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A temperature nearing 100 degrees with 20 mph wind gusts sending grit into every crevice seem like deterrents to camping out, but that wasn’t the case last weekend at South Dakota’s Buffalo Gap National Grassland.
In an area simply marked as the Boondocks on maps, the unimproved camping area overlooks Badlands National Park, an area also known as The Wall for its steep drop-offs to the eroded hills below.
Surprisingly, although there were about 70 campers, the place was even more crowded last year. With no designated sites, RVs, trailers and tents lined the road along the drop-off, about 6.5 miles south of Wall, South Dakota. Wall is famous for its Wall Drug Store, a collection of shops lining a block of downtown.
The popularity of the boondocks site is driven by the view and proximity to the park, since there are no latrines, water, picnic tables, electrical hookups or shelters. There is, however, the ability to wake up to the sounds of a trilling prairie bird and the mooing of distant cattle.
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A stroll to the edge of the wall at sunset or sunrise highlights the rugged edges carved by millions of years of water falling across the erosive tan landscape. Mule deer, pronghorns, prairie dogs and bighorn sheep are native mammals on the landscape. A variety of hawks and grassland birds also visit.
For the most part, the crowd seemed to be older and well behaved. No loud parties or music blaring could be heard. Once the moon set in a flare of orange on the smoky horizon, the Milky Way opened up overhead and the wind finally rested.
The grassland is divided in two by the park. All together it covers about 600,000 acres making it the second-largest grassland in the United States. Hiking, cycling and horseback riding are allowed.
To reach the sites, drive south of Wall on Highway 240 and keep an eye out for the radio towers on the left. The road has some deep potholes but big RVs seemed able to negotiate around them.
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