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Badlands National ParkBadlands layers after rain
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Badlands National Park
Things To Do

The unique badlands formations interlaced with one of the largest mixed-grass prairie ecosystems in the United States provides considerable opportunities for discovery and exploration. From camping and hiking to bird watching and auto-touring, visitors to Badlands National Park can enjoy countless outdoor adventures.

During the summer season, visitors can enjoy a diversity of ranger-guided programs that appeal to those with varying interests and abilities. Walks, talks, children's activities, and audiovisual programs delve into the uniqueness of the park's resources.

  • Examine a fossilized turtle shell
  • Scramble over the fragile badlands formations
  • Identify wildflowers blooming along a trail
  • Explore the clear, star-studded night skies
  • Earn a Junior Ranger badge
  • Discover the park in countless other ways

Programs are scheduled throughout the day at various locations within the park. Feel free to search the 'Schedule of Events' for programs of interest.

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.

Last Updated: July 11, 2008 at 13:24 EST