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Search for Ancient Fossils at Badlands National Park

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Badlands National Park, in South Dakota, features 244,000 acres full of deep canyons and tall spires, wide-open grasslands where prairie dogs roam, and even chances to discover ancient fossil remains—in 2010, a seven-year-old park visitor found the preserved remains of a saber-toothed cat. The park’s name originated with the Lakota people; they called it mako sica, which means “bad lands” in English, given the lack of water, extreme temperatures, and terrain that was difficult to traverse.

More than Just Parks’ new time-lapse video, made with Travel South Dakota, takes viewers through the unique destination. Interested in learning more? Head here.

National Parks