The Badlands
By: Emily Quill
The Badlands
The Badlands is where Sal and her grandparents stop in South Dakota. This is where they stop to look at all the hills since the rest of South Dakota was flat. In the Badlands Sal thinks about her mom and how she had had a miscarriage. In the book Sal thinks that all the hills had been pushed into this one spot in South Dakota.
History of the Badlands
About 8 million years ago different layers of shale, mud, and ash stacked up and got compacted forming the hills in the Badlands. This land has been home to Native Americans since it was built telling us that it has been home to wildlife for many years. Some of the animal fossils that were found were animals like the metanynodon which is an aquatic rhino.
Climate of the Badlands
In the winter temperatures can be from -10 degrees to 50 degrees. Also in the winter the Badlands have blizzards. During the night temperatures drop because of no sunlight to add warmth, so the day is warmer than the night. In the spring temperatures can be about 60 degrees to about 80 degrees. In the spring the Badlands is very wet, muddy, and rainy, so if you come in the spring expect it to be wet. Summer in the Badlands can have temperatures up to 100 degrees, but normally it stays around 70 degrees or more. Fall is normally 40 degrees or cooler going into winter and out of summer. Fall is also windy in the Badlands.
Activities and Events
Some activities in the Badlands are to hike trails, go camping, and go on the Loop Road. The Loop Road is a road that loops around the badlands. Another thing to do in the Badlands are see Mt. Rushmore. Some events in the Badlands are the kid's fair which is happening there this year, the 75th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, and Wildfire Awareness Week.
Fascinating Facts
A fascinating fact about the Badlands is that the black-footed ferret the most endangered land animal in North America was recently introduced to the park. Another fact for the Badlands is that it's highest elevation is 3,340 feet at the red shirt table. One other thing about the elevation of the Badlands is that the lowest elevation is 2,365 feet around the visitor center. Another fascinating fact is that there are 215 different species of birds in the park.
Native Americans
The Badlands has been home to Native Americans for many years. Native Americans have used this land for hunting for about 11,000 years. Tribes liked this area because the could hunt and climb up and look to see if there were invaders in their home. One tribe to take over another was the Great Sioux Nation which displaced all the other tribes in the Badlands.
Journal Entry for the Badlands (First Person-Sal)
When me and my grandparents stopped at the Badlands I thought that all the hills in South Dakota had been pushed here. I liked this place because it had a lot of nature and it didn't look messed with. Grandma was having just as much fun as me maybe even more. I walked around looking at the hills. The hills were all different colored layers of shale, mud, and probably ash. The hills were very pretty because all the colors. This reminded me of Bybanks and my mom. When she was pregnant with Tulip my little sister. I thought about how my mom came and got me after I fell off the tree that day. I thought about how it was probably my fault for my mom having the baby early since I fell out of the tree. I thought for a while before my grandparents came and told me that we were leaving.