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Located in southwestern
South Dakota, Badlands National Park consists of 244,000 acres of sharply
eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires blended with the largest, protected
mixed grass prairie in the United States. The Badlands Wilderness Area
covers 64,000 acres and is the site of the reintroduction of the
black-footed ferret, the most endangered land mammal in North America. The
Stronghold Unit is co-managed with the Oglala Sioux Tribe and includes
sites of 1890s Ghost Dances. Established as Badlands National Monument in
1939, the area was redesignated "National Park" in 1978. Over 11,000 years
of human history pale to the ages old paleontological resources. Badlands
National Park contains the world's richest Oligocene epoch fossil beds,
dating 23 to 35 million years old. Scientists can study the evolution of
mammal species such as the horse, sheep, rhinoceros and pig in the
Badlands formations. In addition to
carved steep canyons and high cliffs, Badlands National Park is also home
to the largest and most complete example of mixed-grass prairie preserved
by the National Park Service. As the byway follows the natural contours of
the Badlands escarpment, it also weaves in and out of the native
grasslands complete with hundreds of species of plants and animals.
Authorized by Congress in 1929, Badlands National
Monument was established to preserve the scenery, to protect the fossils
and wildlife, and to conserve the mixed-grass prairie. Today, Badlands
Loop Scenic Byway comprises 31.5 miles of roadway and along it are
fourteen designated overlooks allowing visitors to stop and appreciate the
view.
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