Badlands National Park, National park in South Dakota, United States
Badlands National Park is a protected area in South Dakota spanning roughly 244,000 acres across three counties. The rock formations consist of colored layers of sand, clay, and volcanic ash shaped into pointed towers and deep canyons.
The area received National Monument status in 1939 and was expanded to a park in 1978. The preserved rock layers date from the Oligocene epoch, a period roughly 23 to 34 million years ago.
The Lakota community called this landscape Mako Sica, meaning bad or barren land. Visitors encounter that history today mainly in the Stronghold Unit, managed by tribal members and offering access to sacred sites.
The Ben Reifel Visitor Center serves as the main starting point for trail walks and information, especially during summer months. Paths are often narrow and unpaved, so sturdy footwear and plenty of water are recommended.
The White River Badlands hold one of the world's richest Oligocene fossil beds, with remains of early horses, rhinoceroses, camels and pigs eroding out of the slopes. The Lakota long knew these fossilized bones and shells before scientists did, and palaeontologists still make finds here.
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