Last updated: July 30, 2021
Place
Coal Vein Trail Post 5: Dry Climate
NPS Photo/L. Thomas
Quick Facts
Location:
Coal Vein Trail
Significance:
Trail post 5 on the Coal Vein Guided Nature Trail
Amenities
1 listed
Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits
The dry climate of western North Dakota keeps the badlands from eroding away more quickly - if rain were more common, the soft rocks would have washed away long ago. The lack of moisture allows only the hardiest plants to survive.
The trees here are Rocky Mountain juniper. They, and all the other shrubs, grasses, and wildflowers you find here, are adapted to survive in this land of extreme temperatures and little moisture.
The trees here are Rocky Mountain juniper. They, and all the other shrubs, grasses, and wildflowers you find here, are adapted to survive in this land of extreme temperatures and little moisture.