Two RV Gypsies: Full-Time RVers
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The two RV Gypsies
at The Painted Canyon
near the South Unit of Theodore National Park
August 28, 2016

sign: Painted Canyon Visitor Center

sign about The Badlands at Painted Canyon

sign about the Burning Hills

sign about slumping

Painted Canyon at TR NP

sign: Welcome to Painted Canyon

Below: The two RV Gypsies came to a sign which was a different sign from the trail sign that was there in 2012. In 2012 the two RV Gypsies hiked the Painted Canyon Nature Trail portrayed in the sign shown below, so they did not hike the trail again in 2016 because Lee Duquette did not want to. However, the photos taken on the trail in 2012 are posted below as a flashback.

sign: Painted Canyon Nature Trail
FLASHBACK TO JUNE 6 & 7, 2012: The two RV Gypsies began their visit to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park at the Painted Canyon Overlook with a spectacular view of the Badlands, a flat desert landscape broken by petrified wood and rock formations. Although it was a cloudy day with light rain, the images of color and light playing across the face of the wild and broken land was an amazing sight. The view had a quiet, haunting beauty. Wind and water shape the canyons; light and shadows add depth and contrast to define their character.
sign: welcome to the Painted Canyon
Before hiking the trail, the two RV Gypsies stood on the upper margin of the Badlands and enjoyed magnificent panorama views of the broken topography with its colorful hues. No admission fees were charged at Painted Canyon, on this date.
June 6, 2012 - a rainy day at the Painted Canyon
panorama of the Painted Canyon as seen from the rim by The Visitor Center
June 7, 2012 - Below is the same photo as above, but on a sunnier day at the Painted Canyon
panorama of the Painted Canyon as seen from the rim by The Visitor Center
More Panoramas of The Painted Canyon
The Painted Canyon
A panorama of the Painted Canyon and the hiking trail to the bottom of the canyon.
The Painted Canyon
Views of the Painted Canyon from the overlook
View of the major rock formation at The Painted Desert
View of the major rock formation at The Painted Desert
View of the major rock formation at The Painted Desert
View of the major rock formation at The Painted Desert
View of the major rock formation at The Painted Desert
June 7, 2012 - The two RV Gypsies decided to hike the Painted Canyon Trail Head.
It was a one-mile loop, easy walking.
sign: Painted Canyon Trail Head hiking trail
Lee Duquette on the Painted Canyon Trail Head
viewing the rock formations from part way down the hiking trail
viewing the rock formations from part way down the hiking trail
Below: Views of the rock formation from further down the hiking trail
viewing the rock formation from further down the hiking trail
viewing the rock formation from further down the hiking trail
Part way down the trail, the two RV Gypsies heard people talking at the top of the rim, but they could barely see them.
people at the top of the trail
Animal poop along the trail - Lee Duquette insisted on taking the photo shown below.
poop

There were some difficult stairs along the trail.
difficult stairs
difficult stairs
close-up of the rock formation at Painted Canyon
rock formations at Painted canyon
The two RV Gypsies at the bottom of the trail.
Karen Duquette was amazed at the view from the bottom of the canyon and got a different view of the colorful mound that she had photographed from above a bit earlier.
The two RV Gypsies at the bottom of the trail.
Karen Duquette pointing to famous rock formation at the Painted Canyon
An amazing view from ground level
at the Painted Canyon
This looks like hard rock, but
it was soft moist clay
an amazing view from ground level of the Painted Canyon
moist clay on the bottom of the Painted Canyon
Lee Duquette at the Painted Canyon
overview of the Painted Canyon from the bottom
This was a relatively easy trail, except for the fact that it rained the day before and there was a bit of water and a lot of gooey mud to walk through.
water and mud

look below
This is not a linear site, so there are three choices for continued navigation below:

go to the next adventure of the two RV GypsiesContinue navigation in the order of occurrence -- the North Unit of Theodore National Park - an area they did not visit in 2012.

OR

go back to the SD menu Return to the North Dakota 2016 menu to continue in the order of your choice.

OR

go to the next adventure of the two RV GypsiesGo to the South Dakota menu.