Wall, SD is also home to the Badlands National Park. The Lakota people dubbed this region “mako sica,” or “bad lands,” long ago because its rocky terrain, lack of water and extreme temperatures made it difficult to negotiate. Today, the Badlands are a great place for hiking, fossil hunting, taking a scenic drive and spotting wildlife.

John and I drove the Badlands Loop Scenic Byway. This 31-mile stretch happens to pass through some of the most amazing buttes, cliffs and multi-colored spires. There were a bunch of trails to hike; however, we had the pups so unfortunately, we couldn't go on any of them. It was okay because it was almost 100 degrees. I would have died of heat exhaustion! Luckily, there were quite a few overlooks we were able to stop at and we were able to see how awe-inspiring the Badlands really were.