The Badlands of South Dakota

Eons of wind and water have created deep canyons and high buttes where dinosaurs once roamed freely. Parts look like the dead surface of the moon. Others are so filled with life and color you'll wonder how the two can exist together.

Badlands National Park gives its visitors an idea of what South Dakota looked like millions of years ago. The Badlands holds some of the world's most extensive fossil deposits. The bones of three-toed horses, ancient turtles and other reptiles are scattered over many of the sites, while scientists have uncovered the remains of saber-toothed cats and a tiny ancestor of the deer. Paleontologists found the bones of a hornless rhinoceros called Subhyracodon at the Pig Wallow Site, still being actively excavated.

Visitors can also explore a fascinating area called the Stronghold District. This section of the park houses the Minuteman Missile National Historic site and was used during WWII as a gunnery range. You can get a close-up look at the equipment and structures that housed one of America's major defense installations and see the gadget-filled underground launch control center as well as the defunct silo that held a (now-disabled) nuclear missile.

Hiking is a favorite activity along many of the trails within the 240,000 acres of Badlands National Park. There are easy trails and some that challenge the experienced hikers as well. However, the view or the vistas from the jagged spires looking out over the prairie are well worth the effort. Make sure to check in at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center for backpacking information, especially if you plan an overnight trip.

Another feature of Badlands that can be found in no other national park are the houses built out of sod blocks by homesteaders. The Great Dust Bowl period of the 1930s finally proved too much even for these hardy pioneers, but some evidence of their courageous struggles still remain. Bighorn Sheep, American Buffalo, deer and antelope graze on the 64,000 acres of grass-covered wilderness.

The rainbow of green pastures, golden sand, and azure sky make the Badlands a beautiful place to visit. The great variety of things to see and do make it an adventure.