South Dakota Vacation Guide 2011 - (Page 238)
black hills, badlands & lakes region
Badlands
(Continued from Page 232)
of the park, Sage Creek
Road leads you right into
the midst of the biggest
prairie dog town you’ve
ever seen. In the basin,
you can usually spot
some bison, too.
There’s more. Bad-
lands National Park also
preserves the world’s
greatest fossil beds of
animals from the Oligocene
Epoch of the Age of
Mammals. In prehistory,
the area was a marsh
that supported incredible
numbers of saber-toothed
cats, miniature camels
and horses.
There were even
gigantic rhinoceros-like
beasts, called the titanotheres.
Collecting by visitors
became illegal when the
area gained national
park status in 1939. If
you do spot something
that looks like a fossil,
examine it as much as
you want, but leave it as
you found it.
Prehistoric bones are
still being uncovered today
by park officials. Excellent
standing exhibits
of these by-gone beasts
are found at the Cedar
Pass Visitor Center.
You can look of the “edge of the world” in Badlands National Park.
Despite the apparent-
ly inhospitable landscape
of the Badlands, the park
is still very convenient
to visit.
At the visitor center,
you can sit back and
relax in the 150-seat
theater to watch an
impressive, professional
22-minute film. Many of
the kid-friendly educational
exhibits feature
interactive components
with increasingly difficult
skill levels.
Colorful photos and
life-size models illustrate
the geology and paleontology
of the Badlands.
Another area features a
fascinating oral history
film by local residents
who offer insights into
the hardships and joys of
life in the Badlands.
Nearby is Cedar
Pass Lodge. The park is
presently replacing its
old cabins with “green”
four-season cabins, plus
the adjacent campground
will have electric sites
for summer 2011.
The lodge features a
large gift shop specializing
in Oglala Sioux Indian
crafts and a dining
room. Try their “Indian
Tacos!”
Highway 240, the
Badlands Loop Road, is a
State Scenic Byway. Situated
on opposing ends
of the Badlands Loop
Road at its intersections
with I-90 are the towns
of Wall or Kadoka. Each
town has numerous
motels, restaurants and
service stations, along
with small-town Main
Streets that are decidedly
Western.
Wall is home to world-
famous Wall Drug Store.
The block-long store
features three restaurants,
an emporium of
galleries, a fascinating
collection of artwork
and unique attractions
throughout. n
238
http://www.frontiercabins.net
http://www.frontiercabins.net
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of South Dakota Vacation Guide 2011
South Dakota Vacation Guide 2011
Contents
Overview
Getting Here, Getting Around
Information Centers
State Facts
Tourism Regions
Places of Interest
Public Campgrounds and Recreation Areas
Vacation Ideas
Southeast Region: A slice of South Dakota charm
Glacial Lakes & Prairies Region: Stories from the frontier
Great Lakes Region: Land of the mighty Missouri
Black Hills, Badlands & Lakes Region: Enchanting mountain getaway
Black Hills map
Index
South Dakota Vacation Guide 2011
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com