NPS, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Located in southwestern South Dakota, the Badlands National Park is home to arid mounds of gravel, labyrinthine canyons and vast expanses of the grasslands of the prairie. As an outdoors attraction, the Badlands isn't for everyone. However, what the desolate destination does offer can be found in few, if any other parks.
Landscape
The park is split between two very different types of terrain: a truly enormous expanse of prairie and a dry, rocky world of eroded pinnacles, buttes and gravel.
Size
The park encompasses 244,000 acres, or 381.25 square miles; 64,144 acres of this is a designated, protected wilderness area. The park is the largest stretch of protected prairie in the U.S.
Endangered Wildlife
The black-footed ferret.
Badlands National Park is home to the black-footed ferret, considered the most endangered land mammal in America. The species is already extinct in Canada.
Other Wildlife
Bison cow and calf
The park also is home to bighorn sheep and the famous bison of the prairie.
Flora
The prairie by definition is too wet to be a desert, but too dry to support trees. Therefore there are 56 species of grass in the park, but almost no trees.
Climate
In January, the average high temperature is 34 F and the average low is 11 F. In July, the average high is 83 F and the average low is 56 F.
About The Author
Richard Thomas has been writing since earning his M.A. in international affairs in 1997, frequently writes about hiking and scuba diving for Trails.com, and also works as the Budget Travel topic manager for eHow and the senior travel editor for Associated Content. His 2009 work on Portuguese hiking and artisanal cheeses has also appeared in print.
