Badlands National Park, June 2025 – Part 8 – Rain Everywhere

This is a continuation of rainy day, iPhone photography in Badlands NP, South Dakota in June of 2025.

Badland Layers
Badlands Variations
From Smooth and Rounded to Jagged Peaks
Rainy, Wet Badlands
Misty View

I made many other iPhone images this rainy day, but these are representative of all the scenes.

I knew I could not return to my favorite camping area, which would be too muddy to get into and out of, so I went to the more popular, and usually crowded, Buffalo Gap Grassland BLM camping area on the north side of the park, thinking it might be more easily ingressed and egressed.

My assessment was partially correct. Going up the slight incline to the camping area along the badlands drop-off was easy, as the roadway was mostly rocky with only a few mud holes. However the roadway, where the campsites are set aside was already rutted by many camper passing through and the road has a slight tilt towards the west and my vehicle was fishtailing as I eased along it in 4 wheel drive. The campsites are just off of the roadway and there was a real danger of vehicles sliding into campers parked along the roadway. Indeed, campers watched carefully, as any vehicle passed by. I always swung as far away from the campers as possible before passing. As soon as I found an empty, flat campsite, I pulled in and breathed a sigh of relief. This site was at the base of a hill and I, too, watched with trepidation as any vehicle came down that hillside.

The next morning, I considered going to other scenic places within a few hours drive from the Badlands, but the wet weather pattern covered a large area of the country. So I decided it best to cut this trip short and head for home.

So far my visits to the Badlands National Park have not worked out in the best way for my photography intent, even though the scenery is fantastic.

That’s it for this photo trip.

Thanks for following,

Ken

Hot Creek Geothermal Area, California – Part 2

After shooting from an elevated location here, my son and I drove to the parking lot at the official visitor area and hiked down the steep, icy path to the creek level.

There are signs posted at frequent intervals warning visitors of the scalding hot waters of the creek and to stay at least ten feet from the creek bank and from steam vents.

March 20, 2024
Hot Creek Geothermal Area 5
March 20, 2024
Steamy Morning
March 20, 2024
Golden Water
March 20, 2024
Steamy Morning 2
March 20, 2024
Not So Hot Creek

At about this point and westward, Hot Creek is fed by snow melt before the water enters into the portion fed by hot springs.  Anglers fish the waters here and to the west.  I’m guessing the fish are smart enough to turn around before getting into the scalding hot water area.

March 20, 2024
Cloud Generation

As one of my Flickr contacts pointed out, the hot water was providing clouds for the otherwise clear sky this cold morning.

March 20, 2024
Misty Bend
March 20, 2024
Misty Bend 2
March 20, 2024
Bent Tree

I stopped to photograph this lone, bent tree with the mist from the hot water behind it as I was hiking back up the trail to the parking lot.  This image, which I almost neglected to even process, was chosen for Flickr’s Explore Page May 30, 2024.

That is all for this area.  Until next time,

Ken