The area known as The Badlands conjures up different ideas for different people. For me every time I enter the park I think of my grandma telling me about how cowboys and fur traders used to get lost in there and never come out. For others it brings up images of The Ghost Dance and for others fossil hunting and an ancient world.
From the entrance of the park you notice that the terrain is a little different than anything you have seen before, and after only two minutes of driving from the entrance it feels as though you are on an alien world. Large spires of rock that look like castles surround you on all sides and the land seems to be a series of canyons and spikes that stretches on forever. I can think of no other way to describe it than as the very teeth of the mouth of the Earth.
This terrain was formed in levels over time, first by a shallow sea that once covered the entire region, then by bombardment of volcanic ash, and then erosion by the winds and rain. Driving along the Badlands loop one will see some of the most breath taking natural imagery the world has to offer. If you are lucky enough to get there just after it rains, the color bands that were formed by different layers of sediment deposits stand out with brilliant shades of red, pink, brown, grey, red and yellow, and it looks as if the rocks were actually painted.
Another special sight in the park is all of the wild life. I have been through the Badlands many times now, and when I went last week I saw buffalo in the park for the first time which really brightened my day, but the park is also home to mule deer, white tale deer, prong horn antelope, big horn sheep, prairie dogs, coyote, turkey and wild birds. You never know just what you are going to see at any time, but it is always a treat.
As you can imagine the Badlands is absolutely rich in fossils. In 1849 there was a “bone rush” which brought hundreds of paleontologists to the area and produced over 77 distinctly different species of fossils by 1854 and the fossils are still a huge draw. Upon entering the park visitors are given a stern warning not to remove any fossils from the park because of how significant they can be to science. Visitors are welcomed to walk the Fossil Exhibit Trail.
The Badlands also offers a lot of great trails for hiking and biking as well as horse back riding and camping. Just make sure you have plenty of hydration with you as the park can be rather dry during summer months and extremely hot. If history is more your thing there is plenty to find here. From the Native American tribes hat lived and hunted on these grounds, to the homesteaders that ranched there, to the Minute Man Missile Silo, there are plenty of things to be learned.
I always enjoy my trips through the Badlands, and for all the more it costs for a car load it makes for a great day with your family or friends.
