Driving west from the Badlands, you spot the Black Hills in the distance, dark and almost ominous rising above the brown desert. Then you arrive, and it’s an oasis of gorgeous fir trees, impressive peaks and rolling hills. Our camping spot near Stockage North Lake included a spot to drink tea under the trees with a view over the lake.
We drove and hiked along the famous Wildlife Loop and viewed many, many buffalo.We took a horseback tour of the back country and Terri spotted a herd of bighorn sheep perched on a cliff face seemingly by their toenails. We also drove and hiked the nerve-wracking Needles Highway, with its hairpin turns up and occasionally through jagged gray peaks.
We dropped our pandemic guard and ate at the Purple Pie Place, and dropped our guard waaayyyy to far at the local laundromat, which is probably where caught the Covid that felled us a few days later on the way home.
Stockade North Campground
Wildlife Loop and Frenchman’s Creek Hike
Back country horseback ride
Needles Highway
Cathedral Spires hike
Town of Custer
The town is right outside the part of the park we were in, so we checked it out on a rainy day. It’s cute but very touristy.
