Main Highway through Badlands National Park in South Dakota, USA - stock photo

Badlands National Park in South Dakota consists of more than 242,000 acres of land. Dramatic landscapes including rock formations, steep canyons, towering spires and prairie grass are home to Bison, bighorn sheep and prairie dogs. Erosion has revealed sedimentary layers of purple and yellow (shale), tan and gray (sand and gravel), red and orange (iron oxides) and white (volcanic ash). It was designated a National Monument in 1939 and re-designated a National Park in 1978.