1) Why is it called the Badlands?
The Lakota people were the first to call this place "mako sica" or "land bad." Extreme temperatures, lack of water, and the exposed rugged terrain led to this name. In the early 1900's, French-Canadian fur trappers called it "les mauvais terres pour traverse," or "bad lands to travel through."
Under the Homestead Act of 1862, settlers were given 160 acres of land for approximately $18. They had to live on it and cultivate it for 5 years and then it belonged to them. Most of the land in this area reverted back to the government.
Today, the term badlands has a more geologic definition. Badlands form when soft sedimentary rock is extensively eroded in a dry climate. The park's typical scenery of sharp spires, gullies, and ridges is a premier example of badlands topography.
Under the Homestead Act of 1862, settlers were given 160 acres of land for approximately $18. They had to live on it and cultivate it for 5 years and then it belonged to them. Most of the land in this area reverted back to the government.
Today, the term badlands has a more geologic definition. Badlands form when soft sedimentary rock is extensively eroded in a dry climate. The park's typical scenery of sharp spires, gullies, and ridges is a premier example of badlands topography.
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