Stop 8: Badlands
Badlands are not confined to the state of South Dakota’s famous national park. Nor a Bruce Springsteen album. They are also here all around you. A badland is an area of soft rock strata that is cut and eroded into many gullies and irregular shapes where vegetation cannot take hold.

The rolling hills underneath this rambling trail are fine examples of badlands. They also account for much of the trail damage. Though it may be dry today, all those little channels carry water and remove rock and soils. As the ground is shifted by erosion, the trail on top moves as well.