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Making America's Best Idea Even Better
Badlands National ParkColorful Badlands scene
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Badlands National Park
For Kids

for kids includes:

Be A Junior Ranger
Park Fun
 
 
Ranger signs a child's Junior Ranger certificate

Sara Feldt - NPS Photo

A child gets his certificate signed by a friendly park ranger.

Become a Junior Ranger

What is a Junior Ranger? Good question! Junior Rangers are special kids of all ages just like you - adventurers, explorers, and nature and history lovers. They have made a special promise to help take care of national parks and all the plants and animals that live there. Junior Rangers teach others by sharing all they learn with their friends and family. You too can set a shining example and inspire others to take care of Badlands' natural and cultural wonders by becoming a Badlands Junior Ranger.

 
Cliff Shelf Nature Trail boardwalk

Sara Feldt - NPS Photo

Enjoy a hike down the Cliff Shelf Nature Trail.

Take a Hike

No trip to the Badlands is complete without a hiking adventure. Kids agree that the Fossil Exhibit Trail and the Cliff Shelf Nature Trail are two of their favorites.

 
Group of children listen attentively to a ranger's fossil program

Sara Feldt - NPS Photo

Children listen attentively to a ranger's fossil program.

Enjoy Park Fun

The Badlands' environment changes constantly. Erosion carves the rocks into bizarre formations that look like landscapes from another planet. A heavy rain can uncover fossils that have been hidden for millions of years. Visit 'Park Fun' to learn more about this incredible world of rocks and fossils.
Visitors viewing the exhibits at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center
Visit the park's visitor centers
Enjoy interactive exhibits and media at the park's visitor centers.
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Badlands National Park selection on the Views of the National Parks website
Views of the National Parks
This multimedia education program presents stories of the wonders of the national parks.
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Traditional ranger flat hat
Become a WebRanger
Online activities for kids of all ages
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Sandstone caprock balanced atop eroding sediments, an example of a toadstool or hoodoo  

Did You Know?
The badlands are some of the fastest eroding landscapes on earth with erosion rates averaging 1” per year in their fragile layers. However, in areas where sandstone is found, the erosion rate may be 1” in 500 years. Often, toadstools form when surrounding sediments erode beneath a sandstone caprock.

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Last Updated: July 18, 2008 at 17:41 EST