In the state of South Dakota, on the foothill plateau of the Great Plains in the United States, there is a place that, according to experienced travelers, can be called one of the most ominous in the world. These are the so-called Badlands or Badlands. Many people who have come here for the first time involuntarily have a feeling of anxiety and fear: indeed, bare rocks sticking out of the ground like the teeth of a giant dragon, rugged rocky ground, narrow gorges do not inspire optimism. The area rather resembles the scenery for some fantastic film telling about the adventures of heroes on an extinct planet. No wonder since the 18th century. this land was called a lost place, even the most courageous hunters were careful not to enter it.
How Bad Lands came to be
Badlands are formed as a result of years of exposure to wind and rain on clay soil. Over time, the land, consisting of layers of clay and other non-solid rocks (including brown coal, whose age is about 55 million years), was eroded (eroded), the original relief underwent strong changes: deep ravines and cracks appeared on one side, and on the other, hills and outgrowths formed. The depth of some erosional cracks is 100–130 m. Compressed brown coal has the ability to easily ignite and smolder for a long time - centuries. As a result, the surrounding clay layers hardened and acquired the color of red brick, changing shades depending on the lighting. Moreover, the terrain is constantly changing, the next soil layers are washed out, so the Bad Lands are a real joy for paleontologists. It is in the badlands that the most common remains of extinct animals and prehistoric plants that appear on the surface after the next downpour. Badlands USA is a National Paleontological Reserve.
Bad lands are not only in the United States: they can be seen in Canada, New Zealand, and Kazakhstan. However, the most famous are the Badlands in South Dakota. The Badlands here occupy an area of approximately 9,000 square kilometers between the White River and Cheyenne. They extend over 200 km long and 4 km wide. Tourists, first of all, are attracted by the unusual coloring of the Bad Lands: multi-colored sandstones and clays combined in a bizarre way, forming fantastic drawings on the rocks.
Badlands Nature
Dry clay soil is not the most favorable conditions for flora and fauna. The vegetation in the Badlands is very poor, and there are no agricultural crops at all: numerous chaotically located ravines, interspersed with narrow rocky ridges, do not contribute to the economic use of these lands. By the way, this is also why this place received a "bad" name. Here you will not see trees or a cozy meadow that pleases the eye, all the plants found are inconspicuous, have an expressionless appearance. Travelers come here for other impressions: to feel like an astronaut conquering another galaxy or a scientist-inventor who created a time machine and ended up on Earth at the time of its formation.
Badlands is a place for collectors of the most unusual places on the planet. There is plenty of space for such travelers: where else can you see a rock in the shape of a huge octopus, or rock paintings not made by hand - created by nature itself. Moreover, the landscape is constantly changing: early in the morning, when the Sun just appears over the horizon, the tops of the jagged rocks turn red, and in the evening the darkness of the gorges thickens even more and it seems that a terrible unprecedented monster is about to appear from their depths. At this moment, almost everyone here is seized with an overwhelming horror - at least, the daredevils who wished to stay in the Badlands for the night until they were observed.
What else can you see in the park
The fauna is still present here, or rather, in the part where the prairies (wild steppes) begin. The prairies take up a fairly large area of NP Badlands. Here you can find rabbits, mountain goats and even antelopes. But the most common inhabitants are prairie dogs. The animals received this name not at all because they look like ordinary dogs - they have nothing to do with pets. In appearance, prairie dogs resemble squirrels with frayed tails, but their voice resembles barking. The animals live in burrows dug to a depth of 3-5 meters, and feed on grasses and insects. There are several prairie dog habitats in Badlands National Park. Their "towns" are marked on the map, which is given to each traveler when buying a ticket to enter the park. It should be borne in mind that you cannot do without a car in the park - the territory is very large.
Prairie dogs are very wary. Moreover, each "town" has its own watchman, who gives signals if strangers enter the territory. But you can try to lure them: nuts are sold at gas stations near the entrance to the national park (the animals love peanuts, but you must buy not salted ones!). Although the dogs will not work at close range anyway, in general it is not recommended to feed them.
And yet, most people come here precisely to see the unique landscape. Moreover, according to tourists who have visited the Badlands, the very first impression they had when approaching Badlands was surprise. A person is accustomed to gradual changes, but here the terrain changes at one moment: there were rivers, corn fields, green lawns, and suddenly - a rocky gloomy terrain, dotted with ravines and narrow gorges. NP Badlands National Park was formed in 1978 and has been protected by the state ever since. Bad Lands are considered one of the most unique national parks not only in the United States, but throughout the world and attract numerous tourists who are not afraid of the difficulties and bad reputation of this corner of the Earth.
