Badlands covers 1,400 acres of sand dunes, wooded trails, streams, mud, and rock. To put this into perspective, our first event at Rally Park was 30 acres and our second outing at The Cliffs was 300 acres ~ so Badlands is the real deal.
This site has an array of trails ranging from Level 3 (moderately demanding) to Level 9 (very demanding). Rally Park was a 3-5 and The Cliffs was a 3-7, so we’ll have access to more challenging terrain if we choose to push it.
Info:
Full information about the park can be found at the following link. The important stuff is noted below.
Weekend Hours: 9 AM - 7 PM EST
$25 per driver / $10 per passenger age 12+ / $5 per passenger age 6-11 / FREE per child age 5 and under
Vehicle flags are required & sold onsite.
Adult drivers must sign Adult Waiver at the gate.
Minor Waiver - Anyone under the age of 18, and NOT your child, must have a parent complete this form, have it notarized, and submit it at the gate prior to entering the trails. Children accompanied by their parent(s) do not require a Minor Waiver.
Waiver can be found at the following link:
Plan:
Good idea to gas up the Jeeps and check all fluids/systems the night prior. I’m most likely going to rent a trailer and haul the TJ down to be safe. I’m also going to pack water, snacks, and lunch for my family. The park has a diner with grilled food options, so probably not necessary to bring a lunch unless you really want to. Menu says pulled pork, chicken wraps, burgers, and something called the infamous Sasquatch Burger, so might be legit!
6:30 AM meet at Mariano’s. It’s a 2.5 hour drive to Attica, IN with a 1-hour time change into EST. So, if we leave at 6:45 AM with one stop along the way, we’ll arrive around 10:30 AM EST, which gives us up to 8.5 hours of potential trail time.
Gear:
Drinking Water
Snacks
Mobile Phone
CB Radio
Gloves
First Aid Kit
Fire Extinguisher
Extended Wheel Jack
Winch with Full Accessory Kit (installed on at least 2 Jeeps)
4-Point D Rings (for recovery if stuck)
Air Compressor (to re-inflate tires after pre-trail deflate)
Trail Flag (sold onsite)