From a distance it catches our eye as the wall rises out of the Prairie, like a moonscape. You just see glimpses of it as you drive down the highway making your curiosity grow as to what you are looking at. It looks out of place and yet it looks like it belongs.
The Fire Goddess and I had to explore and so we did… what we learned was amazing… this park is a Geologic and Paleontology wonderland!
Unlike mountains that were thrust up out of the earth these buttes and spires were eroded out of sedimentary rock left behind by a receding inland sea, then carved by wind, rain and flowing water.
The colored bands of tan, grey, white, orange, and yellow indicates the deposits left behind over the millennia. Trapped within these layers is a treasure trove of fossils left behind by the prehistoric animals that once roamed here. These contrasting lines on the geologic formations tell the story of the ages, just like the lines on an old man’s face.
Fossils are still being found today by Paleontologists and hikers as they explore these Badlands.
If you find a fossil you are asked to leave the fossil in place, take photos of the location, the surrounding area and report it to a Park Ranger at the Visitor Center. By doing so you are protecting resources and contributing to science.
We learned more at the Badlands Fossil Preparation Lab (located at the Visitor Center) which showcases the ongoing fossil preparation work.
The black-tailed prairie dogs are the centurion of the Great Plains and live in large colonies known as “prairie dog towns”. If you approach you see them pop out of their burrows and communicate to each other using a series of yips that scientists say is quite complex. Once danger is perceived the “yips” become louder which causes them to scurry quickly back to their burrows pushing along their young. It’s rather quite impressive to watch.
We also spotted a lone Prong Horn (American Antelope) lying amid the prairie dog town watching the activity of the hustle and bustle of these little yet very busy creatures.
There are also Bison and Big Horn Sheep that call the park home but none to be found during out two day visit.
Driving Hwy 240 (that runs through the middle of the park) we stopped at multiple overlooks that gave different perspectives of the amazing topography. Despite the heat we also hiked a few short loops including Cliff Shelf, Window and the Fossil Exhibit trails.
All in all the Badlands are not so bad!
We will return one day to adventure further into these great jagged buttes, their deep canyons and look once again to their towering spires and flat topped mesas.
Badlands… Death Valley… Devils Tower… The Fire Goddess and I are starting to see a pattern… should we be concerned? Maybe… but not yet!
South Dakota is a state to be explored… we are off to Custer State Park… to find Bison!
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