BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK Take in sweeping vistas of dra-matic desert-like landscapes—an endless panorama of vividly col-ored buttes, pinnacles, spires and canyons—at Badlands National Park, a 244,000-acre park once known as Mako Sica (a Lakota phrase meaning “land bad”). The signature stripes through the rock formations are a result of erosion, revealing multicolored layers of various rock types: shale (purple and yellow), sand and gravel (tan and gray), iron oxides (red and orange) and volcanic ash (white). While you’re here, drive the Badlands Loop State Scenic Byway and keep your eyes open for an array of wildlife, such as bison, eagles, coyotes, pronghorn and more. More on pages 36-37. DON’T MISS Stroll along the Fossil Exhibit Trail , an easy, 0.25-mile boardwalk trail that features fossil replicas and informative exhibits about now-extinct creatures (like three-toed horses and saber-toothed cats) that once called this area home. NEARBY CITIES Interior: 1.5 miles; Wall: 7.5 miles; Kadoka: 23 miles *City distances are approximate. MOUNT RUSHMORE NATIONAL MEMORIAL Towering high above the treetops and juxtaposed against wide-open blue skies, Mount Rushmore is an impressive tribute to freedom and democracy in America. This awe-inspiring granite sculpture features 60-foot faces of four United States presidents that played an integral role in the birth, expansion, development and preservation of the nation: George Washington, Thomas Je erson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Visit the Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center and Museum to peruse in-depth exhibits and to watch a short film about the carving methods used by sculptor Gutzon Borglum . More on pages 32-35. DON’T MISS Get a closer look at Mount Rushmore and enjoy a variety of viewpoints along the 0.6-mile Presidential Trail , which begins at the Grand View Terrace and loops toward the sculpture. NEARBY CITIES Keystone: 3.5 miles; Hill City: 9 miles; Custer: 20 miles 6 #HiFromSD
South Dakota Vacation Guide SD Vacation Guide 2017: Page 6
