If you want to visit a place that will give you the impression that you are on a strange land like Mars or the Moon, come to see the Badlands of South Dakota. This unusual place with strange formations and very little vegetation is a perfect image of an "out of this world" land.

Are we on earth?

The Badlands National Park has three areas totaling 244,000 acres or 970 square km. The best known and most easily explored area is the North Unit that has 64,000 acres with many scenic overlooks and short trails. The Badlands Loop road is a 30 mile long, well paved road, extending from the Pinnacles entrance to the Ben Reifel visitor center.

For centuries, humans have viewed the South Dakota Badlands with a mix of dread and fascination. The Lakota Indians called this area "Mako Sika", the bad lands, and the name stuck.

Millions of years of wind, water and erosion have created the chiseled spires, deep canyons and jagged buttes of Badlands National Park. Ongoing rains, freezes and thaws have revealed millions of years of sediment that paint a colorful landscape on the prairies of southwestern South Dakota.

Even on this barren land, some animals find a place to make their home.

There are many other animals in the Badlands.The mighty bison was once the most predominant animal, but hunting reduced the number to about 800. Today they belong to the endangered species. Prairie dogs and rabbits can be seen hopping around.

It's in the golden light of sunrise or sunset that the artistry is on full display, when the duff-colored soils glow in shades of red, pink, and purple.

What a contrast from previous colors!

at close distance Well maintained trails let you explore this strange land at close distance.

A good place to rest

…however, if you want a little shade, this type of picnic table is very adequate.

Bella with the umbrella!

The Badlands is a work of art still in progress. Water and wind continue to sculpt the pliant soil into sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles, and spires that resemble medieval castles made of sand.

Touring Information The Badlands National Park never closes. There is a fee charge for each carload. The park is located 70 miles east of Rapid City South Dakota. The 30 miles Badlands loop road is well paved. However many other roads are unpaved and impassable when wet. Food is available at Cedar Pass Lodge near the visitor center. The west Pinnacles Entrance is close to the small city named Wall. There you can find the famous Wall Drug Store, a huge tourist mall that occupies most of downtown and employs nearly a third of its population. Over a million people stop at Wall Drug every year -- 20,000 on a good summer day. It has a large variety of gift shops and restaurants and is worth stopping by on the way to Badland.

VERY LARGE STORE

Presents for everybody

We found some friends inside the store

Presentation and Pictures by Dan Calistrat August 2009 Music: The good the bad and the ugly