Badland mounds and vegetation near Little Missouri River |
Panorama of the Badlands |
This area is again known as the “Badlands”, but with a
slightly different character than the Badlands in South Dakota. Here in ND, there are not the dramatic
pinnacles seen in SD. Instead the area
appears as more of a series of bumps, sculpted by the wind and waters of the
Little Missouri River. Coal seams
underground have caught fire in several areas from natural causes as recently
as one fire between 1955 and 1971, baking the surrounding clay and sand into a
natural brick hardness. Erosion of this
ancient seabed exposed the varying colors and stratifications of rock. Wildlife, such as bison, elk, pronghorn
antelope, and prairie dog abound in this Park. At one point, we came to a stop
for about 10 minutes when about a dozen bison grazed next to the road. Eventually they crossed the road in front of
us and we continued on our way.
Traffic jam on the scenic loop |
We thought visiting this Park was a fitting end to our National Park journey, paying homage to one of the earliest land and resource conservationists in our country. We now begin our eastward trek in earnest – through North Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, until finally arriving home in Virginia.
As we’ve learned, it’s been the journey that has told our tale, and along the way, it wasn’t the great time we made getting from point A to point B, but it was the time we took to see a great country.
Odometer: 12,267 miles!
Taking the time to experience the journey! |
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