Badlands National Park was officially designated a national park on this day in 1978, ensuring 244,000 acres of picturesque landscape are protected for all to enjoy. The region first gained the nickname ‘badlands’ from the Lakota people, a nod to the extreme temperatures, lack of water, and rocky terrain. But it’s not all rugged land here. The national park includes prairie as well—home to bison, deer, and the endangered black-footed ferret, nicknamed ‘prairie bandit.’
The Badlands celebrates a milestone
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
Mount Sopris, Colorado
-
Drop in on International Surfing Day
-
San Blas Islands, Panama
-
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California
-
Darwin Day
-
A gentle wind fills this sail
-
Chapel of St. Michel on Lake Serre-Ponçon, Hautes-Alpes, France
-
Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
-
Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico
-
Maple and bamboo forests in Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan
-
Lick Observatory
-
Happy Birthday, J.R.R. Tolkien!
-
Love blossoms
-
World Maritime Day
-
The scene of a literary crime
-
Bodie State Historic Park, California
-
Merry Christmas!
-
International Tiger Day
-
Porcupine
-
Sharp-dressed bug
-
Monarch butterflies migrate south
-
Sanxiantai Dragon Bridge in Taitung, Taiwan
-
An unlikely friendship in the wild
-
National Poinsettia Day
-
Nazaré Lighthouse
-
A growing business
-
Kirkilai lakes, Biržai Regional Park, Lithuania
-
Atop the roof of Africa
-
Bungle Bungle Range in Purnululu National Park, Australia
-
Least chipmunk, Kootenai National Forest, Montana
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

