A marvelous day today spent in the Stronghold Unit of Badlands National Park with an awesome ranger.  We had a plan, but just as we were arriving at our departure point he received a phone call that changed our plans.  We ended up driving a route I had been on two years ago, and it was great to get to see the area looking very different than before after this season's high rainfall.  There were ponds where I have never seen water before, and the reservoirs around were much more full.  It was a wonderfully long day, we returned to the top of the slide road (our starting place) just as the sun set.  A beautiful day with good company.

Entrance to the slide road

View past the gate

Distant labyrinth of badlands

Horses with Cuny Table (this area has grazing rights; horses are privately owned)

Old river channel rock balanced on a butte

Popcorn soil

Heading east along the nicest of the two track roads

Heading east toward Sheep Mountain

Paused to climb some buttes for a look around the area

More river channel rock cutting through the buttes

One of many, many creek/drainage bed crossings

Approaching the eastern boundary of the park

There were some great clouds to the north today

Another crossing

View towards Sheep Mountain

Sheep Mountain

Clouds and standing water

Eastern park boundary entrance

Heading west

Yet another crossing

Plenty Star Table, one of my favorites

Cattle heading down behind us

View toward Plenty Star

View from high up on a saddle just south of Plenty Star This area has some great views, definitely a favorite spot.

View of Battle Creek from above

Another view from above

Panorama from the same spot

Lots of water this year around Battle Creek, this doesn't even look like it could be in the Badlands

I love seeing all the wetland plants here

The cottonwoods are changing colors

Still another crossing

Reflections in the creek

Battle Creek

Boundary between grazing areas within the park

  

One of my favorite of the old car bodies that were brought here as targets when this was a bombing range

Almost couldn't find it in the tall grass - last I saw, it was surrounded by dirt and short grasses.

Looking north from near the slide road

Sun starting to set as we approach the slide road

Sun setting

Base of the slide

Looking back down from the top of the slide

View toward Harney Peak

Looking north from the slide

Sunset from Cuny Table