B A D L A N D S   N A T I O N A L   P A R K

Southwestern South Dakota

Sunday, August 22, 2004 to
Tuesday, August 24, 2004

Park: #6

Established: 1939

Acres: 242,756

Annual Budget: $3,056,000 (FY 2004)

Visitation: 932,588 (FY 2004)

Highlights: Sharply eroded clay and sandstone buttes, pinnacles and spires, mixed grass prairie

Location: Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Hours: Open all year

Phone: 605-433-5361

Fees: $10.00 - 7 Days, $20.00 - Annual

Link: Official Website

Top Pics: 23 Images

Rating:

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I'm driving to the park now, hop in with me as I start my new adventure.

The drive to the park's northern entrance is rather flat. From the get-go I expect to see the typical badland geography of buttes, pinnacles and spires, but instead I'm served up with open prairie.

Not disappointed for long, after a short drive I make my first acquaintance with Badland's famous formations. Their sudden presence fills me with child-like wonder and awe. Certainly I've been transported to another planet, where else can someone behold such a strange, surreal sight