You could spend days or even weeks photographing the Badlands and never take a bad picture. (Photo: Glynnis MacNicol)

I never expected to spend a whole day in the Badlands of South Dakota.

When a recent road trip took me through this most underrated state, I expected to glance at Badlands National Park from the interstate and then continue onto Wall Drug and Mount Rushmore — both tourist sites I had been advised over and over to see.

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And yet, the Badlands outshone them both.

I’m a proud National Parks pass holder, and I’m not ashamed to say I have my favorites — Joshua Tree tops that list. I also love Zion and Bryce. I have plans to hit Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Glacier within the next year. But the Badlands has never been on my radar.



The architect Frank Lloyd Wright was similarly surprised when he first visited the park. “I was totally unprepared for that revelation called the Dakota Badlands,” Wright once wrote. “What I saw gave me an indescribable sense of mysterious elsewhere.”

A quiet meadow is not hard to find here … even one with a spectacular view. (Photo: Glynnis MacNicol)

The conservation writer Freeman Tilden promised that “the Badlands will be an experience not easily forgotten.”





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It doesn’t matter how long you stay in the Badlands. They will have an effect on you. The landscape is unlike anything most people have experienced. It’s something truly other-worldly that shifts with the changing of the light and the shadows throughout the day. I almost don’t want to write this because I don’t want the whole world flocking to the Badlands, yet I feel selfish keeping it a secret. Here are the reasons it is the most underrated national park in America.

1. You may find dinosaur bones. Wildlife still abounds in the park. You’ll spy coyotes, bison, and snakes. You may actually trip over a prairie dog. But the coolest thing is that both professional and amateur paleontologists can have a field day with the fossil remains spread across the 240,000 acres of parkland.



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Watch out for these guys. (Photo: Jo Piazza)

In 2010, a 7-year-old girl found a fossil here near the visitor center. She diligently reported it to the rangers. They later discovered that it was an incredibly rare and well-preserved saber-toothed cat fossil.

These days you can visit with actual paleontologists in the Paleontology Lab in the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. It’s open daily from May 26 to September 18. Then trek out into the desert and the prairies to see what you can find on your own.

The rocks seem to change color and shape depending on the time of day. (Photo: Jo Piazza)

2. You can get a good taste of the park in an hour. Short on time? You can take just an hour’s drive on the bypass from the Interstate. The loop road will take you to dozens of scenic overlooks and self-guided trails. The established hiking trails are short and of easy to moderate difficulty … and all of them provide seriously scenic vistas.

The main road is well-paved, but not at all crowded. (Photo: Jo Piazza)

3. You can actually get a campsite. Want to stay longer? Try camping. In many of the more popular national parks, you have to book a campsite far in advance. It’s smart to do that pretty much anywhere, but in the Badlands you have a much better chance of finding an incredible place to pitch your tent.



There are established campgrounds like the Cedar Pass, with 96 sites, costing $18 per basic campsite and $30 for sites with electrical hookups.

But 25% of the Badlands is designated as a wilderness area which is open for backpacking and exploration. Permits aren’t required to stay in the Badlands backcountry, but you do need to contact a staff member at the visitor center before setting out, and topographic maps are strongly recommended.

4. The stargazing is incredible. If you just want to spend one night, I highly recommend joining a ranger to view the night sky in Badlands. Telescopes are provided, and the ranger will point out constellations, stars, and planets. This is South Dakota. The skies in the United States typically don’t get much darker than this.

5. It’s not overcrowded. Even the most popular scenic lookouts are not overrun with so many tourists that you can’t have a quiet moment to yourself.

You may not see another tourist. (Photo: Glynnis MacNicol)

6. It’s the perfect size. The Badlands are just big enough that you can have plenty of adventures, but small enough that you won’t feel overwhelmed.

There are plenty of places to climb and explore. (Photo: Glynnis MacNicol)

7. You can bring your dog. Pets are permitted in Badlands as long as they are on a leash and remain on the gravel and paved roadways.

Even Lady Piazza enjoyed the view. (Photo: Jo Piazza)

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