You’re driving through Badlands National Park, past those jagged, alien-looking spires that look like they belong on Mars, and suddenly the landscape flattens out. It's just grass. Then, you see the mounds. Hundreds of them. This is Roberts Prairie Dog Town, and honestly, if you don't stop, you're missing the weirdest, loudest, and most important "neighborhood" in South Dakota.
Most people just pull over, snap a blurry photo of a rodent, and leave. That's a mistake. These little guys aren't just cute photo ops; they are the engineers of the entire Great Plains. Without them, the Badlands ecosystem basically falls apart.
What’s Really Going On at Roberts Prairie Dog Town?
When you step out of your car at Roberts Prairie Dog Town, the first thing you’ll notice isn’t the visual—it’s the sound. It is loud. You’ll hear a high-pitched "yip" that ripples across the field like a stadium wave. That’s the jump-yip. A prairie dog will stand on its hind legs, throw its front paws in the air, and bark. It’s not just for fun. Scientists like John Hoogland, who has spent decades studying these creatures, have found that these vocalizations are incredibly complex. They aren't just saying "danger." They are likely describing what kind of danger. They have different calls for a coyote versus a hawk versus a human in a blue shirt. Seriously.
The "town" itself is a massive underground network. We’re talking about burrows that go 10 to 15 feet deep and stretch for miles. They have dedicated "rooms" for different things—nurseries for the pups, sleeping quarters, and even listening posts near the exits where they can check for predators before popping out.
It’s a social hierarchy that would make a soap opera writer blush. They live in family groups called coteries. Usually, it's one male, a few females, and their offspring. They groom each other, they "kiss" to recognize family members, and they fiercely defend their little patch of dirt from the neighbors next door.
Why Everyone Is Obsessed With "The Kiss"
If you sit still for ten minutes, you’ll see it. Two prairie dogs approach each other, touch teeth, and then go about their business. It looks like a romantic greeting. It’s actually a security check. By touching incisors, they confirm they belong to the same social group. If they don’t recognize the "kiss," a fight breaks out. It’s basically the prairie version of showing your ID at a club.
👉 See also: Atlantic Puffin Fratercula Arctica: Why These Clown-Faced Birds Are Way Tougher Than They Look
The Ecological Drama You Can’t See
It is easy to look at Roberts Prairie Dog Town and see a bunch of holes in the ground that might trip a horse. Ranchers historically hated them for that reason. But in the Badlands, they are a keystone species. This means if you remove them, the whole house of cards collapses.
Think about the grass. Prairie dogs "mow" the area around their burrows to keep a clear line of sight for predators. This constant clipping encourages new, nutrient-rich grass to grow. Because of this, bison and pronghorn actually prefer to graze in prairie dog towns. The grass there is literally higher quality.
Then there are the roommates.
Burrowing owls don't dig their own holes. They just move into abandoned prairie dog tunnels. Rattlesnakes do the same. Even the critically endangered black-footed ferret—one of the rarest mammals in North America—relies almost entirely on prairie dogs. They eat them, and then they sleep in their houses. It’s a brutal relationship, but without the "town," the ferrets go extinct. Period.
Survival is a Team Sport
You might see a prairie dog standing perfectly still on a mound. That’s the sentry. It’s the most dangerous job in the colony. While everyone else is face-down in the grass eating, the sentry is scanning the sky for Golden Eagles and the horizon for badgers. When the sentry barks, the entire town vanishes in three seconds. It’s a level of collective cooperation that humans honestly struggle to match.
✨ Don't miss: Madison WI to Denver: How to Actually Pull Off the Trip Without Losing Your Mind
Dealing With the "Pest" Reputation
For a long time, the narrative around the Badlands was that prairie dogs were a nuisance. In the early 20th century, massive poisoning campaigns wiped out about 98% of the prairie dog population across the US. People thought they were protecting cattle.
But modern biology tells a different story. In the Badlands National Park, the National Park Service manages these towns as vital wilderness components. They’ve realized that the "towns" prevent erosion in specific ways and maintain the soil's nitrogen levels. If you're visiting today, you're seeing a recovered landscape. It's a glimpse into what the American West looked like before we tried to "tame" it.
The Plague Factor (Let’s Be Real)
People get worried about sylvatic plague. It’s a real thing. It’s carried by fleas and can wipe out an entire colony in weeks. However, the risk to humans at Roberts Prairie Dog Town is incredibly low as long as you follow the big rule: Don’t touch them. Don't feed them, either. You’ll see people trying to toss crackers or carrots. It ruins their natural diet and makes them lose their fear of humans, which is a death sentence when a coyote shows up. Plus, they have surprisingly sharp teeth. They aren't pets; they're wild animals with a job to do.
How to Actually Experience the Town
Most visitors pull into the dirt lot off Sage Creek Rim Road, look around for five minutes, and keep driving. To actually see the behavior—the kissing, the grooming, the territorial disputes—you need to change your approach.
- Go early or late. Mid-day in the Badlands is brutal. The heat sends the prairie dogs underground to nap. The best action happens in the first two hours after sunrise or the last two hours before sunset.
- Bring binoculars. You want to see their faces. Their expressions are surprisingly human.
- Stay in your car (at first). The car acts as a "blind." Prairie dogs are used to the shape of vehicles. If you sit quietly in your driver's seat with the window down, they will pop up just feet away. The moment you open the door and stand up, they’ll give the alarm call and head for the basement.
- Watch the fringes. The middle of the town is established. The edges are where the "expansion" happens. That's where you'll see the younger males trying to carve out new territory and getting chased off by grumpy elders.
The Badlands are often described as a place of desolation. People use words like "wasteland" or "void." But when you spend an hour at Roberts Prairie Dog Town, you realize it’s actually teeming with life. It’s a busy, frantic, high-stakes metropolis. It’s just five inches off the ground.
🔗 Read more: Food in Kerala India: What Most People Get Wrong About God's Own Kitchen
Where to go from here
If you're planning a trip, don't just put "Badlands" in your GPS. Specifically aim for the Sage Creek Rim Road. It’s a gravel road, but usually fine for sedans. This is where the biggest colonies live.
- Check the wind. If it’s incredibly windy, they stay down. The wind interferes with their ability to hear predators and each other.
- Look for the "Black-Footed Ferret" signs. While you likely won't see a ferret (they are nocturnal and very shy), the park service often posts updates nearby about conservation efforts.
- Pair it with a hike. The Notch Trail is the famous one, but the Sage Creek Wilderness Area near the dog town offers a chance to walk among bison. Just keep your distance—bison are faster than they look.
Final takeaway: Don't just look at the mounds. Listen to the language. Observe the social hierarchy. Understand that this patch of dirt is the heartbeat of the prairie. You’re not just looking at a field of squirrels; you’re looking at an ancient, complex society that has survived everything the harsh South Dakota climate and human expansion could throw at it.
Pack some water, turn off your engine, and just sit there. The "yips" will tell you everything you need to know.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Map your route: Ensure you enter the Badlands via the Pinnacles Entrance for the quickest access to Sage Creek Rim Road.
- Pack a telephoto lens: If you’re into photography, 300mm is the minimum to get clear shots of social behaviors without distressing the animals.
- Download a field guide: Apps like iNaturalist can help you identify the various birds (like Meadowlarks and Hawks) that frequent the town to see the ecosystem in full effect.