Traveling from Pierre to Badlands National Park: Missouri River Scenery, RV Life & an Unexpected Vet Visit
Some travel days are mostly about getting from one campground to the next.
Others turn into a story all their own.
Our drive from Pierre, South Dakota, toward Badlands National Park definitely fell into the second category.
We had beautiful views of the Missouri River, a little sightseeing around Pierre, an unexpected trip to the veterinarian with General, a time-zone change, and finally the excitement of seeing the Badlands for the very first time.
It was one of those days that reminded us why full-time RV travel is never boring.
A Short Stay in Pierre, South Dakota
We only spent a couple of days in Pierre, but we enjoyed what we saw.
Our campground at Farm Island State Recreation Area gave us beautiful views of the Missouri River and the surrounding hills, which felt especially dramatic after so much time driving through flatter country in North and South Dakota.
We had been looking at endless prairie for days, so seeing the hills rise along the Missouri was a welcome change.
It was quiet, scenic, and a perfect place to pause before continuing west.
A Little Pierre History
Pierre may be a small capital city, but it still has some interesting things to see.
One feature we noticed around town was a series of statues honoring former governors of South Dakota.
It added a little historical character to the city and gave us another reminder that even short travel stops often have something interesting to discover if you take the time to look around.
An Unexpected Problem with General
Unfortunately, one of our biggest memories from Pierre wasn’t sightseeing.
General got sick.
The weather had been wet before and during our stay, and there was standing water in several places around the campground and surrounding area.
General, being General, loves water and doesn’t think twice about drinking from puddles or shallow pools.
That turned out to be a problem.
He developed stomach issues bad enough that we decided to take him to a local veterinarian.
Thankfully, he was treated and recovered just fine.
One Pet Travel Lesson We Won’t Forget
That experience changed one of our habits permanently.
We stopped allowing General to drink from standing water while we’re traveling.
Puddles, drainage areas, and runoff can contain all kinds of contaminants from roads and parking lots, including oil, chemicals, bacteria, and other things you definitely don’t want your dog drinking.
That can be difficult when you’re traveling with a water-loving Labrador who thinks every puddle exists for his personal enjoyment.
But after that vet visit, standing water became a firm no.
Carry Your Pet’s Records
Another lesson from that experience was how important it is to travel with your pet’s medical information.
When you’re hundreds or thousands of miles from your regular veterinarian, a new clinic may need to know:
- Vaccination history
- Current medications
- Previous medical conditions
- Recent treatments
- Veterinarian contact information
Keeping those records together makes an unexpected appointment much easier.
We were fortunate that everything turned out well, but it was a good reminder that traveling with pets requires a little extra preparation.
Crossing the Missouri River
Once General was feeling better and we were ready to continue west, we crossed the Missouri River.
This felt like more than just another bridge crossing.
As we traveled from the eastern side of the river to the western side, the landscape began to change and our trip started to feel much more like a western adventure.
There was also another little milestone waiting for us.
From Central Time to Mountain Time
Crossing west of the Missouri also meant crossing into Mountain Time.
For once, travel worked in our favor.
Instead of losing an hour, we gained one.
That always feels like a little gift on a travel day.
Finally Heading to the Badlands
This was the part of the trip we’d been looking forward to.
We had finally made our reservation for the Badlands.
Ed was so excited that once he found out, he immediately went outside and started getting things ready.
There was one small detail from the veterinarian that caught his attention, too.
She warned us to watch for rattlesnakes as they began moving back toward their dens.
Apparently that only made Ed more excited.
Badlands.
Rattlesnakes.
Game on.
Our First Glimpse of the Badlands
Then came the moment we’d been waiting for.
Our first view of the Badlands.
After miles of prairie and farmland, the landscape suddenly began changing into something completely different.
Rugged formations started appearing in the distance.
Even from the road, we could tell we were heading into a place unlike anywhere we’d been before.
That first glimpse was enough to make all the miles worthwhile.
Why We Love Travel Days Like This
This episode wasn’t centered around one museum, one campground, or one big tourist attraction.
It was simply a day of traveling.
And that’s exactly what made it special.
In a single stretch of road, we experienced:
- Beautiful Missouri River scenery
- A little Pierre history
- A pet health scare
- An important lesson for traveling with dogs
- A major river crossing
- A time-zone change
- Our first view of the Badlands
That’s full-time RV life in a nutshell.
Some days are carefully planned.
Others unfold one unexpected moment at a time.
Final Thoughts
Our stay in Pierre was short, but it gave us a beautiful place to rest and a few memories we’ll never forget.
General’s illness certainly wasn’t something we’d choose to repeat, but it taught us an important lesson about pet safety on the road.
And then, just like that, the difficult part of the trip gave way to excitement.
We crossed the Missouri.
We gained an hour.
And the Badlands appeared ahead of us.
Sometimes the best part of a travel day is simply knowing that something incredible is waiting just over the next hill.
And in this case, it really was.
Continue the Journey
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