LITTLE MISSOUI STATE PARK, NORTH DAKOTA

8/13-15

Little Missouri is located 19 miles north of Killdeer, ND. The camp ground caters to horse riders. The park has corrals for horses and places to park the horse trailer/camper. We were the only regular campers, and there were two ladies (twin sisters) who had each their own mule who were staying there. They rode their mules twice a day.

The campground had four horses that roamed freely all the time. We looked outside the camper and watched them. There were also 4 rabbits in the early morning and evening.

In the early evening across the badlands from our campground, we watched mule deer graze. This species of deer have long ears and very large antlers. The first evening we watched 3 males graze. What a beautiful sight!

One night you could hear the coyotes howl. What a sound! Steve also heard a bobcat catch something. He said the screaming was eerie.

Little Missouri Park is in the Badlands of North Dakota. Badlands, what are they? Here’s what some say:

The Badlands...some call it "The Land God Forgot", others call it one of the most mysterious and beautiful places on Earth, still others liken its rugged terrain and awe inspiring rock formations to a lunar landscape. No matter what one sees in the Badlands, one thing is for certain...

"This broken country has been called always, by Indians, French voyagers, and American trappers alike, the Bad Lands." - Theodore Roosevelt

The Badlands is a region in the USA that includes western South Dakota and North Dakota marked by rugged terrain and formations that resemble a science fiction landscape of another world. These rock formations take on the shapes of domes, twisted canyons and slanted walls, often striped in different colors.

It is the most fascinating landscape so far. On Thursday we went to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Unit, for the day. More to come on that.

On Friday we took a trail ride into the Badlands from our campground. We were gone for two and a half hours. There was a guide, Lynelle who was 73 years old, and 6 other people on our ride. I rode Banda and Steve rode Peaches. The horses were very familiar with the trails, so we could really enjoy the view. We went on a medium trail which took us on the edge of cliffs and down steep hills. What an experience!