Badlands National Park

Badlands National Park

More than Rushmore: Take a South Dakota trip

CUSTER STATE PARK, South Dakota - The wild burro wouldn't take no for an answer.

We had already encountered grazing pronghorn antelope, packs of wild turkeys, prairie dogs, and enough bison to render us downright blase when yet another of the enormous beasts emerged on our four-day trip through the Black Hills of South Dakota.

But the snack-seeking donkeys were a tourist's dream, moseying up to the car window for a bite of carrots, Cheetos or whatever else was handy. The feeding frenzy is common in these parts: Moments later, a particularly assertive burro blocked our path down Wildlife Loop Road until we turned over more foodstuffs.