Forty-four years ago today, a rugged, inhospitable area of South Dakota was designated a national park to protect the many fossils found there. The region has a 12,000-year history as hunting grounds for Native Americans. In fact, the name we know it by today, Badlands, comes from the Lakota phrase "mako sica," which literally translates to "bad lands." Covering nearly 380 square miles, its harshly eroded rock formations make it one of the most distinct landscapes in the United States.
Badlands National Park turns 44
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
Red deer stag in De Hoge Veluwe National Park, Netherlands
-
Caribbean flamingos, Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico
-
Brown pelican, San Diego, California
-
Paris is photo-ready this week
-
Celebrating freedom
-
The National Museum of the American Indian
-
Pride 2022
-
Happy Holi!
-
Long-eared owl in the Czech Republic
-
Finding a balance between wetlands and water treatment
-
Did it see its shadow?
-
Happy Pi Day!
-
Bathing huts in Skåne County, Sweden
-
Marie Lake, John Muir Wilderness near Bishop, California
-
Put your helmet on, we’re going for a hike
-
International Day of the Tropics
-
Winter scenery near Kuhmo, Finland
-
Berlin Festival of Lights
-
Aerial view of Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain
-
World Oceans Day
-
Spring comes to Glacier National Park
-
Going with the floe
-
Driftwood on Boneyard Beach, Hunting Island, South Carolina
-
The frog prince?
-
Sandstone formations in the badlands near Caineville, Utah
-
International Museum Day
-
The island fox’s incredible comeback
-
Gaztelugatxe at sunset, Basque Country, Spain
-
Is there a bug-egg emoji for this?
-
Observing a squirrelly day
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

