Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Pioneer settlers called this land "Bad" because it was not good for farming. But it is a very good land for sightseeing, recreation and wildlife. Visitors will find almost a quarter million acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires, blended with the lartgest mixed grass prairie remaining in the United States. This is home to American bison, pronghorn and the most endangered animal in the United States, the black-footed ferret.

The Stronghold Unit of the Badlands National Park is co-managed by the Ogala Sioux tribe of American Indians and includes sites of 1890s Ghost Dances. There are also pioneer farmsteads to explore, fossils to find, and trails to hike. Visitor centers offer gift and book shops, orientation films, restrooms and a restaurant. There are two rustic campgrounds where sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

This is the American landscape of legend and old western movies. When the famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright visited here he remarked, "I was totally unprepared for the revelation called the Dakota Bad Lands." Perhaps this magical place will catch you by surprise too.