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The Lakota gave this land its name, “Mako Sica,” meaning “land bad.” The Badlands National Park consists of 244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires blended with the largest protected mixed grass prairie in the United States. It is desolation at its truest, where you can look for miles and see no sign of civilization.This land has been so ruthlessly ravaged by wind and water that it has become picturesque. The Badlands are a wonderland of bizarre, colorful spires and pinnacles, massive buttes and deep gorges. Erosion of the Badlands reveals sedimentary layers of different colors: purple and yellow (shale), tan and gray (sand and gravel), red and orange (iron oxides) and white (volcanic ash).We pick you up at your hotel at 9am. We first visit the South Unit of the Park; the White River Visitors Center is located just inside the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The Center is staffed by Oglala Park Service and National Park Service and includes both Lakota cultural and geographic information about the Badlands. Leaving here we stop for photos and some history about the ghost town of Scenic.From here we proceed to the Badlands village of Interior (pop 90) and stop at the iconic watering hole Wagon Wheel Bar and Grill to enjoy some of the local fare . . . Buffalo Burgers . . . excellent flavor with less cholesterol and less fat than beef (beef burgers and other food available). After lunch we journey to the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site and Information Center. Be prepared to revisit the 50s/60s Cold War, including routine duck and cover drills. At the North Unit, near the entrance to the park is Cedar Pass were you will have the option to walk the short Window and Door trails. Then your guide drives the Loop, stopping at several more overlooks on your way to the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. Proceeding on youll stop for photos and views at many of the overlooks and a stop at the majestic Pinnacles Overlook were we exit the Park. The final stop will be at the Wall Drug Store, a unique
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