Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, SD

June 24
We got to hear cows mooing very early in the morning and enjoy their aroma. On our way west a major storm front blew across our path. Hail, intense lightning and severe winds were forecast. The sky went from gray to black with awesome clouds that blotted out the sun. It was almost as dark as night. Fortunately, we didn’t have to drive through the storm cells for very long.
The SD landscape went from flat plains to small, treeless, but very green rolling hills. We dropped down into a shallow valley, crossed the Missouri River, and climbed back up to the plains.
After 3 hours and 20 minutes we stopped at the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site park headquarters just outside of Badlands NP in SD. We picked up 4 free tickets for an afternoon tour of the Cold War era Delta-01 Launch Control Facility. As we had plenty of time to kill, we decided to do the self-guided tour of Missile Silo Delta-09 about 15 miles to the west off I-90. In 1991 the US and the Soviet Union signed the START Treaty and began reducing nuclear arms stockpiles. Minuteman II missile sites were deactivated. Delta-01 and Delta-09 were preserved under the National Park Service to illustrate the significance and history of the Cold War and the arms race.
At Delta-09 we saw a Minuteman II test missile in its underground silo through a glass dome and learned about the heavy security and intricate procedures involved in a launch, if ever needed.
We headed to our campsite at Cedar Pass Campground in Badlands NP at an elevation of about 2400 feet. The campground is sited on a plain between the Badlands Wall and the White River Valley with a great view of the Wall. Meadow larks with bright yellow breasts were everywhere with their melodious song.
After lunch we took the guided tour of Delta-01 which is the underground launch control facility that was responsible for the potential launch of 10 nuclear warheads aimed at the Soviet Union. We couldn’t imagine the stress of the missiliers pulling 3 day shifts underground waiting for launch orders or the impact of Soviet nuclear missiles.
On the way back to the campground we stopped at Big Badlands Overlook. The pale tan buttes and spires are really otherworldly-looking.
At some point we noticed that the 12V system was not working again. This time William really found the problem. A battery cutoff switch was corroded inside and not making consistent contact.
After our traditional first night destination bratwurst dinner, a fierce windstorm arrived. The camper was buffeted a good bit. We felt bad for the people in tents and little pop-up trailers. The tenters were holding on to their flapping tents to keep them from lifting off and flying away. Thankfully, there wasn’t much rain. After the winds calmed a bit we played some ball.

Here are the pictures.