Breathtaking Sunrises & Sunsets Unearthly Hike on Notch Trail HIKING If you are thoroughly smitten by the Badlands, hike the Saddle Pass Trail or the Castle Trail. The Fossil Exhibit Trail, a National Scenic Trail, gives visitors a glimpse into the park’s distant past. There is no potable water to be found in the Badlands, so be sure to carry enough with you. A hat, sunscreen and rain gear are strongly encouraged. Horseback riding is also permitted in Badlands National Park. are less than 20 miles away from Exit 131. The town of Interior is located just 1 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 WILDERNESS 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. FOSSIL BEDS Badlands National Park preserves the world’s most significant fossil beds of animals from the Oligocene Epoch of the Age of Mammals. Fossil collecting by visitors became illegal when the area gained its national park status in 1939. Prehistoric bones are still being uncovered by park officials, many of which are first 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. VISITOR CENTER At the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, you can sit back and relax in the 100-seat theater to watch an impressive 22-minute film. Many of the kid-friendly educational exhibits feature interactive components with increasingly difficult skill levels. 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 first 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 139 BlackHillsBadlands.com // 49 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 towns of Wall, at Exit 110, and Kadoka, at Exit 150, each of which BLACK HILLS & BADLANDS REGION
South Dakota Vacation Guide South Dakota Vacation Guide South Dakota Vacation Guide 2020: Page 49
