PARK VISITOR CENTER HOURS EXPANDED AND RANGER-NATURALIST PROGRAMS AVAILABLE FOR SUMMER VISITATION

Chief of Resource Education Marianne Mills announces that on Sunday, June 8, 2003, the Ben Reifel Visitor Center of Badlands National Park will go to its summer hours of operation: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days per week. The park movie, Buried Fossils, Living Prairie, is shown on the hour and half hour through mid-October. Additionally, the summer ranger-naturalist programs are regularly available to visitors. Programs available on a daily basis are Fossil Talks, Prairie Walks, Geology Walks, Junior Ranger Programs, Wildlife Talks, and Evening Programs. Two additional programs - Roberts Prairie Dog Town Walk and Ranger's Choice Talk - will be available as staff is available.

Geology Walk 9:00 a.m. Door Trailhead Wear closed toe shoes. Be prepared for rough walking conditions. Walk lasts 45 minutes and covers 0.5 mile.

Fossil Talk 11:00 a.m. and 2 p.m. Fossil Exhibit Trailhead Accessible to those with mobility impairments. Lasts 20 minutes.

Junior Ranger Program 12:30 p.m. Cedar Pass Campground Amphitheater Children should be prepared for all weather conditions, wear closed toe shoes, and bring water. Lasts 45 minutes. Ages 5 through 12.

Wildlife Talk 4:00 p.m. Cliff Shelf Trail Accessible to those with mobility impairments. Lasts 20 minutes. Talk is given 20 yards along trail at bench area.

Prairie Walk 6:30 p.m. Ben Reifel Visitor Center Wear closed toe shoes. Be prepared for wind and mud. Walk lasts 45 minutes and covers 0.5 mile.

Evening Program 9:00 p.m. Cedar Pass Campground Amphitheater Accessible to those with mobility impairments. Lasts 35 minutes.

Those interested in the Roberts Prairie Dog Town Walk or the Ranger's Choice Talk should check at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center for availability. The Prairie Dog Town Walk will be presented at 10:00 a.m. when staff is available. Roberts Prairie Dog Town is located five miles west of the junction of Sage Creek Rim Road and Badlands Loop Road in the northwest corner of Badlands National Park. The Ranger's Choice Talk will be presented near 5:00 p.m. at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center.

Badlands National Park is open 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. The primary visitor center, the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, is located at park headquarters in the Cedar Pass area, two miles east of the town of Interior, South Dakota. Entrance fees are collected at the Pinnacles, Interior, and Northeast Entrance Stations. There are no additional fees to attend ranger programs. The Cedar Pass Campground, located 800 meters west of the Visitor Center, is available to campers with a nightly rate of $10 per site per night. Cedar Pass Campground offers sheltered picnic tables, in ground grills, flush toilets, and cold running water. Sage Creek Campground, located 30 miles from park headquarters along the unpaved Sage Creek Road, is a free campground and provides sheltered picnic tables and vault toilets. Campers are reminded that no open fires are permitted in Badlands National Park at any time. Fires must be contained in a grill or stove.

For additional trip planning information, call (605) 433 - 5245 and request a trip planner or visit the park virtually at http://www.nps.gov/badl The Prairie Preamble, the park's activity guide, is available online at the park's website as a .PDF file and includes regulations, schedules, and resource articles.