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:
-
One for the books
-
And to think that I saw it in Cappadocia
-
Nubble Island’s only industry
-
World Architecture Day
-
Belgium celebrates its independence
-
Aït Benhaddou, Morocco
-
Ring of Brodgar, Orkney, Scotland
-
National Fossil Day
-
Palazzo Zuccari, Rome
-
Ponta Delgada
-
It s leap day!
-
Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
-
Playa del Silencio, Spain
-
World Honey Bee Day
-
International Day of Friendship
-
Fall for birding
-
Marshland, Gloucester, MA
-
Beyond Walls for World Refugee Day
-
Even nature needs a backup plan…
-
A plot was afoot
-
Love on ice
-
A festival of colors
-
Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia
-
A species worth defending
-
A long, erratic commute
-
Bukhansan National Park, South Korea
-
Frozen fun in the Canadian cold
-
Ice and Snow Sailing World Championships
-
Where the wildflowers grow
-
Celebrating World Art Day