Bored? Maybe it’s time to get outside

I went to high school in a small town, population 284, 45 miles from the nearest movie theatre and bowling alley.

Even though in many people’s minds we had nothing to do, to me, being less than hour from the Bighorn Mountains, was plenty to do. 

While I agree Chadron doesn’t have much to offer in terms of activities for college students, I do think we are sleeping walking past the world around us. 

Within 50 miles of Chadron there are some great natural attractions. 

There is Chadron State park less than 10 miles away. It is a great place to fish, hike, paddleboat and swim. 

The Cliffs Trailhead, east of Chadron  is a pretty hike with a great view of the area and could be a nice place to have a picnic. 

Near Crawford, Toadstool Geological  Park is a cool place to go on a long hike or just explore. You can hike to the Hudson-Meng Education and Research Center or explore the 1984 sod-house. 

Fort Robinson State Park is another nearby place to go hiking, camping, horseback riding or just view the wildlife. It is also a place with plenty of history and a museum.

A little farther away, the Scottsbluff National Monument. From what I have heard its a cool drive and hike and is on my CSC bucketlist. 

Lake Minatare State Recreation Area is a cool area to see, fish or swim. 

Smith Falls State Park may be a two-hour drive to Valentine, but is well worth seeing. A cool place to go swimming, kayaking or floating or even just sight-seeing. 

Going the other direction to South Dakota there are plenty of sights to see. 

There is Wind Cave National Park, which is good even just for the views and the wildlife. You can also take a tour through the cave system. 

Just past Wind Cave, near Custer, South Dakota is Jewel Cave National Monument another place to explore caves.  Jewel cave also has Hell’s Canyon hiking trail which, from what I have heard is worth the hike. 

Custer State park has a lot to offer, in my opinion. From Needle’s Highway to gorgeous lakes. You can feed the burros and just enjoy the wildlife.   

While they aren’t exactly natural, Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Monuments are definitely worth seeing, even if it’s just once. 

Badlands National Park might be almost three hours away but it is worth the drive. Hiking, wildlife viewing and just driving around are all activities that are hard to regret in this national park. 

If you are just looking for a day trip or want to explore, Spearfish Canyon in South Dakota is a beautiful place to go sight-seeing. 

Even in the winter, there are beautiful places to hike and watch the sunset. 

The thing to understand is that we are surrounded by beautiful places worth exploring, even if there isn’t anything to do in town.