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Badlands National Park |
It is located in southwestern South Dakota |
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| Even before the opening segments of the movie, Jurassic Park, Badlands National Park has been a paleontological paradise since the 1840's when Native Americans found huge fossils belonging to creatures that no longer existed. Plan your next outdoor adventure vacation in a wilderness unique for it's bizarre land formations and it's vast prairie grasslands that offer bison, the once thought extinct black-footed ferret, and a glimpse into the lives of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. Taking a camping trip or a backpacking trip are great ways to experience this exceptional park! Check out below for great Badlands National Park information.
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| Park Navigator Preview |
Uniqueness - Badlands National Park consists of 244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires blended with the largest, protected mixed grass prairie in the United States. The Badlands Wilderness Ar... (click here for more)
Park and Visitor Center Hours - The park is open 24 hours a day, seven days per week. Entrance fees are collected year round. The Ben Reifel Visitor Center is open all year 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. from mid April to early June, 8 a.m. to 6 p... (click here for more)
History & Statistics - Badlands National Park was created to preserve the scenic and scientific value of a portion of the White River Badlands for the benefit and enjoyment of the people. Established as Badlands National Mo... (click here for more)
Natural Features - The bizarre landforms called badlands are, despite the uninviting name, a masterpiece of water and wind sculpture. They are near deserts of a special kind, where rain is infrequent, the bare rocks are... (click here for more)
Flora - The Park is located at the western edge of the mixed grass prairie. The mixed grass prairie of the central United States is actually a transition zone between the more arid shortgrass prairie to the w... (click here for more)
Activities in the Park - A typical visit lasts three to five hours and includes the park movie, stops at four overlooks, and two walks. The 30-mile Loop Drive is accessed from Interstate 90 and is a two-lane, paved surface. T... (click here for more)
Environmental Impact - Prairie ecosystems are rejuvenated through the presence of fire. Prairies burned naturally through lightning for centuries. Plains Indians also regularly burned prairie to drive out game. However, dur... (click here for more)
Be Equipped - ... (click here for more)
Weather - The Badlands experience hot, dry summers with occasional violent thunderstorms. Winters are typically very cold with 12 to 24 inches of total snowfall. Extremely high winds are common year-round. Sudd... (click here for more)
Rules, Regulations and Safety - Only the hardiest hikers will attempt backpacking trips in the winter. Weather is unpredictable at best. Although days can be sunny, with temperatures comfortably above 30° F, sudden blizzards occasio... (click here for more)
Wildlife - Bison were once the large dominant plant grazers in the grassland ecosystem of the northern Great Plains. Bison were reintroduced to the Badlands in 1963, after an absence of about 100 years. The 600 ... (click here for more)
Wildlife Warnings - The park does have resident prairie rattlesnakes . However, the prairie rattler is the least aggressive of all rattlesnakes. If you remember that they like to hide in cracks and crevices or lie in wai... (click here for more)
Fees - Park fees are $15.00 - 7 days per car/family, or $30.00 – Annual pass. Individuals - hiker, bicycle, non-commercial bus passenger, motorcycle fees are $7 - 7 days. Cedar Pass Campground is $10.00 per ... (click here for more)
Camping - Cedar Pass Campground is open year round. The campground is operated by the National Park Service on a first-come, first-served basis and a campground host is on-site during the summer months. No camp... (click here for more)
Nearby Attractions - Devils Tower National Monument is 177 miles away. Mount Rushmore National Memorial is 99 miles away. Jewel Cave National Monument is 148 miles away. Wind Cave National Park is 132 miles away with Cust... (click here for more)
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