Black Hills Badlands Loop Camping Trip

Black Hills

This area has been inhabited by Native Americans for a least 7000 years. They have held a sacred position in Native culture from the beginning of time. After the discovery of gold in the hills, they were invaded by gold miners illegally trespassing on native lands. In fact, in July of 1980, the U.S. Supreme court ruled that the hills were illegally taken from the tribes. The U.S. government was ordered to pay what amounts to over $750 million to the Lakota people. The Lakota still refuse to accept the money as it would validate the theft of their most sacred land.

Whether you stroll the streets of Deadwood or stand in awe at the Crazy Horse Memorial, this is an adventure you will remember for a lifetime.

Enjoy this informative article about South Dakota submitted by David H. Urmann

South Dakota is among the states of the United States of America situated in the Midwestern area. The name Dakota was derived from the Dakota and Lakota the tribes from the American Indian.

In November 2, 1889, the Union accepted South Dakota following the admittance of North Dakota. The capital of South Dakota is the Pierre city while the largest city is the Sioux Falls. The Missouri River divides the state into two, namely the East and the West River. The east side is known for its abundant crops because of its rich soil, while the west side is popular for ranching.

South Dakota’s economy mainly relies on agriculture. Its dwellers adapt a rural life. In order to boost the economy, the government of South Dakota has decided to divert its attention to tourism to attract more investors and tourists. They began actively promoting its various tourist spots and rigorously improved its economy. Local and foreign tourists nowadays travel to South Dakota to spend their vacation and enjoy its beautiful attractions.

Mount Rushmore is among the major tourist spots located at the Black Hills in the southwest of South Dakota. It features the sculpture of four of the former presidents of the United States. The sculpture is a masterpiece of Gutzon Borglum. Black Hills itself is among the beautiful scenery which features a lot of pine trees covering the whole mountain.

South Dakota is home for various monuments and National Parks. There are two popular national parks. One is the Badlands National Park located at the southwestern side. It was established in 1978. The other one is the Wind Cave National Park known for its various caves and bison. The park is located at the Black Hills and was created during the year 1903.

Another great attraction of the state of South Dakota is the world renowned Corn Palace built in 1892. This was originally used as a venue for various festivals by the locales. The palace symbolizes the rich agriculture of the land. Every year the palace is decorated with different species of grasses and grains.

South Dakota also boasts its hundreds of museums which showcase a wide variety of art works, music and a lot of historical artifacts. You will learn more on the history of South Dakota when you visit these museums.

South Dakota is also a haven of different adventures and exciting activities. With its wide mountainous area, it is an ideal place for outdoor activities such as rock climbing, hiking and sight seeing. Photographers and hobbyists enjoy taking pictures of the serene and calm views of South Dakota’ wildlife and nature.

You may also enjoy camping with so many campgrounds in different areas of South Dakota. Most campgrounds are equipped with the latest facilities providing guests the comfort and excitement for their camping needs.

With more than one thousand square miles of water, South Dakota is known as a pleasurable place for fishing. You can also enjoy water activities such as jet skiing, surfing and kayaking.

Besides fishing, there are specific areas where you can enjoy hunting. The areas for hunting feature a variety of birds and animals. Among the most awaited hunting events is the pheasant season which attracts a lot of hunters from different parts of the country.

South Dakota is truly an ideal place to visit whether you are business travel or on vacation. Experience the fun, adventure and excitement with all the beautiful places in South Dakota. The city is greatly admired for its efforts of boosting its tourism.

Badlands

There are three campgrounds near the south entrance of the park. They range from primitive to full service camping. Plan at least two days camping in "the lands". Once again, it is an experience that will last a lifetime.

Read this article submitted by Nomadrick Chapo about Badlands National Park

Badlands Trivia

1. The Badlands Wilderness Area includes 2 management units and covers 64,000 acres in the northern portion of the park.

2. The 133,000-acre South Unit of the park is located within Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and managed in cooperation with the Oglala Sioux Tribe.

3. Established as Badlands National Monument in 1939, the area was redesignated a "National Park" in 1978.

4. Badlands National Park contains rich Oligocene epoch fossil beds, dating from 23 to 35 million years ago. The rock layers hold the fossilized remains of early mammals such as three-toed horses, housecat sized deer, rhinoceros, saber-toothed cats, camels, and giant pigs.

5. Badlands National Park has two International Sister Parks: Vashlovani National Park in the country of Georgia and Hortobagy National Park in Hungary.

Badlands Attractions

1. See paleontology in action at the "Pig Dig" as park staff and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology students work during the summer. Visitors to the Conata Picnic Area can watch paleontologists removing 33 million year-old fossils that were trapped in an ancient watering hole.

2. Enjoy spectacular scenery, opportunities for wildlife viewing, wayside exhibits, and trails along Badlands Loop Road.

3. Take a backcountry hike in the Badlands Wilderness to explore the prairie and rock formations.

Badlands National Park presents you with a chance to look back into history. If you are looking for wide open, unspoiled places to hike and camp, the Park may be just for you.