Page 2 at Badlands National Park
The Window Trail, Bighorn Sheep and The Fossils Trail

The Window Trail can be reached from the same parking lot as the Door Trail. It is only a 1/4 mile round trip trail on a boardwalk which leads to a natural window in the Badlands Wall with a view of an intricately eroded canyon.
Sign for the Window Trail boardwalk at the Window Trail

Below: Lee and Karen Duquette, The two RV Gypsies, on the boardwalk of the Window Trail. They did not walk on the dirt trail seen behind them because they thought it just led to a look at part of the Door Trail they finished earlier.
the two RV Gypsies on the Window Trail

Below: At the end of the boardwalk, the two RV Gypsies got a look at the intricately eroded canyon of the Badlands.
view of the Badlands and windows Badlands as seen from the Window Trail
Badlands as seen from the Window Trail Badlands as seen from the Window Trail
a big hole in the Badlands

Below: Sharp cliffs, and a window in a cliff - as seen from the end of the boardwalk.
sharp cliffs a window

Below: Walking back along the boardwalk to the parking lot, the two RV Gypsies watched a rabbit hopping along the bunny trail.
a rabbit on the bunny trail a rabbit on the bunny trail

Below: Even the rabbit "stopped to smell the flowers"
a rabbit on the bunny trail a rabbit on the bunny trail

Below: Driving a short distance down the road, the two RV Gypsies stopped to photograph a group of about ten Bighorn Sheep.
Bighorn Sheep Bighorn Sheep
Bighorn Sheep Bighorn Sheep
Bighorn Sheep Bighorn Sheep
Bighorn Sheep Bighorn Sheep

Then the two RV Gypsies drove on to the Fossil Exhibit Trail. A Park Ranger was showing and explaining some of the fossils to a group of park visitors. Then the two RV Gypsies walked the 1/4 mile round trip trail to view signs with fossil replicas and exhibits of now extinct creatures that once roamed the area, which surprisingly even included an alligator.

All species either had to adapt, move, or die as the displays explain.
sign about the fossil trail

Below: Ammonite fossil - relatives of octopuses and squid
Ammonite - relatives of octopuses and squid

Titanothere fossil - sort of like modern rhinoceroses. The discovery of this specimen led to the golden age of paleontology in North America.
sign about fossil discoveries Titanothere fossil

Below: Alligators lived in the badlands area 34 - 37 million years ago when the climate was like modern-day Florida.
sign about alligators alligator fossil

Below: Horses were once dog-sized. Mesohippus was the first 3-toed horse, ancestors to earlier horses with 5-toes.
sign about earlier horses horse fossil

Below: Hesperocyon was one of the earliest members of the dog family, but looked more like a weasel or mongoose.
sign about the earliest members of the dog family dog fossil

Below: Nimravids resembled large saber-tooth cats. They are now extinct.
Nimravid fossil fight for survival sign

Below: Oreodont fossils resembled sheep or pigs,but were unrelated. They are now extinct.
Oreodont fossil sign: cycle of a fossil

Below: Beautiful Badlands scenery off to the side of the Fossils Trail.
Beautiful Badlands scenery Beautiful Badlands scenery

look below

go to the next adventure of the two RV GypsiesPlease continue on to page 3 at Badlands National Park - the Yellow Mounds, Conatra picnic area, wildlife and other scenic areas.