Northbound Through the Plains
September 1-2, 2026
Lindsborg, Kansas → Medora, North Dakota → Hot Springs, South Dakota
3:00 A.M.
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I woke up at 2 a.m.
By 3 a.m., I was on the road.
Ahead of me was a roughly 14-hour drive from Lindsborg, Kansas, to Medora, North Dakota. I was a little nervous about leaving that early. Looking at the route beforehand, I knew I would be traveling through long stretches of farmland with very few towns or services along the way.
And in the middle of the Plains, not every gas station is open 24 hours.
The earliest one I could find opened at 5 a.m., so I planned my stops accordingly.
The first few hours were pitch black. Minimal road lighting. Almost no traffic.
Just me and miles of empty highway.
It was a little scary.
But I knew I had to get moving. I didn't want to arrive in Medora too late because I had plans to photograph sunset in Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
THE SKY WAS CHANGING
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Eventually, daylight began to appear.
Unfortunately, it wasn't the sunrise I was hoping for.
The sky looked more like storm clouds gathering on the horizon. I looked toward the west, and sure enough, it was headed straight in my direction.
As I made my way into Nebraska, I was surprised by the landscape. I had expected mostly flat farmland, but there were actually rolling hills—and they were beautiful.
Then I started noticing showers falling from the sky in the distance.
Time to check the radar.
Oh, crap.
It looked like some heavier rain was headed my way.
I continued through Nebraska under gray skies, passing through small towns and long stretches of open country. I honestly don't care for driving under ominous skies. When you're alone on the road, the grayness somehow makes the loneliness feel even more intense.
Rolling hills and wind turbines across the Nebraska countryside.
The landscape shifts from flat farmland to gently rolling hills in Nebraska, with wind turbines stretching across the horizon beneath a dramatic sky.
Still, the beauty and openness of the land made it tolerable.
A CHANGE OF PLANS
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My original plan was to travel toward Lake McConaughy and Scotts Bluff National Monument before continuing on to Hot Springs, South Dakota.
But I encountered some logistical issues with my planned stay near Lake McConaughy.
I had booked a room at the Mesa Motel and had a few questions I wanted answered. I tried calling, but nobody answered. I eventually sent a message through Messenger.
The response?
“Can't talk right now.”
That was it.
I found the lack of communication unprofessional and decided to cancel the reservation.
The following day, I noticed a credit card charge for the same amount associated with Spark by Hilton in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin?
I'd never been to Wisconsin in my life.
Another red flag.
So, I changed the plan.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park it was.
THROUGH SOUTH DAKOTA
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Eventually, I reached the southern border of South Dakota.
And, once again, I missed the Welcome to South Dakota sign.
Ugh.
I was tired, and there was a lot going on in my head.
I had planned to stop at Dignity of Earth and Sky in Chamberlain, South Dakota, but it would add about 30 minutes to my drive.
Then I remembered that I would actually gain an hour once I reached western North Dakota.
Oh, hell. Why not?
It looked pretty cool in the photographs I'd seen.
As I continued driving, the landscape changed again.
Fields of hay bales. Cattle.
Then I saw the sign for the World's Only Corn Palace.
Unfortunately, I didn't have time for that detour.
Maybe next time.
DIGNITY OF EARTH AND SKY
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I finally arrived at Dignity of Earth and Sky.
Wow.
It was much larger than I expected, and actually a beautiful display. There was also a nice park with seating, and from the overlook you could see the Missouri River.
I didn't have time to explore it properly, though. I snapped a few photographs and kept moving.
SEVEN HOURS IN
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Halfway there.
More cattle. More farmland. And even sunflower fields.
So. Many. Sunflowers.
Most were way past their peak, but I couldn't help imagining what these fields must have looked like a couple of weeks earlier, when thousands of yellow faces were turned toward the sky.
Maybe next time I'll drive through here a little earlier.
And then...
What is this?
House on wheels
When your house needs a change of scenery, you just take it with you.
I was trapped behind a house.
I had been following an oversized load for a while. I wasn't going to get impatient about it. I did have somewhere to be, but I wasn't going to stress about it.
Luckily, the lookout truck waved me over and told me to pass.
Well, how exactly was I supposed to pass when we were on a bridge?
Carefully over the bridge
Perfectly balanced and carefully planned.
There wasn't room on either side.
I watched as they carefully maneuvered the oversized load across the bridge, somehow clearing the rails with just enough room to make it through.
And then I finally continued north.
Eventually, I crossed into North Dakota.
And, once again, I missed the Welcome to North Dakota sign.
Apparently, those signs were determined to avoid me.
FIRST STOP: PAINTED CANYON
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I made my way to the Painted Canyon Visitor Center.
I drove through the parking lot, and the first thing I saw was a humongous bison simply minding his own business.
Of course, I grabbed my telephoto lens and took a few photographs.
I headed toward the visitor center and noticed the ranger packing up the flag.
They were closing.
I had missed it by about 30 minutes.
The closing time listed online wasn't correct, but there wasn't much I could do about it now. I decided I'd come back the next morning on my way toward Hot Springs.
I just didn't realize what that following morning had in store.
Since I was already there, I checked out the overlook because this was originally my sunrise shoot plan. It was only about 10 minutes from Medora.
Then I changed my mind.
Maybe Buck Hill would be better.
So I moved on.
Medora was only about 15 minutes away, and I headed there to check into the Badlands Motel.
A LITTLE HOSPITALITY
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The guy at the front desk was very nice. He'd only been there a few months, and we chatted for a bit before he handed me a bag of salt-water taffy as a little gift for being a guest.
A thoughtful gesture.
And thankfully, it was a one-story motel.
At this point, I was way too exhausted to deal with stairs.
I unloaded my overnight things into the comfy room and headed back out to the park.
INTO THE NATIONAL PARK
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Boy, the town was lively.
There were people everywhere.
Labor Day weekend was coming up, so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised.
Once inside the park, the road wound through the Badlands.
My first real wildlife encounter was a prairie dog metropolis.
And there were tons of them.
They were busy snacking on greens before heading into their dens for the night.
I couldn't stay long, though. It takes nearly 40 minutes to reach Boicourt Overlook when you're driving around 25 mph, and I wanted to make it there before sunset.
I stopped at Buck Hill along the way.
This was one of the places I had considered for sunrise.
Then I saw the sign warning about prairie rattlesnakes.
Maybe climbing this hill in the dark wasn't such a great idea after all.
I decided not to hike up.
As I was about to get into my car, I turned around...
And that's when I saw them.
Wild horses.
About six of them, grazing nearby.
I didn't think I would actually see wild horses here.
But there they were.
SUNSET IN THE BADLANDS
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Next stop: Boicourt Overlook.
I was going to hike in on the trail, but this was all new to me. I hadn't had much opportunity to scout locations, so I just set up by the parked cars and waited for sunset.
It was absolutely beautiful here.
Side note: Not Boicourt Overlook
Lots of different geology, cottonwood trees, and flowers.
The landscape was beautiful.
My composition?
Not so much.
I was disappointed, but I didn't have much time left to find another location.
So I stayed put.
The clouds were still hanging around, but eventually the sun found a small opening and gave me one last bit of light before disappearing for the night.
I packed up my camera gear and started back toward the motel.
I didn't want to be out too late. There were animals roaming the roads, and I had no idea what—or who—I might encounter after dark.
Then, as I was leaving the parking area, I noticed another overlook.
What the heck.
I stopped.
And then realized...
THIS was Boicourt Overlook.
Head bonk.
I must have been extremely tired.
HORSES ON THE ROAD
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As I drove back toward Medora, I started thinking about the next day.
I needed to get to Hot Springs, South Dakota, and that would take roughly five and a half hours.
I decided to get up for sunrise, return to Painted Canyon, and then spend a couple of hours slowly making my way through the park. I'd stop at both visitor centers, get my park stamps and souvenirs, and then finally head south.
As I approached the T-intersection in the park road, however, my plans were interrupted again.
A herd of horses was blocking the road.
Just...dilly-dallying.
I turned on my hazard lights to let the other drivers know that we nighttime spectators were apparently going to be sitting there for a while.
Then there was this…
Difficult to see, but that is a bison wandering around near the roads at dusk.
Eventually, I made it back to the motel.
I thought about getting something to eat, but after seeing how crowded the restaurants were in Medora, I decided against it.
Instead, I made myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Then I took a shower.
Or at least, I tried to.
It took about 15 minutes for the water to get hot.
Why?
I have no idea.
Eventually, I got into bed and set my alarm for an early sunrise.
ONE MORE MORNING IN THEODORE ROOSEVELT NATIONAL PARK
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The next morning, I packed up my things, loaded the car, checked out of the motel, and drove back to Painted Canyon.
I set up my camera and waited, hoping for a decent sunrise.
A guy came over and started giving me advice about how I should compose the shot.
I'm open to advice.
But when you tell me you left your camera at home and haven't photographed in years, I start questioning your tips.
In the end, I set up where—and how—I wanted.
There were no pink clouds.
Nothing spectacular.
So I packed up my gear and headed into the park. But not before capturing a few of these…
I slowly made my way around the numerous overlooks, stopping here and there to take photographs of whatever I could find.
My first subject of the day.
First subject of the day. No model release required.
I went to Buck Hill and hiked up the trail.
It was actually pretty beautiful from up there. I could see the Painted Canyon Visitor Center from the top.
I spent about 20–30 minutes there because there was nobody around.
That entire overlook was mine.
Just peaceful.
THE PRAIRIE DOG METROPOLIS
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A couple of hours had passed, and I made my way to the prairie dog metropolis.
As I drove up, I saw a man walking around the mounds looking into the holes.
I couldn't take many photos of the little critters because this guy was scaring them all into their dens.
Why?
I always ask myself that.
THE BISON HAD OTHER PLANS
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Eventually, it was time to leave.
I stopped at the South Unit Visitor Center.
Holy moly.
The number of cars.
I grabbed a magnet, sticker, and park stamp and left.
I also stopped at the Painted Canyon Visitor Center one more time.
As I was about to step out of my car, a police officer approached me.
“Ma'am, would you mind staying in your vehicle for the time being? We're trying to get this bison to cross the parking lot to the other side.”
Umm...Sure.
Apparently, the bison wasn't interested in cooperating.
A ranger in a pickup truck was trying to direct him with crunchy sounds through speakers.
It wasn't working.
The bison went behind the visitor center, so I made my way to the store to get what I needed and get out so I could start my drive.
Well, the bison had other plans.
He began inching closer to the windows.
And we ended up on lockdown.
Nobody was going in.
Nobody was going out.
Everyone was trying to get the bison away from the visitors.
Nope.
He wasn't having it.
At one point, he looked as though he was about to challenge the truck.
I moved away from the windows in case he decided to use them as a ramming wall.
Luckily, he finally moved on toward the west—far enough away that we could leave the center.
I had planned to leave by around 10 a.m.
It was now close to 11.
I didn't want to get into South Dakota that late, but what can you do?
SOUTHBOUND
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I headed east toward Dickinson, North Dakota, then turned south toward South Dakota. The landscape opened up again—miles of open land, little traffic, and horses scattered across the countryside.
At one point, I had to turn off onto a smaller road, and I came across some beautiful, curious horses. Of course, I had to stop and photograph them.
There was something about seeing them out there in all that open space that made me slow down and appreciate the moment.
And there was one stretch between Redig and Belle Fourche where there was no service—phone or towns.
Top off your tank before heading down that way.
I made my way toward Rapid City and then down to Hot Springs.
I was so used to the open roads that driving through Rapid City started to stress me out.
Too many cars.
Oh my goodness. Get me out of here!
By late afternoon, I finally made it to Hot Springs, South Dakota.
After two days, hundreds of miles, changing plans, bad weather, wildlife, missed signs, questionable directions, and one very stubborn bison...
I had finally made it.
to be continued…
