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

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