WHAT ARE THE BADLANDS – APART FROM A FILM?
Vast swathes of eerie desolation created by weathering, the Badlands are made up of sharply-eroded buttes, steep canyons, bands of coloured rock, pinnacles and spires blended with mixed-grass prairies. There are Badlands in both Dakotas, most of which are contained in two National Parks. In general, ND’s Badlands tend to be greener (vegetation-wise) than those in SD. ND has the Theodore Roosevelt National Park (001 701 623 4466; www.nps.gov/thro) split into two along a north-south axis. The southern section is considered the more scenic and accessible, and thus hosts more visitors. Medora is a restored cowboy town and the base for visiting the southern tracts, while the northern end is fairly close to Watford City. In SD, the northern region of Badlands National Park (001 605 433 5361; www.nps.gov/badl ) sees almost all of the visitor traffic, particularly along the spectacular Badlands Loop Scenic Byway. The Park is an easy drive from Rapid City; be sure to take scenic State Road 44 (
