Dogtown

After our epic 316 mile day trip yesterday, today we opted for a much shorter 56 mile trip into the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The entrance is only about 1/2 mile from the rv park, and once through the entrance to the park, the road is normally a loop road through a varied landscape. Now, however, the loop is not completely open due to road deterioration, so we went as far as we could, turned around, and came back the same way.

This South Unit is perhaps not as spectacular as the North Unit, but has it's own points of interest. At the beginning of the tour road, a vista point looks out across the Little Missouri River to the plateau beyond, and Medora just beyond the trees to the left.

This section of road is known for it's Prairie Dog Towns, and there are many of them! They are everywhere, but coexist nicely with the resident Bison.

Somewhere out there, in the picture below, are a couple of dozen little dog guys standing at attention, on the lookout for danger. The Dogs have both a verbal communication system and a body language system that warns of problems or gives an "all clear." Much like a canine, they can be "read". The mounds of dirt on the ground surface are the result of tunneling efforts below ground that provide "rooms" for sleeping, eating, birthing, and hiding. There are always two entrances/exits, and ofttimes more.

Wild horses also populate the park, alongside bison.

And, again, more dogs.

Finally we were able to catch a sentinel standing by his burrow.

Bison are plentiful in the park and it's almost a challenge to drive since the "tourists" want to stop and get a picture. We joined them for this pic of Mr. Bison taking a leisurely stroll along the highway.

Coal seams streak throughout the park, remnants of ancient plant life and huge pressures over millions of years. This coal seam fire has been burning for some time, and will continue to smolder underground for the foreseeable future.

At the request of our adoring public, we resorted to a selfie at a convenient over look.

Moving right along, we noted some sandstone formations that show the effects of wind and rain erosion. Much better picture!

Wild horses were resting in the midday heat.

At the end of the road,

Donna spotted this tiny cactus bursting with color!

True to it's surroundings, it was conveniently placed beside a fine example of bison poop.

We stopped for lunch at a shady picnic area. The temp was about 85 F, so the shade was a blessing on a rare day without wind.

The eroding sandstone has left some "mushrooms" where harder upper layers shield softer lower layers. It's fascinating to speculate what caused the different colored layers and the different thicknesses of the layers.

And, as we prepared to leave the park, this lonely bit of rock caught our eye. It looks a lot like an ancient ziggurat, and evidently is home for at least one bison.

The sunlight was just right as we approached the exit, to notice this rock formation.

Donna sees a turtle. I see a lioness. What do you see?

Tomorrow it's off on one of the longest driving days of this trip, into Billings, Montana. As I write this at about 4 pm local, the sun is about to move to the back of the motorhome, so I can clean the windshield. It hasn't been washed since we left home, some 4500 miles ago. It's time! Of course, the car hasn't been washed either, so they are a matched set!