4. BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK Take in sweeping vistas of otherworldly landscapes and stunning panoramas of vividly colored buttes, pinnacles, spires and canyons at Badlands National Park. The 244,000-acre park—once known as Mako Sica (a Lakota phrase meaning “land bad”)—features eroded land formations, 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 including bison, eagles, coyotes, pronghorn and more. More on page 120. Don't Miss Stroll along the Fossil Exhibit Trail, an easy, 0.25-mile boardwalk path 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 As the horizon turned into a light pink glow, the giant rock structures came to life and I could feel my skin tingle and my eyes sparkle with excitement. This is Badlands National Park. —@allypintucci 8 // #HiFromSD
South Dakota Vacation Guide South Dakota Vacation Guide 2019: Page 8
