Badlands National Park in South Dakota  Jul 22, 2025

As the sun sets over Badlands National Park, the landscape transforms into a stunning display of color. The national park, located in southwestern South Dakota, features a dramatic terrain of eroded buttes, pinnacles, and spires carved by millennia of wind and water. Spanning over 379 square miles, the park is divided into three main units: the North Unit, home to the visitor center and scenic Badlands Loop Road; and the Stronghold and Palmer Creek units. The park"s dramatic terrain is the result of sedimentary rock layers eroding at a rate of about one inch per year, revealing colorful bands of volcanic ash, silt, and clay. These formations are not only visually striking but also rich in fossils, including remains from the Oligocene Epoch (about 33.9 to 23 million years ago), such as ancient horses, camels, and saber-toothed cats.

© Petr Bednarik/Danita Delimont/Alamy

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