To get an idea of how unique the Badlands are, it’s helpful to know what the terrain around the Badlands is like. I took this picture of Kim just a few miles away. You can see that it’s nothing but grassland.

The previous picture was taken on the north side of I-90. But on the south side, the Badlands jutted up from the terrain, calling for the attention of anyone who passed.

According to the National Park website, “The rugged beauty of the Badlands draws visitors from around the world. These striking geological deposits contain one of the world’s richest fossil beds. Ancient horses and rhinos once roamed here. The park’s 244,000 acres protect an expanse of mixed-grass prairie where bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, and black-footed ferrets live today.”

I took a brief video to show the terrain of the Badlands.

Now, for a few pictures.

The next picture shows a trail. What it doesn’t show is the rattlesnake we would encounter beside the trail soon after taking this picture.

A young couple was standing on the trail about 50 feet further down from where I took the previous picture. They told me to watch out for the rattlesnake. They had seen it, but it slithered under a rock. I never saw it, but I heard its rattles shaking as clear as day as I passed. I wished that I had captured Kim’s face in a picture as she passed behind me. The rattlesnake clearly didn’t like us in such close proximity.

We made one more stop as we were exiting the national park. Kim took a picture of me taking a picture.

And here’s the picture I took…

We eventually left the park and continued heading west. Next stop? Mount Rushmore National Park, Crazy Horse Memorial, and Devils Tower.