Badlands Scenic Drive, Badlands National Park, South Dakota

September 2007

If I had to use two words to describe Badlands National Park, they would be "lunar landscape". As I was driving through the park, certain areas made me feel like I was on the moon.

The Loop Drive through Badlands National Park is certainly one of the most beautiful and scenic drives in South Dakota. I started the drive at the Northeastern Entrance on my way to Mount Rushmore. You can also do the drive in reverse starting in the town of Wall and entering though the western Pinnacles Entrance. Along the way, there are many spectacular overlooks such as the Pinnacles Overlook, Panorama Point, and Yellow Mounds to name only a few.

Canyons, towering spires, flat-topped tables, prairie and grasslands dominate the park landscape. The park is quite large covering an area of 244,000 acres. Scientist believe this area was once a large watering hole some 33 million years ago very much similar to the watering areas in Africa. The park also has one of the world's richest mammal fossil beds.

Door Trail, Badlands National Park

The Door Trail is a short boardwalk trail that leads through an opening in the Badlands Wall ("the Door") and offers expansive views of the arid and rock landscapes of the Badlands.

Cliff Shelf Trail, Badlands National Park

Cliff Shelf Trail consists of a boardwalk and stairs and climbs 200 feet though a juniper forest.

Badlands Visitor Center is located close to the Northeast Entrance of the park. It features exhibits and a movie called Land of Stone and Light which provides visitors with a good introduction and understanding of the park.

Panorama Point Overlook, Badlands National Park.

Two geological processes were at play in this park over many million of years, deposition and erosion. The process of erosion started 500,000 years ago and continues today as water cuts through the rock layers carving incredible shapes.

View of Sage Creek from Yellow Mounds Overlook

Deep eroded canyons are a common feature in Badlands National Park

Pinnacles Overlook

Pinnacles Overlook is the highest point in the park at 3,247 feet or 1,009 meters located near the western Pinnacles Entrance close to the town of Wall.

Mount Rushmore, South Dakota

September 2007

Mount Rushmore is a beautiful work of art which is sculpted out of granite. It is a true testament to the American Dream. The Sculptor Gutzon Borglum first began the creation of the National Memorial in 1927. The sculpture was unveiled 14 years later at a cost of $1 million. Mount Rushmore is located in the Black Hills in the state of South Dakota. It receives 3 million visitors per year from all corners of the globe.

Here are a few more interresting facts about Mount Rushmore. Did you know?
- 90% of the Memorial was carved by using dynamite
- Mount Rushmore is eroding 1 inch every 10,000 years
- Originally the figure of Thomas Jefferson was started on Washington's right. Due to fissures in the mountain, it had to be restarted on the left of Washington.
But you'll learn all these things while you visit Mount Rushmore's impressive Interpretive Centre where you can watch a movie and see numerous exhibits depicting how the Memorial was built.

You'll pass the Avenue of the Flags as you make your way from the Concession Building to the Grandview Terrace. There are 56 flags representing 50 states, one district, three territories and two commowealths of the United States. The flags are arranged in alphabetical order. From the Grandview Terrace, you will get a fantastic view of all four Presidents. Looking below is the Amphitheater where an Evening Sculpture Lighting Ceremony takes place each evening during the summer.




Mount Rushmore as seen from Grandview Terrace

The faces of the 4 Presidents from left to right:George Washington,Thomas Jefferson,Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham LincolnFrom the Grandview Terrace, you can access the Presidential Trail, a 0.5 mile trail that brings you though a forest of pine and offers great up-close views of the Presidents.

Mount Rushmore is a must see. There are lots of places to visit in the surrounding area so plan accordingly.

 

 

Devil's Tower, Wyoming

September 2007


Devils Tower also known as Grizzly Bear Lodge is a unique rock formation that is situated in northeastern Wyoming near the Belle Fourche River. Actually, it's the core of a volcano exposed after millions of years of erosion. It was designated by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 and became America's first National Monument. Devils Tower is 864 feet high as measured from its base and is a favorite with rock climbers. You don't fully realize how huge this structure is until you get a glimpse of a rock climber scaling it.

I stopped off at the Tower while I was on my way from South Dakota to Yellowstone National Park and spent some time exploring the area. There is a trail (1.3 mile, 2km) that circles the Tower that allows close-up views and the opportunity to learn about the geology of the surroundings though many interpretive signs.

The 1,347-acre park which is covered with pine forests, woodlands, and grasslands is considered by Native Americans as a sacred place for prayer and renewal. In fact, while you're walking around the site, you'll see colorful cloths tied to trees that have been left behind. These prayer cloths and bundles are offerings containing tobacco, sweet grass and cedar that visitors are advised to not remove. While walking around the Tower, you'll also see bald eagles and ravens soaring on the thermals high above.

Devils Tower was also featured in the Steven Spielberg movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind.