It was only a 2 hour drive to Custer state park from badlands and as usual we took the back roads.

At Custer we drove the wildlife loop and got stuck in a bison jam. We stopped to let a bison cross the road and he just stopped right in front of us. In the middle of the road! Then another one joined him! Then another! Next thing, we’re sweltered in our car in 40 degree heat and there’s a traffic jam behind us.

After about 20 minutes, a ranger came along and barged his way through, and we quickly followed him before we got stuck again.

Then we saw some prairie dogs. I just love these guys so much. I really wanted to take one with me.

We finished the wildlife loop and found a lake with a nice sandy beach, put on our togs and cooled off.

Feeling refreshed we continued through Custer where the scenery changed from prairie lands to pinnacle shaped rocks jutting up all over the place. The scenery was stunning. There were also some tight tunnels to go through, the narrowest being only 8 feet wide. I got out and filmed Mike going through.

Then we found another stunning lake surrounded by funky rocks and took a stroll. We met Carissa (from badlands) again here. But she is now heading south and we are heading north.

We drove past Mt Rushmore and saw the presidents heads carved in stone, but we didn’t bother stopping.

We navigated towards the Theodore Roosevelt national park in North Dakota as that will be our next national park to visit.

It was already 6.30pm, an hour from sunset, and we needed to find somewhere to camp as all the state park ones were full.

As we were driving along, two separate families of deer tried to jump out in front of us. It wasn’t a safe time of night to be driving. By chance, I saw a turnoff to a lake in the national forest with a very small camping symbol.

We headed down there and found a camp right beside the lake but there was a campground full sign up. But… they had one campsite left and it was overlooking the lake. How lucky was that? And only $14 for the night.