July 4 and 9, 2017
Approaching Badlands National Park, we were surrounded by rolling prairie. Slowly eroded areas were revealed until we were in the midst of a variety of shapes and colors dating between 75 and 25 million years ago. Where Scott’s Bluff and Cheyenne and Red Cloud Buttes, which we had visited in June, stand alone on the prairie, in the Badlands the prairie gives way to fascinating bands of color rising from a much lower floor.
We started in the northern section and loved our 22 mile drive to the Visitors Center and lodge. The layers of sediment in the Badlands contain fossils of animals that we’d seen at the Toadstools, Agate Fossil Beds, and Trailside Museum, including the sheep-like oreodont.
The link below is to a brief panorama of the Badlands.
Fossil? Looks like a leg bone to us.
Sand castles?
We explored the southern section of Bandlands National Park July 9. This Stronghold Unit is located in the Pine River Indian Reservation and is cooperatively managed by the National Park Service and the Oglala Lakota.
We visited the White River Visitors Center and talked with a Lakota woman about things to see and do in the park. Since there are few roads in the interior of this section of the park, she suggested the road up Sheep Mountain Table . As you will see from the pictures, this was a wonderful suggestion.
The intermittent rain clouds added to the drama of the scenery.
The link below shows why we needed a higher clearance vehicle.
3 Comments
Brett · July 22, 2017 at 8:08 pm
That’s a super adorable picture of you two. <3
Jane Appel · July 22, 2017 at 9:40 pm
You are kind to say so. We owe it all to the selfie stick! Maybe we’re getting better at learning how to use it.
Joette · July 25, 2017 at 9:00 pm
I have not been able to get the links to work. I was able to watch the video taken on the 4th of July, but I don’t get anything from the links like the one in this post.