Mitchell KOA Journey, Mitchell South Dakota to Sleepy Hollow, Wall SD

September 23, 2025 to September 24, 2025

We left Mitchell KOA around 10:30 a.m. CT, knowing we’d cross into the Mountain Time Zone before reaching Wall, South Dakota. The countryside began to change, with fields of short cornstalks, soybeans, turnips, barley, and sunflowers appearing. The turnips had deep mauve flowers, with some fields stretching all the way to the horizon. Other fields were blanketed with yellow sunflowers, also reaching as far as the eye could see. When they call the West “Big Sky country,” it’s absolutely true—you can see to the horizon in every direction. The landscape then changed to grasslands with large herds of cattle grazing. It is quite beautiful here.

GPS is an incredibly useful tool in many situations. It can warn us about upcoming road construction, police presence, or, like today, notify us of an obstruction ahead. This gave Ron a heads-up to stay alert, and thankfully so, because there was a full-size bumper lying in the middle of the road. He managed to steer to the right while the semi in the left passing lane swerved to the left, and we both avoided the dangerous obstruction. Hopefully, someone removed it soon after.

On our way, we noticed a rest area ahead and decided to take a break. We’re so glad we did! It turned out to be South Dakota’s Welcome Center, and it was absolutely incredible. It’s honestly the most beautiful rest area we’ve ever seen, which might sound odd but is completely true. This spot marks the location where Lewis and Clark camped during their historic journey along the Missouri River in 1804. The views of the Missouri River and surrounding hills are breathtaking, and the impressive Dignity of Earth and Sky is truly inspiring. “Standing at a crossroads, Dignity echoes the interaction of earth, sky, and people.” Hats off to South Dakota!

We came across a herd of antelope near the interstate during our journey today, but sadly, we missed the chance to capture a photo. The scenery is shifting, and we caught glimpses of the Badlands, which we’re planning to explore when we stay at Custer State Park and anticipate we will see some wildlife while staying there.

Our overnight destination today is the world-famous Wall Drug, a well-known tourist attraction near Badlands National Park, advertised by over a hundred billboards along I-90. The town of Wall is small, but the attraction draws plenty of visitors and should bring significant revenue to the community. While the 72,000 sq ft store is mostly a tourist trap, we enjoyed browsing old-time photographs of famous Native Americans, paintings of western scenes, and dining at the Wall Drug Cafe. Ron had a buffalo burger, I had an amazing grilled chicken sandwich, and we both indulged in homemade blueberry pie.

We’re camping right in town at the Sleepy Hollow Campground. It’s not too bad, though it’s a bit of a step down from our last spot in Mitchell. The weather is perfect, with daytime temperatures in the mid-70s and cool nights in the mid-50s. Hopefully, these lovely conditions stick around for the next couple of weeks.

Tomorrow, we travel to Sundance, Wyoming and have reservations at the Mountain View RV Park and Campground. It’s a shorter drive tomorrow of 130 miles and a little over 2-hour drive. The campground has great reviews, and we are excited to enter another new state for us!