Badlands National Park
As mentioned in my Black Hills post, we stopped and took in the beauty and wonder that is the National Badlands Park. The beauty? Well, I’ll let my photos below do the talking. The wonder? How about how the heck did all this come to be?! Without going into great detail (remember ... my geology knowledge has gone astray), the formation of the badlands was the result of both deposition and erosion. The Badlands underwent a 47-million year period of deposition, which resulted in clear, distinct layers of sediment (as you’ll see clearly in some of the photos). Once the deposited sediments have solidified, the material becomes susceptible to erosion. Erosion began around 500,000 years ago when the Cheyenne River captured streams and rivers flowing from the Black Hills into the Badlands region. The White River, which now flows west to east several miles south of the park, eroded away the sediment, creating what is now known as the Badlands Wall. The striking Badlands Wall marks the heart of the formations, and the divide between the Cheyenne River to the north and the White River to the south.
All this information is great, but I believe that one does not need to fully understand how the Badlands were formed to truly appreciate the splendor of this unique landscape. I hadn’t done a lot of research on the Badlands prior to our visit. And, I wasn’t even sure how excited I was about the stop. It ended up being my favorite part of the trip. At every stop along the park’s route ... and at every angle ... turn, there was a beautiful, unique scene. Which I had no trouble taking time to photograph. The photographing nerd within had been released. I'd hate to think what I'd be like if I had more than my two lenses. As our friend (who recently visited himself) mentioned to us before our trip ... you’re able to get out of your car and see, climb and fall to just about anywhere you’d like. If there was a hole, ledge, or crevasse to climb near or discover, my father was doing it. We don’t quite see that agility from him on the farm!
Fun fact – the Badlands name stems from terms coined by Oglala Lakota and French fur trappers, which translate to "land bad" and "bad lands to travel across.
Look how little those people are!
My little prairie dog, popping up to say hello!
Mom struck this pose and it became the pose of the day.
What a synchronized duo!
Figured I should get in front of the camera for once.
Where's Waldo (aka Steve)?!
I think this is my favorite shot.
