"Oh Lord, I've never lived where churches grow.
I loved creation better as it stood."
-Badger Clark

This past Labor Day I had the pleasure to visit South Dakota which houses such majestic scenes and stops as the Black Hills, Mount Rushmore, and Badlands National Park. However, beyond the beauty and titillations that these places offer, the most memorable part of the journey happened within Custer State Park.

The park is an expansive 71,000 acres of land and lakes (Sylvan Lake is a must see) which includes an 18 mile Wildlife Loop drive that gives visitors ample and frequent opportunities to see its diverse wildlife including Buffalo (one of the largest wild herds in the world), Wild Turkeys, Pronghorns, Mountain Goats, Bighorn Sheep, Mule & Whitetail Deer, Elk, and a band of friendly Burros(mules).

Also tucked away in the park, unknown to most that visit, sits the cabin of the "cowboy" poet Badger Clark which the locals call "Badgers Hole". While his work was published countless times, he was more of a local celebrity. He built this cabin by himself over several years and secluded himself in these mountains Thoreau style for most of his life enjoying nature and working on his craft. Since his death in 1957, none of his possessions have been removed or disturbed and the cabin exists mostly as he left it. Following are some photographs I captured while driving through the park and exploring Clark's cabin.

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