47 years of Badlands National Park Nov 10, 2025

47 years of Badlands National Park

On November 10, 47 years ago, a stark stretch of South Dakota prairie gained recognition as one of America"s natural treasures. Badlands National Park, carved by wind and water, was redesignated from national monument to national park status in 1978, securing stronger protection within the National Park System. Its cliffs and spires rise above fossil beds that reveal ancient rhinoceroses, camels, and subtropical seas. Yet the park is not only a window into the past; it also safeguards one of the largest remaining tracts of mixed-grass prairie in the US.

© Greg Vaughn/Getty Images

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Today in History

Nov 10, 2018The Badlands celebrates a milestone
Nov 10, 2019Sunny day, sweepin the clouds away
Nov 10, 2020Baddest of the badlands
Nov 10, 2021Cumberland Island National Seashore
Nov 10, 2022Badlands National Park turns 44
Nov 10, 2023Badlands National Parks 45th anniversary
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