During the Summer of COVID (2020) we were able to take our newly purchased Airstream Bambi on a two week road trip with my parents and their travel trailer. It was a wonderful way to travel is a socially distanced manner. We are very risk averse, and the majority of this trip felt extremely safe. The Badlands in particular were not very crowded and we were easily able to avoid people on the few hikes/meanders we did during our time there.
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Cedar Pass Campground
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Travel Style: Our preference is to "boondock" or go without (electrical or water) hook-ups whenever possible. We are backpackers at heart who have become RVers during the time of COVID so we have safe bathrooms and places to keep large stockpiles of food to minimize grocery trips. We have learned that we can go ~5 days without power, water or dump stations with power (head lamps only) and water (shower once a week and even then with water on only as needed) conservation approaches. We also have solar panels so we can juice up a bit that way. We enjoy being close to nature and it "tends" to be the case that campgrounds without hook ups are more remote or even if not super remote tend to attract others who also value and respect time outdoors ;) We currently have a 7 yo and a 2 yo and both kids do well when they have their afternoon downtime, "peace time" for the 7 yo and nap for the 2 yo. Our exploring days have a predictable pattern of getting up early, heading out after a quick breakfast (or breakfast on the road/trail), then often back for lunch and quiet time/nap. If it's a bigger exploring day, we eat lunch out but plan for quiet/nap time in the car and home by dinner.
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Cedar Pass campsite
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We stayed at the Cedar Pass Campground in the park which is reservable and I highly recommend. There is a dump station and drinking water. It looked some some sites had electricity but ours did not which is how we like it! The sites were large with great views of the Badland landscape. We could walk to hills to climb and play on. The sunsets were fantastic and the night sky!! The night sky!!! We were able to see Saturn's rings and 3 moons of Jupiter with our motion stabilizing binoculars. That's how clear it was. Totally amazing. We only spent 2 nights here which was good given how hot it was (late July/early August). I was pretty wiped from the heat. But there is much to explore at this park and would be worth coming during the shoulder season when it's a little less hot.
We did just 2 trails/areas and both I recommend.
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Door Trail
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1. Door trail and Window trail. The door trail gets you out into the landscape. It is super fun for kids because you are going from pole to pole in the rock rather than following a defined trail so there is a sense of adventure in finding the next pole and then getting to it. Actually, I'd say that's fun for everyone:) Since there is no trail, you get to chose your own route from one pole to the other. I'd say if you only do 1 thing, this is it. There is no shade though so start out early if it's summer. This is a short walk even if you move slowly. However there are many side areas to explore from the same parking lot so you can spend a couple hours here if you'd like.
2. Fossil Exhibit Trail. This is a very short interpretive trail that is well done with lots of examples of fossils found in the area. Worth a stop. Happily, you drive right through bighorn sheep territory and we were lucky to see a small herd first resting and then walking as we drove to and fro to the fossil trail. Fossil trail is a 30 minute stop though there is also the chance to explore Castle trail from here (we did not).
There is plenty of exploring that can be done right around the campsite as well.
I recommend stopping at the
Prairie Homestead outside the Northeast entrance of the park. This is a well preserved homestead with an original sod home from the early 1900s. I found it extremely well done and the kids were fascinated. Was COVID safe since it's mostly outside or at least open and breezy and with few visitors.
Also, don't skip the visitors center! Though the visitor's center itself was closed due to COVID, the junior ranger packets were great divided up well for the different ages and my kids loved getting "sworn in" as junior rangers.
We drove out the Pinnacles entrance and the landscapes were stunning. There is dispersed camping just near this entrance as 240 heads north and I'd love to come back and camp up on the bluff with a full view of the Buffalo Gap Grassland and Badlands National Park.
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