Badlands National Park

South Dakota, USA

The area of South Dakota encompassed by Badlands National Park is a land of extremes. Temperatures during the winter can drop to -40°F while summertime highs soar to as much as 116°F, and the usually dry terrain is periodically inundated by severe thunderstorms.¹ Those weather conditions cause the erosion that has helped shape the terrain and uncovered rich fossil beds, making the park important to geologists and paleontologists alike.²

The Lakota gave the region its name, calling it “mako sica,” which is translated “bad land.”³ That sentiment is shared by many visitors because water sources are scarce and the area’s towering pinnacles and deep canyons encourage neither agricultural pursuits nor easy travel. Nevertheless, expanses of grass prairie within the park’s borders are home to bison, prairie dogs, and other animals.⁴

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References

1. Badlands National Park. National Park Service. 31 May 2011. Accessed 26 Mar. 2012.
2. Badlands Visitor Guide. National Park Service. Accessed 26 Mar. 2012.
3. Schowalter-Hay, Ethan. How Did Badlands National Park Get Its Name? USA Today Travel. Accessed 26 Mar. 2012.
4. Introduction to Badlands National Park. Frommer’s. Accessed 26 Mar. 2012.

Published 2018-06-17