Fragrant sagebrush creates a lush foreground for the buttes.
When traveling through the west one encounters many places that carry the name, The Badlands. There are badlands in South Dakota, Montana and North Dakota – and there may be some I’m missing. The one I recently visited was in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, in the western corner of North Dakota.
Badlands – It’s a macho name, one conjures up visions of outlaws hiding in the gulch, skulls strewn about and no water in sight. Although I don’t know specifically how these places came by the name, several national park sites say the Sioux people called it the badlands as did French fur traders. I imagine the pioneers who were looking for rich farmland would also have felt this was not an optimum place to settle, but it’s all a matter of perspective. If I could re-name the badlands of North Dakota I would give them a much different name.
The landscape is unique, when one first arrives it feels like maybe you are on a different planet. The hills are so oddly shaped, folded and wrinkled in on themselves. I think of the sand castles I used to make as a kid on Jones Beach – you would take very wet sand and let it dribble through your hand to make wobbly, lacy towers. This place is filled with those towers only on a giant’s scale. As you travel through the land you feel as if someone with creativity and great sense of humor sculpted this place. You see all sorts of stone creatures and rock gardens, villas and mushroom plots in beautiful earth colors. Then you turn a corner, enter a valley and come upon a place with lush green hills, perfect for a hobbit hole.
There is a riot of wildflowers everywhere and you can smell the rich, clean scent of sage. Cottonwoods and juniper trees line the river banks and pine forests are tucked in secret crannies.
Many creatures large and small live here as well. Where else can you have buffalo join you for coffee, or watch a family of prairie dogs discuss ways to outsmart old Mr. Coyote? In this land you can see majestic wild horses, shy mule deer and energetic antelope flying over the prairie. During the buffalo rutting season you will hear their deep grunting moan which sounds as loud as a lion when they roar. It goes on all night and you lay there and wonder if maybe you took a wrong turn and are in Kenya. On gentler evenings a soft hoot from an owl will remind you too look up at the thousands of stars across the prairie sky. If I could re-name the badlands I would call it a whimsical wonderland, but that is just a crazy artist’s perspective.
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- The hills are folded in on themselves with bands of subtle color.
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- Other places have a brilliant red color. This is caused when seams of coal ignite and burn, and bakes the sediments. The red coloration is from the iron oxide released when the coal burns.
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- A closeup of one of the hills.
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- In this closeup you can see the thin black band of coal running horizontally.
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- This looks like dough sliding down the hill.
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- A beautiful rock garden, plants grow in the most amazing places.
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- This formation made me think of a turtle or a bear? He has a tree on his back.
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- This butte was a finely sculpted as some of the walls in the Alhambra in Spain.
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- Isn’t this the perfect spot for some hobbit holes?
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- This old cottonwood might be an Ent. If you don’t know what an Ent is check J.R.R. Tolkien’s, Lord of the Rings.
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- The Little Missouri river runs through the badlands.
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- High up on a hill you may see some wild horses…
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- closer…
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- until you can see the family.
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- This group of buffalo showed up at my campsite while I was having coffee.
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- With a creature this size this feels a little too close for comfort.
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- That’s much better out on the open plains.
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- I probably have too many cute pictures of prairie dogs.
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- I would park by the prairie dog town and roll down the window so Maya could watch them. They also watched Maya!
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- One afternoon all the prairie dogs turned their attention to something on the hill….
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- after some discussion they decided…
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- it’s better to be safe than sorry!
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- Sure enough, here comes Mr. Coyote.
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- He hunkers down in the grass to wait.
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- On my last evening I was treated to a beautiful double rainbow.
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- As the sun set it seemed to wind in and out of the clouds.
Away! 
Love it, Mike!
New version of last three lines:
THERE NO ONE HAS HEARD
OF MICROSOFT WORD
AND THERE AINT NO CELL SERVICE ALL DAY
Badlands Pammy is home on the range
There the skies are not cloudy nor grey
There never is heard
A discouraging word
And there aint no cell service all day
Pamela,
Found you blog through RVSue and Crew when you commented on her blog; have gone to the beginning of your travels and wanted to let you know that I love your nature/wildlife photos, and the history of the places you have visited.
Thank you Susan! Yes, RV Sue inspired me, I have just begun my travels. Left home July 1st, a few days after I retired. We will see how long this adventure lasts!
Pammy Of The Purple Sage! …Is the sage plant on the prairie the same as the plant used to get the herbal sage seasoning used for cooking poultry and stuffing? If so, I sure would like a big baggy full. But no biggy, the stuff is not expensive where I buy it. I use it constantly in conjunction with basil, oregano, garlic, and other seasonings in flavoring pasta sauce.
Yes it is and it has a wonderful scent!
Hi, I just found your blog. You are the second blogger posting about the Theodore Roosevelt Park this summer that I have discovered. One day I hope to travel in an RV to this beautiful park. I would be a wee bit nervous with buffalo joining me at camp, but how exciting too. Safe travels!
Thank you for joining Monica! I was very nervous about the buffalo in camp but out in the prairie they are amazing.
When I close my eyes your words form into a painting unfolding in my mind. Pam you have a great talent for writing and can paint as magically with words as you do with the brush.
I’m curious did the prairie dogs beg for handouts?
Take care and be careful in “them there hills” especially where the cell service is sparse. You never know what untamed animals you may encounter.
Not when we were observing them but I could imagine people throwing peanuts or something to entice them closer.
Don’t worry Barb I am careful.
Really good about the buttes. So many good photos of them in the slide show. Didn’t know about these geologic phenomena being in N. Dakota. And the wild horses too. Didn’t know.