Custer, SD through Badlands National Park and the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site to Mitchell, SD

338.24 Miles | 5:21 Riding Time

It’s Thursday, July 25, 2024, and it’s Day 106 of my cross country motorcycle trip.

Whew! I fixed the camera alignment issue, so I have good pictures today. I’m so glad, because this morning, I left Custer at sunrise to avoid the heat—forecast to be 107 today—and, because Badlands National Park is amazing.

I do love early morning riding, when the sun is making it’s way over the mountains, and there are so few people on the roads. It’s peaceful. It’s quiet. It’s solitary. I made my way through Hill City and into Rapid City, where I got on Interstate 90 to head over to the Badlands. It was a about another 45 minutes or so to Wall, SD (home of Wall Drug), where I made a right onto the Badlands Loop Road.

At the first overlook, I stopped and was struck by how rugged, harsh, and—well—bad the landscape is. The “Beware or Rattlesnakes” sign didn’t help much either. As a side note for those wondering, I am an “All The Gear, All The Time (or, ATGATT)” rider. So, yup, even though it was supposed to get to 107 today, I was wearing it all.

While I could have spent many more hours in Badlands, I was keenly aware of how hot it was getting. I made a quick stop at the visitors center, and rode my back out the northeast exit. I crossed over the highway for a few minutes to visit and check out the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site.

This was a fascinating place to visit. A relic of the Cold War, when the US had to be ready—in a minute—with a nuclear response to a nuclear attack. The exhibits in the visitors center were well done, and I learned about the many times misinformation, computer errors, and weather anomalies brought us close to ending the world.

One story that struck me was that of Stanislav Petrov. On September 26, 1983, Petrov was the Soviet duty officer, when his systems reported that 5 missiles had been launched from the US. He decided that it must be a false alarm, because the US would never launch only 5 missiles. In 2007, he actually got a chance to visit the park and tour a US missile silo. He’s often referred to as, "the man who saved the world from nuclear war.” Whew!

After the parks, I got back on Interstate 90 for a long, flat and seemingly unending ride to Mitchell, SD. I was done riding and felt like a medium steak (I meant felt like medium cooked beef. I actually had chicken enchiladas for dinner.) I also managed to get a sorely need haircut before turning in for the night.