We drove the 500 miles from Badlands to Yellowstone over two days, stopping for a night at the Prune Creek Campground in the Bighorn National Forest, Wyoming. After leaving South Dakota, the drive became a lot more interesting. Flat plains turned into rolling hills, then mountains, with the characteristic Wyoming red sandstone. This was the most enjoyable section of the drive so far.

We stopped by Devil’s Tower, a monoithic National Monument that has been the subject of ancient Indian legend and a hot spot for modern day climbers.

The tower was actually the result of volcanic activity 40 million years ago. Igneous rock pushed up into the surrounding landscape (all buried by sedimentary rock at the time) and fractured into columns as it cooled. The sedimentary rock eroded over the years, leaving the tower exposed.

Favorite state: Wyoming
Knowledge of geology: getting better
Morning coffee: instant 🙁
Route followed: