A fun spot to take a beat after traveling the badlands west to east. Would recommend for many a photo opportunity! Great for kids too. read more

The Ranch Store - giant prairie dog statue! - Convenience Stores Near Me - Philip, South Dakota

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Visiting the Badlands and decided to stop into the Ranch Store just off 90 exit 131. Cute little store with lots of souvenirs. The main attraction are the prairie dogs running all around. For $1.00 you can buy food to feed them. The kids would love this place. read more

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When you visit North and South Dakota, you will see a lot of wildlife, especially those cute prairie dogs. But if you are interested in finding them on your drive from Badlands National Park to Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, you may want to consider stopping at The Ranch Store. It is free to visit but if you want to feed any of these cute little animals, you can purchase a bag of unsalted peanuts for only $1. There is a designated area where you can walk over and try to feed these little creatures. My husband and I went on a Tuesday afternoon, around 3:45 pm. There were 2 other small parties of people feeding the prairie dogs with their bag of peanuts. But one thing I did notice about these prairie dogs are that they are much bigger than the ones that I have seen at Badlands and a few other national parks (probably because all the tourists are feeing them the peanuts). Anyways, after you feed the little creatures (or you can just watch other tourists feed them), you can take a photo with the giant prairie dog sculpture. Definitely a fun visit and would recommend for a short stop. Please note that dogs are not allowed in the prairie dog area (with good reason). And also be aware of the rules listed (really you shouldn't try to touch and pet them). read more

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November 20205: Stopped by but they were closed for the season. We saw a lot of prairie dogs in the parking lot and near the parking lot on the grass. They are so cute and make adorable squealing noises. read more

The Ranch Store - Prairie Dog - Convenience Stores Near Me - Philip, South Dakota

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Such a cute and fun place to stop! we came here after visiting minute man missile site. they had really cute beaded souvenirs. we had to get some peanuts to feed the prairie dogs. it was so fun and they were so cute. it was fun watching them peel the peanuts and eat them! read more

The Ranch Store - Convenience Stores Near Me - Philip, South Dakota

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MUST SEE! So fun watching these Little critters run around and play. Bought a bag of prairie dog food, AKA, peanuts so we could feed them! read more

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My favorite stop on road trips!! So much fun, great for kids and families, I love this place and would recommend it to anyone

I was driving towards Badlands National Park to explore for the day when I viewed this sign on the side of the road stating..."Stop and feed the Prairie Dogs at The Ranch Store"! For me...in my head, I thought, feed animals??? Make nice to animals? Prairie dogs? Cool!!! I'm in! 100% this is right up my alley! Yes, I'm guilty and need to admit right here, right now...I'm a huge animal fan. I love farm animals, anything to get up close, making nice to animals is 5 stars in my book, just what I'm passionate about. But...unfortunately, these prairie dogs, they were tough. They were difficult to get up close to. I attempted countless times for like 30 minutes straight trying to get them to eat out of my hands. No such luck. They were pretty bashful or just simply standoffish. If I had to assume, this is such a touristy roadside attraction. If you're venturing over to Badlands NP, you can't miss this Ranch Store. And the giant-sized sign immediately strikes you in the face, like hey, who doesn't want to feed a prairie dogs? Usually, during my travels and explorations...prairie dogs are very hard to get to slow down for any type of interactions. So for here at The Ranch Store, I was quite interested to see if they had been so domesticated to where they'd happily eat out of my hands. Well, no. I'm going to say that these animals have been so overfed by visitors that they're no longer hungry. I couldn't get them to come over to me. I had peanuts (which is the food you must purchase to feed them) in the palm of my hands and yet they wouldn't budge. In fact, if I startled them, they just naturally ran back into their burrows. So ultimately for me, I never found that fulfillment and joy of feeding and maybe petting the prairie dogs that I was hoping for when I initially saw the sign from the roadside. Oh well, this experience was no big deal. When I arrived, I parked and went inside The Ranch Store, which is basically just a general convenience store for any items/supplies you may need before heading inside Badlands NP. Inside the store, they sell small bags of unsalted peanuts for $1.00. I figured why not splurge and buy 2 bags, lol. Well, I couldn't even get rid of my 2 bags of peanuts while chasing down the prairie dogs. I actually just left the nuts in my car and they served as a useful snack after I did some hiking at the Badlands, hehe. So...at least the nuts went to some good use. But overall, for when I was here back in July of 2021, these prairie dogs were content doing their own thing and really had no interest in grabbing the nuts out of my hands. The whole Prairie Dog Farm was set out right in front of The Ranch Store. They did post a little sign with instructions for visitors. Here were some highlights... - Do not pet, touch or hold Prairie Dogs. - Please toss unsalted Badlands Ranch Store peanuts only. - Do not run or chase the Prairie Dogs - Do not put your hands or feet into the burrows. - Watch where you walk. - Please do not bring pets into the Prairie dog town. - Have fun. I tried to take a few pictures hoping to have some nice memories but all you can see is me stretching out and begging the dogs to come over. I tried hard, lol, but no such luck. I guess in the end, my excitement and hopes for "making nice" with the prairie dogs fell way short. Ah, that's too bad because something like this attraction and having a chance to interact with them was something I had witnessed. I was excited when I stumbled upon the sign, but this Ranch Store never lived up to its billing. When I reflect back on this place...this Ranch Store is a real good ploy and distraction for alluring tourists and visitors to stop on their way towards Badlands NP and get them to hopefully spend money inside the store using this gimmick of feeding prairie dogs as a way to try and reel you in. For me...I already had everything I needed for enjoying my day at the Badlands so after buying the unsalted peanuts I never even gave a second though to looking around inside the store. Eventually I just returned to my car after failing to connect with any of the prairie dogs and continued on my Badlands adventure for the day. read more

The prairie dogs were admittedly very cute and chubby from overfeeding by foolishly doting tourists. I have not seen more obese prairie dogs. The unshelled peanuts were reasonably priced at $1.00 a bag. You can then get the little critters to come right up to you whose confidence you purchase with the aid of a peanut. The world largest prairie dog statue however, was not as charming but may prove to be of great interest to those who are into kitchy roadside Americana. read more

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When passing through the area of Badlands, South Dakota, visiting The Ranch Store is a nice stop! Feed the prairie dogs! The store sells $1/bag of unsalted peanuts to feed the prairie dogs. Please be respectful of the rules when feeding the prairie dogs as I saw other people not supervising their kids. One of the rules is to NOT try to pet the prairie dogs. While it may seem tempting, I'm relieved that the little kids I saw trying to pet them didn't get bitten. Even if you don't feed the prairie dogs, you can still see others feeding them or see them pop up from their little holes. When we were feeding them, they didn't seem interested in the peanuts half of the time. read more

Legendary location. The statue itself is awe-inspiring, but even that pales in comparison to the jaw-dropping cuteness of the prairie dog town nearby. Worth the visit no question. read more

The Ranch Store - Convenience Stores Near Me - Philip, South Dakota

Fun place to visit and feed the Prairie Dogs some peanuts and take a picture with the world's largest concrete prairie dog! read more

The Ranch Store - Concrete Prairie Dog! - Convenience Stores Near Me - Philip, South Dakota

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We have never been inside the Ranch Store it has always been closed when we were there. There is a trashcan outside that has bags of peanuts in them and you pay one dollar put it in the box and you can feed the prairie dogs. It is so much fun to walk around and feed them some will come up and take it out of your hand but most of them will run. They are so cute and fun to watch it is worth stopping on your way to the Badlands. read more

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So I had very high hopes for this place and it was cute but very small. The guy who was there was very nice and made conversation BUT we couldn't even go feed the dogs because we were ATE UP by mosquitos before we even got to the gate! I saw other people over there and it was like a wave because they were fine then all of a sunned they were ate up and running! Please spray your paths or do something so people can enjoy your area! read more

Never entered the store but the prairie dog experience we awesome. The little guys let you up close to really get a good look at them. I've seen them in fields but seeing them so encouraged me to learn more about them. You don't need the peanuts, they liked the leaves from the weeds growing around them. read more

Lots of fun feeding the prairie dogs! Neat little store with lots of interesting items

Cute stop on the way to the Badlands! The peanuts were $1 a bag and was plenty. Plenty of parking. Prairie dogs were a little plump... prob getting ready for winter. My kids loved it... heck so did I. Some of the Prairie dogs were "friendly" and would come up to you for the peanuts. One touched my leg from behind... not in a mean way... just in a ... hey you got anymore food ...way. read more

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This was a neat little surprise on the way into The Badlands National Park! We honestly thought it was going to be one of those bad tourist traps, but it wasn't, so we were happy. It's free admission onto the property. You can buy prairie dog food (unsalted peanuts) if you'd like in their souvenir shop. The prairie dogs are NOT in cages. They're wild and free!! It's a colony of free roaming prairie dogs in a field. The prairie dogs pop out of their holes and run around you, it's neat to see. If you have peanuts, they will take them out of your hand. Also, if you're a bird watcher, keep your eyes on the field! We spotted some song birds and a burrowing owl out there! Very nice place, we will be back for sure! :) read more

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If you're heading to/from the Badlands National Park, it's a quick stop. The store sells prairie dog food and has a Giant Prairie Dog statue. The prairie dog food is apparently peanuts with soybeans for people with nut allergies. We didn't feed the prairie dogs, because ... stories of don't feed the animals and the plague in some areas. I'm good with just watching them. Thank you for the wooden post to set a camera for selfies with the statue! read more

A fun little souvenir shop where you can buy all kinds of stuff! Most fun are the bags of peanuts to feed the hundreds of prairie dogs outside. What a treat. So adorable and what a blast for all ages. Don't forget to get a picture with the world's largest prairie dog! read more

You feed peanuts to prairie dogs, what more does a person need. The workers there are so nice and there is a giant prairie dog statue outside read more

You will know the place by the GIANT prairie dog statue out front. This tiny little store was an unexpectedly fun stop on our way out of the Badland's eastern entrance. They had cold drinks, snacks, an ice cream cooler, and a Prairie Dog town! They sell little bags of unsalted peanuts (Prairie Dog Snacks). We were there in the spring and the Prairie Dog pups were fearless. The momma Prairie Dogs come running when they hear you shake the treat bag. It was a lot of fun. read more

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Despite the owner being a bit brusque to us Yankees from out of town, this was one of the best parts of my road trip. I bought 2 bags of 'Prairie Dog Food' aka unsalted peanuts, and sat with the little creature for over an hour. It was the most fun I had on the trip. read more

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You need to stop here! If you pass this place without feeding some of the prairie dogs you are seriously missing out. Very fun

One of the best unexpected stops on our drive across the US. Get up close to prairie dogs. They'll bark. You'll melt. Go now. read more

Probably my most favorite stop in South Dakota, seriously. We didn't even know it was there and BAM, it was there. I love all of the prairie dogs and want to steal all of them. read more

This is a little piece of heaven. Quite possibly both the most awesome and most affordable part of our trip. For fifty cents, you can buy a bag of unsalted peanuts and feed the prairie dogs. Our four year old daughter (and my 36 year old wife) absolutely loved this place! Owners' dog Boise is a sweet heart too. Budget half an hour for this place - will be time well spent! read more

The Ranch Store - They let you feed the prairie dogs - best stop ever!!! - Convenience Stores Near Me - Philip, South Dakota

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My 5-star rating my be in part due to my deep nostalgic memories of this roadside stop, seeing as the last time I was here I was three years shy of being on this earth a whole decade. Nonetheless, this stop is not one to be missed. The picture I have of my siblings and I, posing in totem-pole-fashion, going from shortest to tallest child in front of the "Honey I Blew Up" the Priarie Dog statue is truly a treasured family photo. So round-up the station wagon; grab your fanny pack, roadside bingo, and mix tapes, and enjoy The Ranch Store, a place that road trips are all about! read more

This is as good as it gets. This is a terrific store for all your memoribilia you might want to get from Badlands National Park and South Dakota. They have a terrific range of products and it is just a short drive from the endless I-90 in central South Dakota. Take a break and stop in. They have some little ice-cream eats and soft drinks for sale and you can watch the prairie dogs to distract you from your long drive. We travel to South Dakota sometimes and always put this on our places to stop read more

DO NOT BUY HUMAN FOOD FROM STORE. If you do make sure to check the expiration date. Stopped by last week (05/30/13) on my way back from Mt Rushmore. Purchased a "Dakota Survival Package" as a gift for a coworker. This item had crackers, cheese, sausage, and a couple pieces of taffy. Got home and found the expiration date on it was 10/14/11. This was over a year past the date and they were still selling it. You would think they would check the items in the off season to get ready for the new year. I could understand if it may have slipped through once, but for them to not check there products for a year and a half? Did buy a couple of bags of prairie dog food and had a great time feeding them. If you kneel down and tap a peanut on the ground they will come towards you, sometimes in a mob. There may be one or two prairie dogs that are a little aggressive (towards each other mostly). read more