Recently I set out on my first big solo journey to Badlands National Park in South Dakota. Along the way I also set up camp at Blue Mounds State Park in Luverne, Minnesota.
My journey began with a drive from the twin cities to the Blue Mounds State Park in Luverne, Minnesota. This park is home to one of the states few bison herds, and is surrounded by the tall grass prairie. It is estimated there are around 130 bison in this park’s herd. Prior to the European colonization of the New World it is estimated that there were roughly 60 million bison who freely roamed North America(for the map of their historic range see image below). Westward expansion took a heavy toll on the bison population as they were diminished to a population of only 541 by 1889. Thanks to the effort of some farmers the species were saved from extinction. Many of these farmers crossbred the bison with cattle as an effort to grow the species, which led to the unintended side effects of many bovine diseases which still impact the gene pools of bison today. For more information about the decline of the American Bison and challenges they face in their recovery please read the quote below.
The bison population in North American has gone through dramatic decline since Euro-American settlement. From tens of millions of animals, bison were hunted to near extinction in the 19th century until less than 1,000 remained. Currently, there are an estimated 430,000 American Plains bison (Bison bison bison) and Wood bison (Bison bison athabascae) in North America. Of that number, only about seven percent are in publicly owned conservation herds managed to preserve the population and genome of wild bison. The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies bison as “near- threatened” because of the small number of bison that are managed to preserve the species. Threats to bison include genetic manipulation of commercial herds to produce marketable traits, habitat loss, cattle gene introgression (cross-breeding with cattle), and small population effects in most conservation herds (inbreeding).
“Strategic Plan For Bison Management”, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 2016.
At night I heard the sounds of the Eastern Screech Owl, and in the morning I rose to the call of the Great Horned Owl. I knew that this would be a long day with much to accomplish, so in order to save time I explored the hiking trails by running. The prairie was littered with quartzite rock formations, and even a few prickly pear cactus. After about 5 1/2 miles of running I finally witnessed the bison herd, which was a beautiful sight. The herd appeared very healthy and numerous with calves.
Badlands National Park, Interior,SD
After an eventful morning, I packed up camp and set off towards the Badlands National Park in South Dakota. The drive was through the wide open prairie with not many stops for gas along the way, so when in doubt fill up! The vast majority of Interstate 90 in South Dakota had the speed limit of 80 miles per hour, which made for a fun drive. After around four hours of driving I arrived at Badlands National Park, at the entrance near the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site in Interior,SD.
Wide open prairies surrounded by tall sedimentary rock formations are what you will find at Badlands National Park. An environment where animals must be able to survive with limited water supply while being constantly exposed to the wind and the sun. This land has been carefully watched over and preserved by the native Sioux tribes for centuries. A variety of animals call this land home such as the American bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dog, black footed ferret, pronghorn, golden eagle. Be advised that the park is also home to dangerous animals like the prairie rattlesnake, and on rare occasions mountain lions pass through the park on their journey through the black hills of South Dakota.(Park officials claim that there is no breeding population in the park, and that mountain lion appearances are very rare in the Badlands). Due to the spontaneity of this trip, I knew that it would be unlikely for me to be able to be able to set up camp at the park. There are two campsites at the park, one is reservable and the other is first come first served, and both were not near the region of the park I was hiking in. Backcountry camping is allowed near the trails however you must set up at least 100 feet from the trail in a spot that is not easily visible to the trail. Due to the high winds that rolled through the park, and the wide open area in which I hiked through I quickly realized that I would not be able to set up camp on the trail. I hiked the Castle Trail for about 9.5 miles roundtrip.
The hike was a great experience, it was a sunny day which unfortunately meant that many of the animals were hiding in the shade from the sun. I did see a golden eagle, as well as six bighorn sheep. A few miles into the trail I approached a few animals in the distance, as I walked closer I realized that they were bighorn sheep. These sheep were reintroduced to this park in 1964 and are the subspecies “Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep”. The “Audubon’s bighorn sheep” used to live in this park, but went extinct in the 1920s, so the park brought over wild sheep from the Rockies to restore the ecosystem. These three sheep were blocking the trail, so I waited at a safe distance for a few minutes and made my appearance known. After a few minutes they moved about 10 ft away from the trail, so I resumed my hike. The three that I encountered were a group of rams, who are known to travel together outside of mating season. Bighorn sheep are usually very docile for most of the year except for when they are in “the rut”. This is when rams compete over ewes and are famously known for head butting each other. This season typically occurs during October-January for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. Rams can charge at speeds of 35 MPH and can kill a human instantly, although it is very rare. It is best to give them space during this time of the year, for your safety and theirs. The Castle Trail is one of the best spots in the entire national parks to view this species. Another commonly spotted animal in the park is the American Bison, which are most commonly spotted off the Sage Creek Rim Road area of the park, which will have to be saved for another adventure! This park was beautiful and lived up to all the hype it receives, and there are many scenic overlooks that don’t require hiking. If you are ever passing through South Dakota, take the time to check it out!
Great pictures and language…story telling.