excellent breakfast. Definitely dine at the Sage Creek Grille (605-673-2424) for some wonderful artichoke dip, fresh salads, supersoup, inventive entrées, and a nice wine selection. Sylvan Lake Resort, State Game Lodge and Resort, and Bluebell Lodge and Resort, all in beautiful Custer State Park, feature great creekside and wooded cabins, lodge rooms, excellent dining, and a huge array of activities (800-658-3530). There are also countless campsites, RV parks, modest hotels, and cabins. BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK
You’ll find Badlands National Park about 250 miles south of the Black Hills. As you approach the Badlands, you’ll begin to notice strange outcroppings of rock and small plateaus rising up out of the mixed-grass prairie. Soon the landscape changes entirely, giving way to an eerily beautiful, barren, arid place where craggy rocks and sudden, steep cliffs rise above and careen below the road. The Badlands, in their immense stillness and vast range, create a distinct sense that you are driving on the surface of the moon.

The Badlands rose up from a warm inland sea millions of years ago, and the many-colored striations—blue, orange, rose, white—that mark the cliff faces are actually layers of compacted sand, clay, silt, and volcanic ash. The amazing fossils discovered throughout the area date from as long ago as 35 million years.

The densely textured landscape, despite its appearance, teems with animal and plant life. You’ll want to be very careful—don’t forget a compass and a topographical map (available at visitor centers). The moment you stray from the road, all sense of direction is lost as you explore the cliffs and valleys of multicolored rock. Bring adequate water—there’s nothing drinkable for many miles. Be aware that sudden weather changes are the norm, and wildlife should be given wide berth.

The Ben Reifel Visitor Center (605-433-5361), along the eastern leg of the beautiful Badlands Loop Road, offers excellent exhibits on the Badlands’ geology, flora, fauna, and fossils. (The center building is temporarily closed until October, but its programs are still offered and a temporary bookstore is open.) Sign up for one of the daily naturalist programs and learn about many aspects of the area—and get the kids going in the Junior Ranger programs, which gives them a hands-on experience and motivation for hiking, mapping, and exploring.

There are several cabin lodgings and simple places to camp. The Cedar Pass Lodge ($55–$90; 605-433-5460,) offers basic, clean cabins and a café. Stepping out your door in the morning, you’ll be surrounded by the varicolored splendor of the Badlands’ cliffs reflecting the pink, purple, and orange sunrise. The Circle Ten Motel and Campground (605-433-5451) has a really good restaurant, where all the food is made from scratch and the cheesecake is the very best I’ve ever had. For more upscale lodging, head for the Best Western Plains Motel ($60-110; 800-528-1234) in nearby Wall, where you’ll find a pool, televisions, phones, and clean rooms with king and queen beds.

A sojourn to the Black Hills and Badlands is the perfect trip if you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Your cell phone will hunt for a signal to no avail, and TVs are few and far between. But as compensation, the vast South Dakota sky spreads out before you like a pair of welcoming arms. 

Learning More For more information, several guidebooks can help you interpret the area. Hikers and walkers should get the user-friendly Falcon Guide, Hiking South Dakota’s Black Hills Country. For more information about what to see and do and where to stay, the Insiders’ Guide to South Dakota’s Black Hills and Badlands is useful. You’ll definitely like National Geographic’s maps of the area—they’ll help with the intricate roads, identifying parks, and finding points of interest. South Dakota tourism information is available at 605-773-3301.

Contributing editor Marya Hornbacher is the author of The Center of Winter: A Novel (HarperCollins).