We had some time to kill before the Fossil Talk began at 1:30pm, so we decided to explore some of the scenic overlooks at the southern end of the park.
In some places, the Badlands stretch for miles. They appear impassible.
This is the White River Valley overlook.
(The White River is actually about 9 miles from here.)
In other places, you can see where rock meets prairie.
I like the way the buttes sort of sprout up out of the grass, and then the grass sprouts up out of them.
This overlook is called Bigfoot Pass.
On Christmas Eve, 1890, Chief Big Foot and his Lakota people re-cleared an abandoned trail through the Badlands Wall. The U.S. Army was in hot pursuit. Five days and 65 miles later, the army caught up. After attempting to surrender peacefully, Chief Big Foot, along with 200 of his people, were massacred on the banks of the Wounded Knee Creek.
(I've marked the spot where they descended through the wall with a red arrow.)
Today, much of Badlands National Park lies within the borders of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. That area is co-managed by the Oglala Lakota Tribe and the National Park Service.
Today, much of Badlands National Park lies within the borders of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. That area is co-managed by the Oglala Lakota Tribe and the National Park Service.
