Day 83: Buffalo WY to Wind Cave National Park, SD

It was an easy day’s drive, only 200 miles, with the first part on I-90 in eastern Wyoming.  Flat, dry rangeland with not much to see except the occasional antelope and quite a few cattle.  The posted speed limit was 80 mph!

We stopped for some groceries in Gillette, then at Moorcroft we took Route 16, heading southeast toward the Black Hills.  As we approached the Wyoming/South Dakota border, trees finally reappeared, just lots of conifers, but still they gave a bit of shape to the land and some interest.  In South Dakota we were slowed by road construction as we entered Black Hills National Forest and the road became windy as the hills became steeper.

At Custer City, we headed south on Route 85 to Wind Cave National Park, our destination for the day. Entering the park, we immediately saw lots of prairie dogs and also along the road were bison.  The campground is tucked into a valley with some trees, and it’s a little odd in that the RV sites are set up parallel to the road.  Dan had quite a time finding one that was level enough, but after some struggle we were parked and set up. 

Having arrived around 2 o’clock, we had a relaxing Sunday afternoon.  The thermometer that was in the direct sun measured 108, but there was a breeze and shade, so it was pleasant.  There are trees and shrubs alongside our site, so Dan watched birds up on the hill while I read and Ranger lounged in the sun, enjoying the lush green grass.  In late afternoon, Dan built a small campfire, and while sitting around it, we watched a doe and two fawns make their way along the hillside, munching on the shrubs and at one point being about fifty yards from us.  Better than TV!

We visited with the couple next to us for a while in the evening.  We had noticed that they had neither RV nor tent, and it turned out that their tent had been totally destroyed in a windstorm in the Badlands.  They were traveling from Florida but they decided to push on, sleeping in their car.  A little strange, but they seemed very upbeat about it all.

Tomorrow we cross South Dakota.