TAKE A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE AT BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK

Ranger-led walks are available daily at Badlands National Park through mid-August. Visitors currently have two walks available. The Geology Walk starts at 8:30 a.m. at the shelter near the trailhead for the Door Trail, located four miles east of the Ben Reifel Visitor Center on the Badlands Loop Road. The walk covers approximately 400 meters in 45 minutes and takes a close look at the formation of the White River Badlands. Geology walkers should wear closed toe shoes with good ankle support and bring sunscreen and water. The first 100 meters is accessible to those with mobility impairments, then the walk leaves a boardwalk to enter some of the most rugged Badlands easily accessible to visitors.

Those wanting to learn more about grasslands should meet a ranger at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center at 5:30 p.m. for a 45 minute exploration of the mixed grass prairie of Badlands National Park. Those attending should wear closed toe shoes to protect their feet from cacti lurking in the dense prairie grasses. Covering approximately 800 meters, the Prairie Walks feature varied perspectives on North American grasslands. Visitors are encouraged to bring along their own plant or animal guidebooks to identify resources along the route. The rangers do not focus on identification but rather on an aspect of the prairie from either an historical or resource management perspective.

There is no charge to attend these ranger-led programs. Badlands National Park does have a $10 per passenger vehicle entrance fee that is collected at entrance stations located at Exits 131 and 110 of Interstate 90 and near the town of Interior. An entrance receipt is good for seven days of exploration of South Dakota's largest national park.

To learn more about the resources of Badlands National Park, visit the park virtually at http://www.nps.gov/badl Badlands Natural History Association, the park's non-profit partner, operates bookstores in the Ben Reifel Visitor Center in the park and the National Grasslands Visitor Center in Wall, South Dakota. These bookstores feature educational materials on natural and cultural resource topics.