Just make sure to keep an eye on the sky - a good rain turns park roads into impassable muck. The rain clouds that chased us out of prairie dog town were preceded by a wind storm that tossed dirt and small stones at our vehicle. Our visibility was reduced to zero, forcing us to stop on a hill as we tried to leave the valley. Fortunately, the wind relented and we got out of the park and onto a highway before the rainstorm arrived. Eagle Butte, in the west block, is prime hiking territory.
Cactus abounds on south-facing hills.
Larks, pipits and buntings hiding or nesting in the grass and sage can startle as they fly up from beside your feet. Wolf willow, buffalo berry and aspen grow near the river and in coulees, where runoff increases moisture levels. We watched from a distance as a mule deer on the valley floor bounced up along ridges, occasionally disappearing into shallow coulees, until he reached the tabletop above. Ferruginous hawks and turkey vultures are common sites in the big sky above the valley, but we weren't lucky enough this time to spot a golden eagle. Jackrabbits, weasels, badgers and whitetail deer are also common.