VISITING THE BADLANDS OF SOUTH DAKOTA
August 17, 2015

Along Hwy 240 the road looping into Badlands National Park began The park’s scenery of spires, gullies, and ridges is a premier example of badlands topography. Beneath the Badlands lies one of the world’s finest Oligocene fossil beds of animals that flourished 27 to 34 million years ago. 

The weathering and erosion, irregular ravines, fantastic ridges, low hills and cliffs displaying variegated color alternating with grayish-white sediment are spectacular examples one sees. Because it rained early in the morning the colors were more pronounced in the terrain. 

Longhorn sheep grazing along the roadside were the only wildlife sightings spotted during the drive. The fourteen viewpoint turnouts provide good vistas to photograph the layers of sediment with pink and yellow striations. The landscape was interspersed with subtle colors of compressed sandstone and Pierre shale. The Badlands here reminded us of much of parts around Death Valley. They are not nearly as stark, dismal or desolate as those we had seen at Drumheller in Alberta, Canada.