Badlands, SD in mid-April

[dglickstein]

Any advice, pointers or specific locations for photography in/around

Badlands, SD in mid-April? Is it too early for flowers? I'll be

shooting for about 15 days. Thanks in advance.

 

dG

[david_gardner2]

I was there for a week in July last year, so some of this may not apply to you. Also, I don't have my info with me, so I might have some details a little off. <p>

 

If I recall correctly, April is rainy, usually in the ofrm of quick, heavy storms. The Badlands structure are nothing but dried mud, so when it rains it's a mess. If it's wet, stay on the boardwalk trails. I'm not sure about flowers, but if there will be any they'll be in the grassy plains.<p>

 

Since you have so much time, and since the park is so small, I'd suggest spending significant time just driving around and checking out the light and how it changes throughout the day. You can easily drive every inch of every road in the park in a day with lots of time left over. The different structures in the park look very different as they catch different angles and colors of light during the day.<p>

 

If you're into wildlife there is a road in the park that leads to the West that has a Prairie Dog town. They're not quite tame, but they are both protect and not very bright, and if you go out and sit down in the middle of the town, they'll sound alrams for about 5 minutes and then forget than you're there. There are also frequently sheep (Bighorn?) out along the road or near it. Near the middle there is usually a bison herd.<p>

 

Since you have so much time, and the park itself is small, there's some other stuff that's worth catching nearby (and when I say nearby, I mean in the sense of a state as large as SD). South of Rapid City there is Black hills National Forest and Custer State Park, both of which I'd recommend. A little more than an hour further west is Devil's Tower; I spent a day there, huffing around a backpack full of equipment in 104 degrees, and got some great stuff. For something unusual and close, the National Park Service has opened Minuteman National Historic Site. It's a Minuteman missile silo and launch control facility with guided tours. If you decide to do this one, call and make reservations in advance. <p>

 

Good luck, and enjoy.