February at Badlands National Park: Slow But Steady

Visitation to Badlands National Park for the month of February was down nearly 60% over 2002; however, the weather conditions between the two years is sharply different. Winter, 2002 was remarkably mild while 2003 was much colder - a more typical South Dakota winter. 3674 visits were posted for the month of February, contrasted with 9139 visits for 2002. Visitation for the year is down 45% with 11,830 visits during the first two months of 2003.

The Ben Reifel Visitor Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitor Center hours change to 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 6. The Badlands Natural History Association bookstore offers books, postcards, and related educational materials about the park during hours of operation.

For more information on Badlands National Park and its activities, visit the park's website at http://www.nps.gov/badl or call 605/433-5245 and request an information packet.