Badlands National Park

We left our campground at 6:30 am this morning to try to capture some of the early morning shadows in this incredible place.  

The sun was up before we were so even at 7:00am there were not too many shadows.  I think we were a couple of hours late!  Even so, this park is a place that is not to be missed.  The loop is easy to drive, there are numerous pull out to view the wonderful vistas and if you go early the crowds are not there!

Located in southwestern South Dakota, Badlands National Park consists of 244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires surrounded by a mixed grass prairie eco-system. The mixed grass prairie is a transitional zone between the tall-grass prairie to the east and the short-grass prairie to the west.

The Badlands were formed by the geological forces of deposition and erosion. Deposition of sediments began 69 million years ago when an ancient sea stretched across what is now the Great Plains. After the sea retreated, successive land environments, including rivers and flood plains, continued to deposit sediments. Although the major period of deposition ended 28 million years ago, significant erosion of the Badlands did not begin until a mere half a million years ago. Erosion continues to carve the Badlands buttes today. Eventually, the Badlands will completely erode away.

Here are just a few of my photos!  I had such a hard time choosing from over 100! This place is just so awe inspiring and a photographers heaven!

Click on any picture to enlarge it.