2JeepPeeps

After the Wind Cave tour we took a short venture to the nearby town of Hot Springs, the county seat of Fall River County, South Dakota. This little “city” offered much to do such as a live paleontology dig (The Mammoth Site), relaxing natural warm mineral spas, and distinctive sandstone architecture, and even the annual craft festival going on along the river.
After stopping at the visitor’s center, which was an old railway depot, we walked across the street and ate at a quaint eatery, Upper Crust Café “Where you go to get your daily bread”. It was delightful and they also had some amazing breads and pastries.
Next we drove down the main street and went to the Mammoth Site. It is the world’s largest mammoth research facility and one of the top fossil interpretive sites in North America. With over 60 mammoths (58 Columbian, 3 woolly), which have been found at this site in Hot Springs, along with at least 87 other Late Ice Age animals. It was very interesting to see.
We also took some time to wander through the booths of the 49th Annual Craft & Arts Festival along the river in Centennial Park. With the weather moving in, we again stopped for gas and headed back to our campsite.

Pictures from our stay at Cottonwood Campsite in Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
We secured a fantastic site that offered great privacy, shade, and a clear view of the sky, all while being conveniently close to the restroom facilities that had running water. A highlight of the site was the unexpected wildlife; a bull bison blocking the path to the bathroom, four Bison bulls walking right past our Jeep, and witnessing a group of three bison stampeding through the campground. I felt like a “dumb” tourist being so unintentionally close to them…they were huge.