NEWS FROM BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK FOR NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER

For the month of November, visitation to Badlands National Park was up nearly 18% with 15,881 visitors counted. November of 2000 saw 13,500 visitors. For the year 2001, visitation is down 13% with 966,550 visits posted. "It doesn't look like we'll break a million in 2001 unless December is a surprise visitation month," notes Chief of Resource Education Marianne Mills.

The park remains open 24 hours per day through the holiday season. Entrance fees can be paid outside the Ben Reifel Visitor Center at an automated fee station. The entrance fee is $10 per passenger vehicle. The Ben Reifel Visitor Center will close at noon on Monday, December 24 and remain closed through Christmas Day. It will reopen at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, December 26. The Ben Reifel Visitor Center will also close at noon on Monday, January 31 and remain closed through New Years Day. It will reopen at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, January 2, 2002. The visitor center's regular hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week.

For more information on Badlands National Park and its activities, contact (605) 433 - 5245 and request a copy of the Prairie Preamble, the park's activity guide. Virtual visitors will find extensive information at http://www.nps.gov/badl Click on IN DEPTH to reach the park's expanded website.