Badlands National Park

Badlands National Park was one of two primary destinations in my 2019 cross-country trip (the other being Devils Tower National Monument). It was the first park I visited on the trip and it made it worthwhile all on its own. I’d heard stories about the alien landscapes there from quiet a few people. It still wasn’t enough to prepare me for the real thing. Personally, it struck me more as something from a fairy tale than another planet. The profiles of the cliffs looked like the facades of castles and the yellow mounds area (my favorite of the park) caused me to imagine gigantic pieces of candy emerging from the ground. It is a truly magical and mysterious place.