Badlands National Park Review

Located in southwestern South Dakota near Rapid City, Badlands National Park is a barren stretch of land covered with colorful buttes, pinnacles, spires, and large deposits of fossils. It received its name from the early settlers who gazed upon this area of the northern plains and simply called it "bad land", due to its barren appearance. This simplistic- sounding name became the official title of the region.

Park Commentary:

Badlands National Park is visited mostly for sightseeing and hiking. If you enjoy hiking, there are several trials within the park, ranging in length from one- quarter mile to more than eight miles. These different hiking trails let you get a close- up look at some of the major sites of the park, including a trail that takes you directly into the fossil exhibit.

If you would rather avoid the feeling of sore leg muscles, you can also view the park from your car by driving along on one of the two roads that navigate through the park. Loop drive is the most popular. It's about 30 miles in length and it features two paved driving lanes, with stopping points along the way with scenic overlooks and lots of opportunities to take pictures. The other route, Sage Creek Rim Road, is also roughly 30 miles in length, but it's composed of dirt and gravel. This drive is meant for the more adventurous and for those who have a vehicle that can withstand the rough terrain.

Badlands National Park is an interesting site to see, and it offers many scenic overlooks and hiking trails. I went there during the summer, and I recall that it was very warm, dry, and sunny. I didn't take the adventurous trip on the unpaved road, so I can't comment on what that experience would be like. Instead, I went through the visitor's center, then drove the Loop Drive for about an hour or two, and hiked to one of the fossil beds.

This is a good size park, covering about 380 square miles. The Loop Drive is enough for most people who just want to view the colorful landscape, featuring green, brown, black, and other hues. This route takes you through the rolling terrain with several stopping points along the way to photograph the scenery. It's only 30 miles in length, but you can easily spend a couple hours on this route due to all of the stops that you will want to make. This route can get rather crowded, too. When you consider that nearly 1 million tourists visit the park each year, and that the Loop Drive is the only scenic paved route through the park, you can see how the place can get overcrowded.

Part of the Badlands National Park extends into the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and the Indian influence is evident throughout the park. It's common to see Indian dwellings and Indian- related items for sale in local shops.

Bottom Line Viewpoint:

Badlands National Park is an enjoyable place to visit in this part of Southwestern South Dakota. I recommend making it one of your stops on a South Dakota vacation that should also include the other major tourist sites in the area, like Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Wind Cave National Park, and Jewel Cave National Monument. It's a scenic place to see, full of natural beauty, rare wildlife, and ancient fossils. It can be a fun part of a family vacation!