Hiking in Badlands National Park FOSSIL BEDS Badlands National Park preserves the world’s most signifi ant fossil beds of animals from the Oligocene Epoch of the Age of Mammals. In prehistory, the area was much wetter than today and supported incredible numbers of saber-toothed cats, miniature camels, horses, and even massive rhinoceros-like beasts called titanotheres. Fossil collecting by visitors became illegal when the area gained its national park status in 1939. Prehistoric bones are still being uncovered by park official , many of which are fi st reported by park visitors. If you do spot something that looks like a fossil, examine it as much as you want, but leave it as you found it, and report it to a ranger at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center at Cedar Pass. towns of Wall and Kadoka, which is less than 20 miles away from Exit 131. The town of Interior is located just one mile south of the visitor center. Each city has a variety of motels, restaurants and service stations, along with small-town main streets. SAGE CREEK AREA Take your adventure to new heights and head out into the 64,000-acre Sage Creek Wilderness Area. You may hike just about anywhere in the park, but you must keep your vehicle on the road and leave rocks, animals and plants as you found them. The marvels of Badlands topography are not the region’s only claim to fame. It is likely that you will see eagles and turkey vultures, deer and antelope, and sometimes a wily coyote. Always keep a safe distance from animals, and do not approach them. On the western end of the park, Sage Creek Road leads you into the midst of the biggest prairie dog town you’ve ever seen. In the basin, you can usually spot bison, too. VISITOR CENTER At the Ben Reifel Visitor Center , you can sit back and relax in the 100-seat theater to watch an impressive, professional 22-minute film. Many of the kid-friendly educational exhibits feature interactive components with increasingly diffi ult skill levels. Colorful photos and life-size models illustrate the geology and paleontology of the Badlands. Another area features a fascinating oral history film by local residents who offer insights into the hardships and joys of living in the Badlands. While there, stop and shop at the Badlands Natural History Association gift shop. SOUTH UNIT Since 1976, the National Park Service and the Oglala Sioux Tribe have partnered in managing Badlands National Park. Plans are in place to establish the park’s South Unit as the nation’s fi st tribal national park. More information about the South Unit is available to visitors during the summer season at the White River Visitor Center, located 20 miles south of Scenic on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. For more information, call 605-455-2878. For Badlands National Park business listings, turn to page 136. BlackHillsBadlands.com // 121 BADLANDS LOOP ROAD U.S. Hwy 240, or the Badlands Loop Road, is a State Scenic Byway. Anchoring Badlands Loop Road at its intersections with I-90 are the BLACK HILLS & BADLANDS REGION
South Dakota Vacation Guide South Dakota Vacation Guide 2019: Page 121
