Happy birthday, Badlands National Park in South Dakota. First established as a national monument in 1939, Badlands was redesignated as a national park in 1978. Visitors are often surprised by the park’s unexpected beauty. Wild pinnacles and buttes rise starkly out of the seemingly endless mixed grass prairie, a virtual sea of grasses that flow in the breeze towards the horizon. The landscape is dynamic – the light changes, the animals move, the tall spires weather and erode. Look closely and you’ll see every color of the rainbow painted in delicate brush strokes across this dramatic wilderness. And maybe a bighorn sheep, too. Photo by Jon Reynolds (www.sharetheexperience.org).

This bison is enjoying a cool fall morning at Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. Although it looks calm, the best description of a bison’s temperament is unpredictable. They usually appear peaceful, unconcerned, even lazy, yet they may attack anything, often without warning or apparent reason. To a casual observer, a grazing bison appears slow and clumsy, but they can outrun and out-maneuver all but the fleetest horses. They can move at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour and cover long distances at a lumbering gallop. So, be safe and watch them from a distance. Photo by Duane Weber, National Park Service.

“Dang, you rock at mountain climbing!“ Today is National Compliment Day. And just as this little bighorn sheep at Badlands National Park in South Dakota is crushing this mountain, we wanted to let you know that we think you’re absolutely terrific. Giving a compliment feels good. That’s why we crafted a few public land related compliments as inspiration.

Sample compliments

1. You’re really wonderful at respectfully exploring our public lands.
   
2. You are fabulous at keeping me calm during the peak visitor season.
3. Wow! Another bird? You’re great at spotting wildlife at national wildlife refuges.
4. Your inspiring desire to read all the interpretive signage makes me want to, too.  
5. Your photography is wonderful and gives me FOMO (but in a good way).
6. I’d visit ALL the national parks with you!

What compliment would you give? The world can always use more genuine kindness, and we are just so grateful for you all. Photo by Norman Lathrop (www.sharetheexperience.org)

Happy New Year to all of ewe!

Overlooking the rugged beauty of Badlands National Park in South Dakota, a bighorn sheep ewe and lamb, share a sweet moment. With so much beauty to appreciate in this country, goal setting for where you want to go this year can be tricky. So now we have to ask, as a way to help those still deciding, what new national parks, monuments, national wildlife refuges, BLM lands, or other places will you resolve to visit in the 2020 New Year?  There are no baaad answers, only bad sheep jokes. Photo by Louise Campbell (www.sharetheexperience.org).

Towering rock formations, majestic bison and tens of millions of years of natural history await you at Badlands National Park in South Dakota. Don’t let the name fool you – you’re sure to have a good time here. First protected as a national monument in 1929, Badlands was established as a national park on this day in 1978. Learn more about the rugged beauty of this park and all it has to offer: www.doi.gov/blog/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-badlands-national-park Photo by Donna Schneider (www.sharetheexperience.org).

It’s easy to have a good time in Badlands National Park in South Dakota. The park’s rugged beauty comes from millions of years of geologic forces building up and tearing down this unique landscape and can be explored from numerous trails. Visitors can see bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs and black-footed ferrets in their native habitat as well as the fossilized remains of ancient mammals like three-toed horses, oreodonts and saber-toothed cats. Pretty cool. Photo by David Restivo, National Park Service.

The landscape of Badlands National Park in South Dakota is rough mix of rugged rock formations and grassy prairie. The striking scenery of the stripped spires and jagged canyons may draw your attention, but as you spend more time in this place, the soft prairie comes alive. Stay awhile and get to know the prairie plants and animals as well as the stark badlands and fossil resources. Photo by Sara Feldt, National Park Service.

For many public lands, one visit is never enough. Photographer Dawn Demaske made several summer trips to Badlands National Park in South Dakota, but hadn’t seen a winter sunrise until recently. Setting up near the park’s signature rock formations, Dawn watched the sky lighten. “The sunrise was spectacular and it was everything I wished it would be. I felt very fortunate to be there at that moment and I took it all in.” Photo courtesy of Dawn Demaske.

Happy 40th birthday, Badlands National Park! This South Dakota park was established on this day in 1978, and it’s anything but bad. Long before it was a park, the Badlands’ rugged beauty has drawn visitors from around the world. These striking geologic deposits contain one of the world’s richest fossil beds. Today, the park’s 244,000 acres protect an expanse of mixed-grass prairie where bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs and black-footed ferrets live. Photo by William Green (www.sharetheexperience.org).

The best part of camping at Badlands National Park in South Dakota is waking up in time to see the sunrise. The colorful rock formations – carved by wind and water over thousands of years – catch the glowing light of daybreak and display their rugged beauty. It’s a great way to start off the day before exploring ancient fossil beds and taking pictures of bighorn sheep and bison. Photo by Kevin Huston (www.sharetheexperience.org).