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Lee
and Karen Duquette, The Two RV Gypsies: Full-Time RVers enjoyed the Prairie Dogs and more at Badlands National Park 25216 Ben Reifel Place, Interior, SD 57750 September 10, 2009  |
| Badlands National Park is an American National Park located in southwestern South Dakota, It is 381 square miles or 243,000 acres. The highest point in the park is 3,247 feet, located at the Pinnacles Entrance Station. The average annual precipitation is 16 inches. Badlands National Park is located in the White River Badlands and was called mako sica (mako, land and sica, bad) by the Sioux Indians. The term badlands generally refers to an area that is difficult to travel through primarily because of the rugged terrain and lack of water. The fascinating landscape within the park erodes at a rate of about 1 inch per year, providing an ever-changing landscape. Badlands was originally proclaimed a National Monument in 1939 and was later designated a National Park in 1978. The average visit to the park is only 1 - 2 hours in length as visitors detour from nearby I-90. However, there are enough activities and sites to occupy visitors for several days to a week. |
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Below: A lone bush in the cliff |
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Below: Prairie
Dogs |
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Below: A very colorful area of the Badlands |
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| Did You Know? The yellow and red layers in the badlands formations are fossilized soils, called paleosols. Fossil root traces, burrows, and animal bones found within the soils provide scientists with evidence of environmental and climatic changes that occurred in the badlands over time | |
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There are people so far
below that they are hard to see in the second photo. |
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