Kadoka is a village of fewer than a thousand people on the high plains of South Dakota, a quiet place of wide streets and grain elevators, and the name is a Lakota word often translated as hole in the wall, which refers to a gap in the Badlands wall nearby. The town sits on the interstate, at the south-east end of the long arc of the Badlands, and it is a handy base for those who want to see the park without paying resort prices.
Around Kadoka the prairie is open and almost treeless, with grass, wheat and cattle as far as you can see. The Lakota lived here for centuries, hunting bison, and the Pine Ridge reservation lies just to the south, where the Wounded Knee massacre of 1890 took place. The history of these plains is one of conflict and loss, and a visit to the memorial and the Lakota cultural centres in the area can provide a more complete picture of the region's past.
The Badlands Loop Road runs through the national park between Wall and the village of Interior, passing the Pinnacles and Yellow Mounds overlooks and the visitor centre at Cedar Pass. The ride is gentle, with views of crumbling spires in stripes of cream, rust and lilac, and the contrast with the flat green prairie on the rim is startling. Wind blows steadily across the plains, so expect a push, and heat in summer can be harsh. Traffic is lightest in the early morning, and the light is best in the evening.
Kadoka has fuel, a few motels and cafes, and a small museum with a collection of vintage cars, a curiosity worth a quick look. Philip, the next town east, is about twenty-six kilometres away, but supplies are modest in this part of the state. Be careful of deer and livestock on the road at dusk, and watch for sudden storms, which build quickly on the plains. If you are lucky, a clear night here shows a dense sky of stars, with almost no artificial light to compete.