Some Final Fun Facts about the Badlands, SD
Another blizzard here in the northeast. 20+ inches of snow and high winds. At this rate we’re looking a record snowfall this year, 2011. After all it’s only Jan 12! So I am going to escape the cold and wind to reminisce some more about our trip to South Dakota. We were driving the Badlands Loop and before we leave that subject I thought I’d share some of the facts I have collected.
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Fast Facts about Badlands National Park- Established as a National Monument in 1939
- Redesignated Badlands National Park in 1978
- Acreage: 244,000
- Wilderness :64,144 acres
- Visitation: approximately one million visitors each year from all over the world
Key Resources- Largest expanse of protected prairie ecosystem in the National Park system.
- Considered on of the world’s richest mammal fossil beds
- 50% of Badlands National Park is co-managed with the Oglala Lakota Nation, the second largest American Indian Reservation in the United States
- Badlands National Park and the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands are the most successful reintroduction sites for the black-footed ferret, one of the world’s rarest mammals.
The Lakota called the area mako sica. The early French trappers referred to the area as les advises terres a traverser. Both mean “bad lands”, but neither describe the fascination humans have always had for this amazing area.
In my humble opinion, a visit to the South Dakota Badlands is more moving than Mount Rushmore and a trip not to be missed.
A National Park Pass is good for 1 year and will get you into most National Parks and National Monuments free. The cost last year was $80.00 and the money raised goes to support our National Park System. A great investment for a good cause that will pay you back all year long! I recommend it.
Tomorrow I’ll tell you about Custer State Park.
3 comments:
I will agree, that the Bad Lands are a must see. If any one wants to see Mt. Rushmore, just drive by on a nice and you have seen it all. The Bad Lands are just beautiful. If you 65 your Pass is good for ever. Yes the Oglala Lakota reservation is really BIG. We should know. LOL
We can certainly compare the drive by of Mt Rushmaore to the visit, Ha Ha I have a few more years to go before my National Park Pass will be good forever but it is creeping up LOL I'll save my comments about the reservations for a later post :)
I wasn't crazy about how interesting these facts were but it looks like it would be a beautiful place to go to if you were into that kind of stuff. That's just not my type of tourist destination.
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