National Park Service Park News U.S. Department of the Interior

The official newspaper of Badlands National Park Prairie Preamble Summer 2004 Issue

Conservation Comes of Age

PEOPLE TRAVEL TO NATIONAL PARKS TO WITNESS INCREDIBLE SCENERY, watch wildlife or learn about the stories of our past. While many associate the National Park Service as a conservation agency, few Welcome from the realize how involved this task is in the 21st century. Superintendent

Yellowstone was established as our first National Park in 1872, but it Welcome to Badlands National Park. would take many years to develop an understanding of how to Depending on when you visit the park in manage our national parks. Early national parks were established 2004, you may notice some big changes. around scenic features or for political reasons. The idea of protect- The Ben Reifel Visitor Center, built in ing intact ecological units was unheard of. Words like ecosystem 1958, will begin a major face lift with had not been invented. Many resource management mistakes were new exhibits, the addition of an audito- made. Predator control programs eliminated animals deemed rium for our new park orientation film “bad” such as wolves, cougars, coyotes and other predators. Num- now in production and a modern class- bers of popular animals such as deer and elk were boosted. At room to support our education pro- some parks, bears were fed garbage while visitors watched from grams. During construction the visitor center and Badlands Natural History bleachers. As our understanding of ecological principles grew, Association bookstore will be available in however, the role of national parks evolved from being curiosities temporary offices. Look for signs direct- of nature to places containing complex natural systems. Scientific ing you to the temporary location. If studies taught us about relationships such as predator and prey, construction progresses as scheduled, geologic effects on the landscape or the role of fire in returning you should find us back at the rehabili- nutrients to the soil. Today, we still continue to learn and are some- tated visitor center in fall 2005. times surprised by the results we find. The Badlands are known around the We have come to realize that parks are not isolated islands. Because world for dramatic vistas, fossil resources boundaries were originally drawn around scenic features, places and solitude seldom found in our urban like Badlands National Park rarely contain complete ecological lifestyles. While you are here, please take units. Plants and animals are often dependent on land and habitats time to get out of your car to experience the prairie, pinnacles and other diverse outside our boundaries for their survival. This is why it is vitally resources of Badlands National Park. important for resource managers to form partnerships with other Please make good use of my team of state and federal land management agencies, tribes and private top: A Badlands National Park biological technician conducts field research rangers, volunteers, maintenance work- landowners. It is far easier to preserve a species and its habitat than during release of insects as biocontrol agents. ers and park partners who work together to conduct restoration efforts after reaching a critical level. to provide a safe and educational visit for bottom: Park staff ride into the Badlands Wilderness area to conduct mapping of exotic plants with Global Positioning System (GPS) units on their backs. over one million visitors each year. Another important idea learned is that the area within park bound- aries can be greatly affected by occurences outside, even if they areas would be forever protected from development. These two Badlands National Park (www.nps.gov/ happen long distances away. Air, water, plants and animals, includ- laws along with others like the Clean Air Act play an important role badl) is working on a revised General ing native and non-native species, do not recognize political bound- in helping to manage and protect Badlands National Park for future Management Plan and the first General aries drawn on a map. For this reason, laws that help to manage generations. Some of these laws were controversial when originally Management Plan for Minuteman Missile resources on a larger scale are important to national parks. passed and remain so today, but they ensure that all of us are stake- National Historic Site (www.nps.gov/ mimi) is also underway. Please visit our holders in the way our nation’s resources are managed. websites for information on how you can In December 2003, the Endangered Species Act celebrated the 30th be a part of their future. anniversary of its passage. This was the first law to give all species a As you read through articles further in this newspaper, pay special right to exist and applied rules for species management across all attention to where either partnerships or legislation has been in- Enjoy your stay at your park! government agencies. Another important law, the Wilderness Act of volved in our resource management efforts. National parks have 1964, will celebrate its 40th anniversary in September 2004. This law played an important role in the management and stewardship of looked across the four primary federal land management agencies our nation’s natural and cultural legacy but they are just one part of and set aside areas “where the earth and its community of life are the intricate task of preserving this legacy for the future. William R. Supernaugh, untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not Superintendent By Dan Johnson, a former park ranger at Badlands National Park, now at remain …” This was the first time it was federally legislated that Keweenaw National Historical Park. Inside This Newspaper

Visitor Facilities...... 2 Safety and Leave No Trace …6

Emergency? Visiting the Area...... 3 Hiking Trails…...... 7 Call 911 Visitor Information...... 4 Resource Management…...... 8-11

Backcountry Information...... 5 Ranger Programs…...... 12

For the latest on what is happening at Badlands National Park, check out the park website at ......

...... www.nps.gov/badl Visitor Facilities National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Ben Reifel Visitor Center Cedar Pass Campground Accessibility Located at Cedar Pass, the Ben Located near the Ben Badlands National Park makes Reifel Visitor Center offers a Reifel Visitor Center, the every affort to provide facilities Badlands National Park staffed information desk, the park Cedar Pass Campground that are accessible to all park orientation movie, exhibits, restrooms, has 96 sites. Summer camping fees are $10 visitors. Listed below are some of our ac- Badlands National Park protects over water and a public telephone. Badlands per night per campsite. The campground is cessible facilities and services. A complete 244,000 acres of sculpted Badlands and Natural History Association sells postcards, operated on a first come, first served basis listing of accessible facilities is available mixed-grass prairie. The park is home to books, videos, posters and other educa- and has a fourteen day limit. Cold running from the information desk at the Ben Reifel a variety of plants and animals. The tional materials. Open year round except water, flush toilets, covered picnic tables Visitor Center. Badlands formations also contain fossils for Thanksgiving, December 25 and and trash containers are available. The of creatures that roamed the land mil- • The Ben Reifel Visitor Center and White lions of years ago. January 1. Note: The park is about to begin campground does not have showers or River Visitor Center are both accessible to a major visitor center renovation project. electrical hookups. A dump station is avail- wheelchair users. The Touch Room of the For thousands of years this seemingly When renovations begin, a temporary able with a $1.00 fee per use. Campground Ben Reifel Visitor Center is a tactile experi- harsh land has been a home for many contact station will serve as the visitor hosts are on duty during the summer to ence for all who enjoy handling objects, peoples. Today, the vibrant culture of the center. See article on page 5. assist in registration and provide informa- such as rocks, fossils, and skins, and is ap- Oglala Lakota remains alive on the Pine tion. Look for them in the afternoon and propriate for the visually impaired. Hours of Operation Ridge Indian Reservation which contains early evenings at the campground entrance • The Fossil Exhibit Trail and the Door Trail the Stronghold Unit of Badlands Na- January 1–May 29 9 a.m.–4 p.m. booth. Open campfires are not permitted. are both accessible to wheelchair users. tional Park. Ranches dot the countryside • The Cedar Pass Campground has two outside the park. Some are owned by May 2–September 6 8 a.m.–5 p.m. GROUP CAMPING accessible campsites. The Agate and Group descendants of orginal homesteaders September 7–April 2005 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Four campsites are available in the Cedar Loop campground restrooms are acces- who settled here. Badlands National Park is in the Mountain Time Pass Campground for organized groups sible. One group campsite is accessible. Zone Mailing Address with a designated leader. The nightly fee is • The Cedar Pass Lodge dining room and Badlands National Park $2.50 per person with a minimum fee of gift shop, as well as some cabins, meet ac- 25216 Ben Reifel Road White River Visitor Center $25.00. Advance reservations are required cessibility standards. PO Box 6 Located on the Pine Ridge Reser- and can be made by contacting (605) 433 – • Buried Fossils, Living Prairie, the park’s Interior, South Dakota 57750 vation off Highway 27, the White 5235 or by writing Group Camping Reserva- orientation film, is open captioned. Several River Visitor Center offers a tions, Badlands National Park, 25216 Ben summer ranger programs, such as the Fossil Park Website staffed information desk, the park orienta- Reifel Road, PO Box 6, Interior, South Talk, are accessible to wheelchair users. www.nps.gov/badl tion movie, exhibits, restrooms and water. Dakota 57750 Badlands Natural History Association Email operates a small sales outlet that includes Sage Creek Primitive [email protected] postcards and books. Campground Fax Number Hours of Operation Open year round, access to this (605) 433-5404 campground may be limited in June 6–August 25 10 a.m.–4 p.m. winter or during the spring rainy Park Headquarters season due to road conditions. The Sage (605) 433-5361 Picnic Areas Creek Rim Road is remote and unpaved. It is not recommended for large recreational The National Park Service cares for the Picnic tables are located at vehicles. The Sage Creek campground is special places saved by the American Bigfoot Pass and Conata Picnic currently free and offers pit toilets and people so that all may experience our Areas in addition to tables at the heritage. park’s visitor centers. Bigfoot Pass and picnic tables. Camping is limited to four- Conata Picnic Areas do not have water teen days per year per individual or group. available. Remember that open campfires Water is not available. Open campfires are Tent and picnic tables at the Sage Creek Primitive are not permitted. not permitted. Campground......

Hey Kids! Full menu dining, air-conditioned cabins, a gift shop, restrooms, a public telephone, Become a Junior Ranger! bagged ice and recycling are available. In If you are between the ages of 5 and 12, you 2004 the lodge is scheduled to open on can earn your Junior Ranger Badge and help April 4 and close October 16. protect the Badlands. There are two ways that you can become a Junior Ranger. For reservations and rates: Cedar Pass Lodge PO Box 5 During the summer, you can attend the Junior Interior, South Dakota 57750 Ranger program given by a park ranger or Phone: (605) 433–5460 volunteer. The program includes fun activities Website: www.cedarpasslodge.com to help you learn about the park. Check park bulletin boards or visitor centers for program times. See page 12 of the newspaper for more details.

2004 Cedar Pass Lodge Operating Schedule You can also become a Junior Ranger by Lodging Opens April 4 Closes October 16 completing the activities in the Junior Gift Shop April 4–May 22 Hours 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Ranger Booklet. Booklets are available for different age ranges. The booklets can be May 23–September 1 Hours 7 a.m.–9 p.m. purchased for $1.50 at either of the park’s visitor centers. Once you have completed September 2–September 28 Hours 7:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m. the booklets, bring them to a park visitor September 29–October 16 Hours 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Closes October 16 center for review. After the ranger approves your work, he or she will sign your certifi- Dining Room April 15–May 22 Hours 8 a.m.–5 p.m. cate and award you a Junior Ranger Badge!

May 23–September 1 Hours 7 a.m.–9 p.m

September 2–September 28 Hours 7:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m.

September 29–October 16 Hours 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Closes October 16

Badlands National Park is in the Mountain Time Zone

2 Prairie Preamble Visiting the Area

MOUNT RUSHMORE AND THE BADLANDS MAY BE THE FIRST AREAS visitors think of seeing on travels to western South Dakota, but there are other national parks, forests and grasslands available for recreation and preservation of important resources. Listed below are some of the nearby federally designated sites.

The State of South Dakota has several state parks in the region including Custer and Bear Butte State Parks. For more information on South Dakota State Parks contact (800) 732-5682. Visit the Black Hills Information Center located at Exit 61 on Interstate 90 near Rapid City, South Dakota for information on recreation and travel services in the region.

A view of the Black Hills National Forest near Harney Peak.

MOUNT RUSHMORE NATIONAL MEMORIAL MINUTEMAN MISSILE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE JEWEL CAVE NATIONAL MONUMENT BLACK HILLS NATIONAL FOREST Sculptor Gutzom Borglum and his crew Minuteman Missile NHS preserves a Buried beneath the Black Hills of South Recreational opportunities abound on the carved “The Shrine of Democracy” in the launch control facility and a nuclear missile Dakota is the underground world of Jewel 1.2 million acres of Black Hills National Black Hills from 1927 t0 1941. Mount silo of a Minuteman II missile system. The Cave. This national park is located west of Forest. The Black Hills include rugged rock Rushmore National Memorial is located 25 park is in the planning stage but may offer Custer, South Dakota along U.S. Highway formations, canyons, meadows, managed miles south of Rapid City, South Dakota limited tours this summer by reservation 16. Tours of the cave are offered year round and old growth forests, unique caves, his- near the town of Keystone. The National only. (See article on below). Call the site at and reservations are recommended. For toric mining camps and railroads. Park Pass is not valid for parking fees. For 605-433-5552, stop by the Project Office at information on tour times, call (605) 673- more information, call (605) 574-2523 or Exit 131 off of Interstate 90 or visit their 2288 or check www.nps.gov/jeca. BUFFALO GAP NATIONAL GRASSLAND visit the website www.nps.gov/moru. website at www.nps.gov/mimi. Covering over 590,000 acres in southwest- WIND CAVE NATIONAL PARK ern South Dakota, the Buffalo Gap National DEVILS TOWER NATIONAL MONUMENT With over 100 miles of mapped under- Grassland is a multiple use area adminis- Located in northeastern Wyoming (not ground passageways and 28,295 acres of tered by the U.S. Forest Service. The grass- shown on map above), Devils Tower above ground prairie and forest, Wind Cave lands allow a variety of recreational oppor- National Monument was proclaimed is a diverse national park. Tours of the cave tunities including rock hounding, hunting, America’s first national monument in 1906. allow visitors a chance to experience the hiking, biking, off highway vehicle use and The site protects an 867-foot rock tower underground world. Reservations are rec- horseback riding. Visit the National Grass- and surrounding landscape. For more ommended. For more information contact lands Visitor Center in Wall, South Dakota. information contact (307) 467-5283 or visit (605) 745-4600 or visit the website Open daily during the summer. You can the website www.nps.gov/deto. www.nps.gov/wica. also phone them at (605) 279-2125...... Our New Neighbor: Minuteman Missile NHS IF YOU ARE LIKE MOST VISITORS, YOU SEEK Fewer people every year remember the the age. Why did we first build the Minute- out national parks to escape the stress of Cold War era, a time when the fear of man missile system? Why was it never current events. Far from being a peaceful nuclear apocalypse manifested itself in all used? What would the outcome have been getaway, one of the nation’s newest national aspects of everyday life. Books, movies, if it had been? Reliance upon missile sys- parks, Minuteman Missile National television, art and music reflected the im- tems is not yet history, but the Soviet Historic Site, brings you up close to an pact of the atomic bomb. Death from above Union, once America’s Cold War enemy, is. intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). – nuclear warheads raining down from the The challenge of Minuteman Missile NHS Established by Congress in 1999, the park Soviet Union – was considered a very real is to gather the stories of the men and consists of a nuclear missile silo and launch possibility, leading to debates about fallout women who lived through the Cold War, to control facility. From this seemingly iso- shelters, deterrence and mutual assured further our understanding of a time that lated patch of Midwestern prairie United destruction. current events have made seem both more States Air Force officers could have Park historian Sue Lamie, explains the challenges of guiding visitors into the confined space of the distant and more relevant than ever before. launched ICBMs at targets in the Soviet launch control capsule while also protecting visitor The Cold War is over. Now the task is to Union. With the simple turn of keys, safety and site resources. understand what it was all about. The tech- By Sue Lamie, historian at Minuteman Missile National Historic Site. nuclear missiles would have been ex- nology and structures of Minuteman Mis- changed with the Soviet Union, making real ICBMs that were once deployed in the sile NHS are just objects that remind us of upper Great Plains. Serving a peaceful purpose today, this training one of the greatest fears of the 20th the many lives that are part of this story. version of a Minuteman II ICBM at the Delta 09 Century, nuclear war. Thousands of men and women of the missile silo provides visitors a chance to ponder the In 1991, President George H.W. Bush and United States Air Force served around the significance of the Cold War. Starting this summer a limited number of Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev signed clock, constantly prepared, should the visitors, by reservation only, may be guided the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty President so order it, to launch nuclear through the launch control capsule and (START), placing a limit on the number of tipped missiles. Contractors built the sites, topside support structures of a Minuteman ICBMs and outlining a process for the finishing three weeks ahead of schedule II launch control facility known as Delta-01. demolition of some existing systems, in- despite the enormity of the task, labor Visitors will be allowed access to an area cluding the Minuteman II. Long since disputes, and South Dakota’s challenging that, although not secret, was seldom seen replaced by the Minuteman III at several weather. People in local communities, both by civilians from the time it was completed other installations, the escalating repair for and against the missile sites, lived out in 1963. Modified only slightly through its and maintenance costs of the Minuteman their lives in sight of nuclear weapons. thirty years of continuous service, the site is II made it a likely choice for deactivation. an excellent example of a Cold War missile As the demolition of the 450 sites pro- Minuteman Missile NHS is not just signifi- system. Operated by crews from nearby ceeded, Air Force and National Park Ser- cant to the people who lived and served in Ellsworth Air Force Base, Delta-01 was part vice employees began to work together on South Dakota. The Cold War dominated of the 44th Missile Wing. Known as preservation of two of the sites. Early rec- the last half of the 20th century for people missileers, these young men and women ognition of the location’s significance pro- all over the globe, and nuclear missiles – had the ability to launch 150 Minuteman II vided a unique opportunity to save intact along with the mushroom cloud they pro- missiles, a small fraction of the 1,000 this important piece of our human history. duced upon detonation – became icons of

Prairie Preamble 3 Badlands Art

IMAGINE LIVING IN BADLANDS NATIONAL grams and donates one finished product Park for a month. During this time you representative of their residency. could explore remote places, wander up twisting canyons and let your mind be Almost 30 other National Park areas, such influenced by the wonders of the Badlands. as Acadia National Park, Denali National Away from the routine of “real” life, you Park and Everglades National Park, have might find renewed inspiration. If your similar programs. The National Park Ser- life’s passion is art, then this scenario could vice protects these places that continue to become reality. Artists have had a long- inspire artists and visitors alike. Even if you standing impact on America’s national are not an artist, you can benefit from the parks. By painting the impressive land- Artist in Residence Program by enjoying the From breathtaking scenic vistas to cradles of American scapes of the west in the mid 1800s, visual artwork. Stop by The Ben Reifel Visitor liberty, untold adventures await you. Where will your artists like Albert Bierstadt and George Center to view the current artwork on National Parks Pass take you this year? Catlin promoted the wonders of little display. Use your National Parks Pass for admission to National Parks requir- known western lands to eastern cities. ing an entry fee. It’s good for one full year from month of purchase. Their work helped stimulate the establish- By Julie Johndreau, education specialist and Artist in Residence Coordinator for Badlands National ment of many national parks by increasing Park. More than 80% of Pass proceeds go straight into park programs to awareness of wonders like Yellowstone, protect and improve these national treasures — so when you Yosemite and the Grand Canyon. The white place, oil on canvas, by Kathy Hodge, purchase a Pass, you are supporting parks at the same time. Badlands Artist in Residence, Fall 2002. Following a tradition started much earlier, Badlands National Park began hosting artists in 1996 through the Artists in Resi- dence Program. Since then, eighteen differ- ent artists have been selected by a panel of park employees, often competing with over a dozen other applicants for the chance to live and work at Badlands National Park. Through the Artist in Residence Program, Badlands National Park has hosted paint- ers, photographers, musicians, poets, ce- ramists, sculptors, printmakers and novel- ists. Each artist conducts two school pro- Your Fees At Work

IN 1997,CONGRESS AUTHORIZED THE FEE access, relocation of bighorn sheep into Mexico and transportation to Badlands demonstration program to address the the park and reintroduction of threatened National Park to enhance the present park growing repair and maintenance backlog or endangered species, management of population. for interpretation, signage, habitat, facility grassland habitat through prescribed fires enhancement and resource preservation and maintenance of visitor facilities. It is Other projects in the near future include: projects. Although both tax dollars and this program that enables Badlands to • Continued monitoring and study of the entry fees fund national park sites, only tax undertake projects that otherwise would park ’s bighorn sheep populations. Fee dollars fund day to day operations of the not be funded. Out of every $10 entrance demo funds will be used for further big- park. Entry fees fund structural mainte- fee, $5 goes to the Oglala Sioux Tribe un- horn sheep reintroductions. nance and other specific projects and are der a special agreement with the tribe. Of • Development of a Badlands National Park administered through the Recreation Use the remaining $5, $1 goes to the Washing- Handbook for visitors. Fee Demonstration Program. ton office for distribution for service-wide • Replacing wayside exhibits along Bad- Visitors enjoy the view from the Door Trail board- projects and $4 stays in Badlands National lands Loop and Sage Creek Rim Roads. walk. The original trail was replaced with a board- This federal program, enacted by Congress Park for projects here. • Conversion of the old park radio system walk made of recycled plastic. Funds for this project were a combination of money from the fee in 1996, allows individual parks to retain to a narrowband digital system. demonstration program and grant sources. and use entry fees it collects from the pub- Your fee dollars at Badlands National By Aaron Kaye, a park ranger at Badlands National lic. It is also called the “fee demo pro- Park are being used for: Park since 1999. gram” and projects funded with these • Improving the Castle and Medicine Root monies are identified as “fee use areas.” Trails to enhance visitor safety and protect Until 1996, all collected fees were depos- resources from damage by off-trail travel. ited into the federal treasury and budget New trail markers will be installed, wash- allocations were made for each park. Over outs repaired and access at trailheads Badlands Books the years, park visitation increased dra- improved. Want to learn more about the Badlands area? Check out these books available from matically but funding did not rise accord- • Continued preparation and curation of the Badlands Natural History Association. The Badlands Natural History Association operates ingly. Each year, structural maintenance, fossils from the Big Pig Dig site. Fossils will sales outlets in Badlands National Park at the Ben Reifel and White River Visitor Centers and education and resource management be available to the research community by at the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands Visitor Center in Wall, South Dakota. projects fell more and more behind. It funding the construction of a museum became difficult for many parks to carry collection storage facility. out their mission to provide a good visitor • Adding Restroom facilities to the Pin- Badlands National Park Official Road experience. By redistributing these entry nacles Overlook. Guide fees, the program achieved a balance be- • Rehabilitating the old sewage lagoons by the National Park Service and R.L. Ruehrwein tween the number of park visitors and near the Cedar Pass Campground and associated visitor use costs. Presently, restoration of the mixed-grass prairie on This guide provides an overview of Badlands National Park. It includes Congress is deciding whether to make the the site. information on trails, overlooks along the Badlands Loop Road, park ecology and local history. program permanent or to extend it as a • Replacing the deteriorated fossil casts at pilot program. Under the fee demo pro- Fossil Exhibit Trail to increase the visitor Price $2.00 gram, 80% of the fees collected remain experience on this self-guided nature trail. with the collecting park and are applied to • Providing support for the Weed Manage- specific, approved projects. The remaining ment Program. Moon of Popping Trees 20% of the fees are deposited into the • Repairing the park boundary fence to by Rex Alan Smith federal treasury and help in funding parks protect resources. that do not collect fees. • Providing interpretive media for park This book tells the story of the Wounded Knee Tragedy of 1890, visitors through waysides, bulletin boards, including racial attitudes, cultural conflicts, interpretations of treaties, Congressional actions and impact of the press, all of which influ- Projects funded by the fee demo program and development of a new park movie to enced the events leading up to the Massacre at Wounded Knee. in Badlands National Park include ex- reflect new scientific information and cultural sensitivity. panded educational programs, wayside and Price $12.95 campground restrooms, improved trail • Capture of bighorn sheep in New

4 Prairie Preamble Pardon Our Progress

VISITORS TO BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK WILL During Mission 66 new structures departed When renovations are completed, the Ben soon notice dramatic changes. One of these from the rustic style. The Ben Reifel Visitor Reifel Visitor Center will feature new inter- will be the renovation of the Ben Reifel Center at Badlands National Park expresses active exhibits on park geology, paleontol- Visitor Center. Opened to the public in 1959 the simple design of many Mission 66 ogy, ecology and human history. The rede- when park visitation was 35,000 annually, buildings. The low-lying structure blends sign will allow for an easier flow of visitors the Ben Reifel Visitor Center can no longer into the landscape while details in the con- through the facility to an expanded Bad- adequately accommodate the nearly 1 mil- struction emphasize the building’s relation- lands Natural History Association sales lion visitors the park receives each year. ship with the surrounding environment. area, a 90-seat audtitorium with a new hi- Approximately $2.9 million was appropri- The rough texture and color of the bricks definition park movie, new restrooms, a above: Current exhibits in the Ben Reifel Visitor ated by Congress to upgrade the visitor was selected and laid in courses to resemble larger orientation and information desk Center. These were installed in 1959. center so that visitors will have a better the striated character of the Badlands rock and a classroom for presenting education understanding of the resources in Badlands formations. These features of the visitor programs to visitors or school groups. As but soon, visitors will have an improved National Park. center will be preserved when the park construction progresses you may encounter facility to help them enjoy and understand begins renovations. some minor incoveniences in the next year, Badlands National Park. Designed by architect Cecil M. Doty, the left: Concept plan for one of the new exhibits that Ben Reifel Visitor Center was constructed are currently being designed for the renovated Ben during Mission 66. Mission 66 was a pro- Reifel Visitor Center. gram to update and modernize park facili- below: Floor plan for the renovated Ben Reifel ties across the national park system by 1966, Visitor Center. the 50th anniversary of the National Park Service. Prior to Mission 66 most park facilities were constructed as rustic or gran- diose structures made of natural materials. The Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone Na- tional Park is an example of this early park architectural style.

above: View of the front Ben Reifel Visitor Center.

...... Badlands Backcountry Backcountry Camping Horseback Riding and Stock Use

Want to walk on the wild side of Badlands National Park? How about a trip into the Horseback riding and stock use is allowed throughout the park except on marked trails, park’s backcountry or designated wilderness areas? While most visitors stick to the roads, over- roads, or in developed areas. The Badlands Wilderness Area south of Sage Creek Primitive Camp- looks, and designated trails, there is more of the park to explore. Over 64,000 acres of the park ground is popular with stock users. Hitching posts are located in the campground. A brochure on have been designated by Congress as the Badlands Wilderness Area, a place to remain forever horse use is available from park staff at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center or Pinnacles Ranger Station. wild. The wilderness is divided into two units. The Sage Creek Unit is the largest. Located in the northwest part of the park, its boundaries follow the park boundaries to the south and west, the As for hikers, water is a scarce resource in Badlands National Park. Natural water sources are often Sage Creek Rim Road to the north and the Conata Road to the east. The smaller Conata Unit is full of silt and livestock unaccustomed to the local water will not drink from these sources. If you located south of the Badlands Loop Road between the Bigfoot Pass Picnic Area and the Conata plan to spend several days in the backcountry, you will need to pack in water for your livestock as Road. These areas are shown on the park map you received at the entrance station. well as for yourself.

Before you venture into the backcountry or wilderness, there are some things you should know: Certified weed free feed is required in the park to minimize the spread of invasive exotic plants Permits are not currently required for overnight stays in the Badlands backcountry. into the prairie ecosystem. Start your horses on the weed free feed several days prior to your trip • Contact a staff member at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center or Pinnacles Ranger Station before to Badlands National Park so that seeds will have passed through the digestive tract. setting out on an overnight trip. Backcountry registers are located at the Conata Picnic Area, the Sage Creek Basin Overlook and Sage Creek Campground. At this time, no guides are licensed to provide trail rides inside the park. Several private operations • Twisted or fractured ankles are the most common serious injury sustained in Badlands National do provide trail rides on surrounding private land. Inquire at the visitor center for current informa- Park. Make sure you are wearing sturdy boots with good ankle support. The park is home to many tion on horseback rides. burrowing animals. Watch your footing. • Campfires are not allowed under any circumstances. Use a backpacking stove. • Pets are not permitted on trails, in backcountry or Wilderness Areas. • Campsites must be located at least a half mile from a road or trail and must not be visible from a roadway. • There is little to no water available in the backcountry. The small amounts of water found are not drinkable or filterable due to the high sediment content. Always carry at least one gallon of water per person per day. • All refuse must be carried out. Use the cat hole method to dispose of human waste. Dig a small hole 6 to 8 inches deep and a minimum of 200 feet from any watercourse. Since animals will often dig up cat holes and scatter the toilet paper, it is preferred that you pack out any toilet paper used. If you must bury toilet paper, use a minimal amount and bury with at least 6 inches of soil. Strain food particles from wastewater, pack out food scraps and scatter remaining water more than 200 feet from any stream channel. • Check the weather forecast. Severe thunderstorms are common during the summer as are days above 100ºF. September and early October are the best backpacking months.

For more on enjoying and protecting the park, see page 6 for Leave No Trace information. After spending a night in the Badlands Wilderness on a Leave No Trace training, Joe Johndreau and Pat Sampson load a pack horse.

Prairie Preamble 5 Leave No Trace

BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK IS VISITED BY OVER ONE MILLION PEOPLE EACH YEAR. WHILE Dispose of Waste Properly individually our actions may seem small, collectively we can have a dramatic impact on this landscape. When traveling in the park please know and follow the park rules and regula- Please help keep the Badlands clean. Place all garbage in trash containers. If trash cans are tions and practice techniques that will leave no trace of your passing. The information not available, please pack out all trash. Recycling bins for metal, glass and plastic are found below was developed from the seven Leave No Trace Principles. For more information on at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center and Cedar Pass Campground and other park locations. Leave No Trace, please visit www.lnt.org or call 1-800-332-4100. Restrooms are located at the Ben Reifel and White River Visitor Centers and Cedar Pass Campground. Pit toilets are available at other locations. Plan Ahead and Prepare Leave What You Find Weather All collecting in the park is prohibited. Removing, defacing, or Badlands weather is unpredictable, at best. Prepare for extreme weather. Heavy rain, hail destroying any plants, animals, minerals, fossils, rocks or cul- and extremely high winds occur through the summer. Lightning strikes are common. Dur- tural objects is illegal. It also diminishes the park’s resources ing a severe electrical storm, stay away from exposed places, ridges, or isolated trees. and other visitors’ experiences. Taking even the smallest rock or picking flowers is punishable by a fine. Summer temperatures often exceed 100ºF. Sunscreen, a hat, and water are essential to avoid sunburn, dehydration, and heat stroke. It is also advisable to wear long pants. Campfires

Water Campfires are not permitted due to the extreme danger of prairie wild fire. Camp stoves or contained charcoal grills can be used in campgrounds or picnic areas. Backpacking stoves Water found naturally in the Badlands is full of silt and undrinkable. It will quickly clog or similar self-contained stoves are preferred and are the only cooking devices permitted in even the best filter or purifier. Water can be obtained from the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, the backcountry. Wood gathering is not permitted. the Cedar Pass Campground, the Pinnacles Ranger Station and the White River Visitor Center. There is no other potable water available in the park. Always carry water with you. Respect Wildlife You should carry a minimum of one gallon of water per person per day in the Badlands. Viewing wildlife is a popular visitor activity in national parks. Please, keep the wild in wild- Cactus and Other Plants life. If an animal reacts at all to your presence, you are too close. Do not be lured in by “cute” or “tame” behavior. All wildlife – deer, prairie dogs, bison, snakes and even birds – Statistically, the most dangerous park resident is the prickly pear cactus. It causes the high- can cause serious injury. est percentage of our first aid responses by piercing shoes, socks, and gloves. It occurs throughout the park, is quite low to the ground and often under other plants such as grass. Unfortunately, almost as popular as viewing wildlife is feeding wildlife. Feeding park wild- Always wear heavy leather boots and long pants when exploring the prairie. Leather life is illegal. Please do not feed any park animals, including birds. Wildlife can become gloves are also helpful. aggressive with humans and dependent on us for their subsistence. They lose their natural instinct to hunt or forage. Most human food is high in sodium, which leads to rapid dehy- The park has poison ivy in vegetated areas, such as Cliff Shelf Nature Trail. Remember that dration and eventual death. Some animals have even been found with styrofoam and plas- poison ivy leaves occur in bunches of three. Examples of poison ivy are found in the her- tic in their stomachs during autopsies. Resist temptation. Don’t feed begging animals. barium in the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. Bison can run 30 miles per hour and may weigh up to Hiking and Backpacking 2000 pounds. Bison injure more visitors to national parks each year than bears, wolves, and coyotes combined. They Keep in mind that Badlands National Park currently has an open backcountry policy. This are not simply large stock animals. They are wildlife. Never means that we have no permit system in place and very few established trails. While this come within 100 yards of a bison. offers a wild hiking experience, it also means that there is no registration process allowing for your whereabouts to be known. You are truly on your own and are responsible for your Many visitors ask about the park’s only poisonous snake, the own safety. The park is also full of prairie dog towns, a critical part of the prairie ecosys- prairie rattlesnake. Like all snakes, the prairie rattler cannot control its body temperature tem. Use care when exploring them to avoid turned ankles or contact with burrow resi- internally. To survive, it must seek out resting places where temperatures are between 65º - dents. See Page 5 for Backcountry Regulations and Page 7 for Day Hiking Trails. 85ºF. Choice hiding spots include under ledges, rocks and shrubbery or in prairie dog burrows. In the evening snakes gravitate toward dark surfaces that retain warmth, such as Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces paved trails, roads and sidewalks. Prairie rattlersnakes usually attempt to avoid humans. Wear long pants and closed toe shoes, and do not place your hands out of sight, such as Seemingly sturdy, the Badlands formations are extremely reaching over a ledge to pull yourself up. Snakes do not have ears. They sense, rather than unstable and unsuitable for any type of rock “hear,” you coming through the vibrations you create on the ground and surrounding climbing. Do not attempt technical climbing vegetation. in the park. Park regulations do permit exploration of the Badlands. However, Travel at or below the speed limit to protect wildlife. Deer frequently travel in herds of two scrambling up formations and to ten. If you see one crossing the road, expect more to follow. The most frequent cause of sliding back down creates scars. unnatural death to park wildlife is automobiles or recreational vehicles. It also changes the natural erosional patterns, creating Be Considerate of Other Visitors human-impacted features. In high-use areas such as the Cliff Shelf and Fossil Exhibit Trails, please stay on the established trails. Pets are allowed only on paved or gravel roads and in developed areas such as Serious injuries occur as visitors become disoriented or fearful when attempting to return campgrounds and must be kept on a leash at all times. They are not allowed on from off-trail adventures. Be safe. Be low impact. Stay on trails. trails or in public buildings.

Off road travel is not allowed for any wheeled vehicles including cars, motorcycles, and Respect other visitors and the quality of their experience. Let nature’s sounds prevail. bicycles. Travel is limited to established roads. Bicycles are not allowed on the trails, prai- Avoid loud voices or noises. rie, or formations.

......

Rules of the Road Bicyclists Protect Your Park Protect Yourself

Motorist Warning: The speed limit in the park Bicyclist Warning: The Badlands Loop Road is • Leave fossils, flowers, rocks and • Drink at least one gallon of water is 45 miles per hour unless posted otherwise. narrow with many curves. Watch out for animals where you find them. each day. Seat belts are required for all passengers at all large RVs. Bicycles are prohibited on park • Preserve your heritage. Do not • During a lightning storm avoid lone times. trails. Bicyclists are permitted on all park paved and unpaved roads and must obey all enter, alter or deface archeological trees and high ridges. Return to your Drive cautiously and use pull outs to allow traffic regulations. Always ride with the flow sites. Do not collect artifacts. vehicle if possible. others to pass safely or to view wildlife. Do not of the traffic. • All vehicles and bicycles must • Be careful near cliff edges and on pull off the road unless there is sufficient travel on designated roads. Badlands formations, especially when pavement for your vehicle to be completely See and be seen: wear bright colors and a • Stay on designated trails in high- surfaces are wet. out of the lane of traffic. Do not pull onto helmet. A map of suggested routes is avail- grass. The underside of your vehicle can start a able at the information desk of the Ben use areas such as Fossil Exhibit and • Wear clothing and sunscreen to pro- prairie fire. Reifel Visitor Center. Cliff Shelf Nature Trails. tect yourself from the sun. • Observe the speed limit and watch • Wear sturdy boots or shoes to pro- Pedestrians have the right of way. Vehicles out for wildlife crossing the roads. tect your feet from cactus spines. must stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. It’s the

LAW......

6 Prairie Preamble Hiking in the Park

Hiking Trails in the North Unit

FOR A CLOSER LOOK AT THE BADLANDS, CONSIDER TAKING A HIKE. THE ENTIRE PARK IS OPEN TO Trail Round Trip Description hiking, however, please stay on the trails in high use areas. All of the developed trails start (mi/km) (avg. time) from parking areas within five miles of the Ben Refiel Visitor Center. If you are interested in backpacking overnight, see page 5 or ask at a park visitor center for backpacking informa- Door Trail .75/1.2 20 minutes Easy. An accessible ¼ mile boardwalk leads tion. A topographic map is recommended for all trips into the Badlands Wilderness area. Accessible to through a break in the Badlands Wall known as viewpoint “the Door” and to a viewpoint. From there, the maintained trail ends. Travel beyond this point is In planning your hike, consider past, present and forecasted weather. Trails can vary from at your own risk. Watch for drop offs. slick and impassable to dry and dusty or even dry on top and muddy and slick underneath. Always carry water even if you are taking just a short walk. Remember that collecting is not Window Trail .25/0.4 20 minutes Easy. This short trail leads to a natural window in permitted. Help protect your park by leaving rocks, plants, fossils and artifacts where you Accessible with the Badlands Wall with a view of an intricately find them. If you find something that you think is especially significant, leave it in place and assistance eroded canyon. Please stay on trail. report it to staff at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. Notch Trail 1.5/2.4 1½ -2 hours Moderate to Strenuous. After meandering Hiking in the Stronghold Unit through a canyon, this trail climbs a steep ladder and follows a ledge to “the Notch” for a dra- matic view of the White River Valley. Trail begins The Stronghold, or South, Unit of Badlands National Park is located on the Pine Ridge at the south end of the Door and Window park- Reservation. Its 122,000 acres are co-managed by the National Park Service and the Oglala ing area. Watch for drop offs. Not recommended Sioux Tribe and were once used by the U.S. Air Force as an aerial bombing range. Today, the for anyone with a fear of heights. Treacherous area remains littered with unexploded ordnance. The Stronghold Unit is generally roadless. during or after heavy rains. Paths that are found are likely in poor condition or privately used tracks for managing live- stock. You must receive permission to cross private land, even by foot. Castle Trail 10/16 5 hours Moderate. The longest trail in the park begins at the Door and Window Parking area and travels 5 miles one way to the Fossil Exhibit Trail. Rela- Badlands Weather tively level, the path passes along some Badlands formations.

Month Average High Average Low Record Average Cliff Shelf 0.5/0.8 ½ hour Moderate. This loop trail follows boardwalks and Temperature Temperature High/Low Precipitation (inches) Nature Trail climbs stairs through a juniper grove perched along the Badlands Wall. A small pond occasion- ally exists in the area and draws wildlife such as May 72ºF 46ºF 102ºF / 20ºF 2.75 deer and bighorn sheep. Climbs approximately 200 feet in elevation. Please stay on trail. June 83ºF 56ºF 109ºF / 34ºF 3.12 Saddle Pass 0.4/.75 ½ -1 hour Strenuous. This short trail climbs up the Badlands Wall to a view over the White River Valley. The July 92ºF 62ºF 111ºF / 42ºF 1.94 trail ends where it connects with the Castle and Medicine Root Loop Trails. August 91ºF 61ºF 110ºF / 35ºF 1.45 Medicine Root 4.0/6.4 2 hours Moderate. This gently rolling spur trail connects Loop with the Castle Trail near the Old Northeast Road September 81ºF 51ºF 105ºF / 25ºF 1.23 or at the intersection of the Castle and Saddle Pass Trails. Trail users are provided the opportu- October 68ºF 39ºF 97ºF / 2ºF 0.90 nity to explore the mixed-grass prairie while enjoying views of the Badlands in the distance. Watch for cactus.

Fossil Exhibit Trail .25/0.4 20 minutes Easy. This fully accessible trail features fossil Accessible replicas and exhibits on extinct creatures that once roamed the area. Please stay on trail. Pet Owners:Please keep your pet on a leash not longer than six feet at all times (or in a cage). Pets are not allowed on trails, off roads, away from developed campsites or in public buildings. Never leave them unattended at any time. Remember, summer heat is Weather warnings and forecasts for Badlands deadly! Do NOT leave your pet alone in a vehicle for even just a few National Park and vicinity can be heard on minutes. The temperature in your vehicle can quickly rise to over 150ºF. NOAA Weather Radio 162.450 MHZ. Forecasts Pets are permitted off roads in the Buffalo Gap National Grassland and can also be obtained by calling 605-341-7531. in the Black Hills National Forest.

Prairie Preamble 7 Making a Comeback: the Swift Fox

A PRIMARY ROLE FOR NATIONAL PARKS IS TO tions, and tagged with a microchip for iden- genetically diverse, self-sustaining and preserve native ecosystems. In September tification. Blood was drawn from every stable population. 2003, thirty swift fox (vulpes velox) were animal and sent to the Wyoming State Vet- released at designated sites throughout the erinary Lab for disease screening. Healthy The Oglala Sioux Tribe has also recently north unit of the park. Swift fox had not foxes were fitted with a radio transmitter received federal funding to complete a been documented in Badlands since 1992. collar and transported to Badlands. Foxes feasibility study on the reintroduction of Badlands National Park previously restored were held in quarantine for fourteen days swift fox to the Pine Ridge Indian Reserva- other species including bison, bighorn prior to their release in September. tion south of Badlands National Park. This sheep and black-footed ferrets to the study will aide ongoing efforts to increase mixed-grass prairie. The reintroduction of Thirty more animals will be released in swift fox numbers. the swift fox is another important step in A swift fox suns itself while awaiting release. both 2004 and 2005. Continued monitoring assembling the pieces of a diverse ecologi- of the foxes via radio telemetry and locating Continued updates on the status and repro- cal puzzle. is listed as “threatened” by the State of animals at den sites will provide biologists duction of the swift fox at Badlands will be South Dakota because of its absence from with information on animal home range, posted in the Ben Reifel Visitor Center or The swift fox is one of the smallest wild most of its historical range in the state. habitat use, diet, den site selection and on park bulletin boards. Visitors can assist members of the dog family. Weighing three reproduction. As of early March 2004, ten park biologists by reporting any swift fox to five pounds, they stand ten to twelve In recent years, scientists have re-estab- of the first thirty foxes released have died sightings in and around the park. Though inches at the shoulder and are eighteen to lished swift fox in parts of Canada, Mon- (six killed by coyotes, three by cars and one small and relatively unknown, the swift fox nineteen inches long excluding the tail. tana and South Dakota in an effort to in- by a snare). Nine moved out of the tracking is yet one more native animal returned to Swift fox are most active at night and den crease their range, enhance genetic diver- area and eleven settled in and around the the mixed-grass prairie in an effort to re- underground during the day. They prefer sity and link isolated groups. Fox restora- park and are monitored on a regular basis. store the original ecosystem. short to mid height grasses for hunting and tion is a multi-year effort in cooperation By Paul Hansen, a biological technician at Badlands denning. Experts believe that shorter veg- with the Turner Endangered Species Fund The mating season for swift fox in this National Park. etation allows them to locate prey and keep (TESF), United States Geological Survey- region is mid March, with pups born in an eye out for other predators. As generalist Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, early May. In March 2004, four of the Bad- predators, swift fox eat small mammals, the United States Forest Service-Buffalo lands foxes appear to have found mates, as Staring from an artifical den in a holding pen, a swift fox awaits release into the park. prairie dogs, rabbits, hares, birds, insects, Gap National Grasslands, the Colorado indicated by the use of common den sites. some plants and carrion. The greatest Division of Wildlife and South Dakota State An additional four animals have been lo- causes of mortality for swift foxes are coy- University. Badlands National Park joined cated near one another on a recurring basis. otes and cars. They are also preyed upon by this effort and has completed its first year Park biologists hope they will mate and owls and other raptors. of reintroductions. produce pups this spring.

Foxes were once abundant on grasslands The Badlands swift fox release program is The future of the swift fox is uncertain, but from Texas to Canada. Through predator scheduled for three years, followed by an optimistic. Other efforts in South Dakota and rodent control efforts, conversion of evaluation in 2006. The foxes released in include a TESF project that was initiated in native prairie to agriculture lands and hu- Badlands National Park in 2003 came from 2002 on Ted Turner’s Bad River Ranch. man settlement, swift fox numbers declined south central Colorado. Working with Additional animals are to be released on the dramatically. Native populations still exist private landowners and the Colorado Divi- ranch near Pierre through 2008. The hope in select states, but far below levels of pre- sion of Wildlife, park biologists captured 30 is to re-establish populations in the White settlement times. Though not considered a foxes in August using live-box traps. Each River Badlands and the Bad River area with federally endangered species, the swift fox fox was examined, given a series of vaccina- the animals eventually linking up to create a

...... Tracking the Black-Footed Ferret

MANY HAVE HEARD THE STORY OF THE brought here for release and future wild ery program at Badlands was successful, male black-footed ferrets used in captive black-footed ferret, an animal once on the born animals are classified as non-essential attaining the high survival rate of released breeding programs have an increased per- edge of extinction, but then successfully and experimental members of an endan- and subsequent wild born animals neces- centage of abnormal sperm that will not reintroduced into the wild. For the past gered species. This language enables re- sary to create a self-sustaining population. fertilize eggs. This could lower the produc- thirteen years, Badlands National Park has source managers flexibility in experimental As of January 2004, the black-footed ferret tion of ferrets available for future releases. been an active partner in national recovery release, capture, translocation and monitor- population in the Badlands / Conata Basin This abnormality might be a genetic muta- efforts of the federally endangered black- ing of black-footed ferrets that is crucial for was estimated at about 270 individuals. tion passed from generation to generation. footed ferret. Working closely with the U.S. recovery without the normal legal restric- Further research is being conducted on all Forest Service in the adjacent Buffalo Gap tions applied to endangered species. They Our success has assisted the national ferret reintroduced populations to determine the National Grasslands, an experimental still retain protection under the Endan- recovery effort by providing a source of extent of this abnormality. Another concern population area was established in 1993 at gered Species Act, but not the limitations ferrets for other recovery sites. Selected is the lack of adequate disease free ferret the Conata Basin / Badlands reintroduction that preclude resource managers from young wildborn ferrets are relocated to new reintroduction sites in North America. The site. After six years of experimenting with management practices such as trapping, habitat areas. In this way, competition for most devastating of wildlife diseases to ferret release strategies, a wild population handling or moving the animals. resources is reduced for all animals and and black-footed ferrets, and to their main prey was established in 1999 and release of cap- survival rates are improved. Partners in our source, the black-tailed prairie dog, is syl- tive born ferrets ended. Today the Conata After completion of the Environmental efforts include the Colorado Division of vatic plague caused by the bacteria Yersina Basin / Badlands reintroduction site is Impact Statement, designation of the ex- Wildlife and the Cheyenne River Sioux and pestis. Plague is nearly 100% lethal to prairie home to the only self-sustaining wild popu- perimental population area and receipt of Rosebud Sioux Tribes. dogs once a colony becomes infected. It lation of black-footed ferrets in the world. the required permits from the U.S. Fish and also passes on to ferrets that eat diseased Wildlife Service, we were able to concen- Though the population at Badlands seems carcasses. Currently no evidence of plague The ferret recovery program provides in- trate on the actual reintroductions. Release to be thriving, the continued national re- in South Dakota exists, but it has been sight into the process of reintroducing an strategy included preconditioning juvenile covery of the black-footed ferret still faces detected in Wyoming and Montana. Re- endangered species. The first step is obtain- ferrets to prairie dog burrows, predator many challenges. Biomedical research con- search into the epidemiology of plague and ing legal authority from the U.S. Fish and management at the release sites and actual ducted by the Smithsonian Institution and how to control its spread are priorities for Wildlife Service, the federal agency in release of animals into the wild. The recov- the National Zoo has revealed that some black-footed ferret recovery teams. charge of endangered species management. Next, an Environmental Impact Statement left: In 1994, a captive-bred black-footed ferret awaits release to the Badlands / Conata Basin. The black-footed ferret’s story shows we (EIS) must be completed. The EIS must have made many advances in captive breed- right: An unusual daytime sighting of the normally noctural black-footed ferret. show how management decisions and ing, preconditioning and release of animals alternative actions may affect the present into the wild. The long term survival of the and future biology, aesthetics, recreation, species, however, cannot depend on a labor agriculture, economics, society and culture intensive reintroduction process. Ulti- of the surrounding environment. The mately, the fate of the ferret will be deter- Conata Basin / Badlands ferret project mined by the management of its habitat. completed the EIS process in 1993 with official designation of the site as an “experi- By Doug Albertson, a wildlife biologist with the ferret restoration program since 1996. mental population area.” The experimental designation means that black-footed ferrets 8 Prairie Preamble Managing Badlands Bison

BISON, ALSO KNOWN AS BUFFALO, HAVE LONG the reintroduction of 25 bison from hybridization with domestic cattle. been recognized as a signature animal of Theodore Roosevelt National Park in In most cases, this hybridization the Great Plains. Once ranging across much North Dakota and three bison from Fort can be traced back to the original of North America, the population crashed Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) foundation herds. between 1860 and 1905, reducing their num- in Nebraska.Twenty additional bison were bers from 30 million to only a few hundred transplanted to the Badlands in 1983 from Another factor is that all modern federal individuals. Their near extermination in the Colorado National Monument. bison herds exist as relatively small popula- late nineteenth century was caused by over- tions that are reproductively isolated from hunting and the conversion of open prairie After the original bison restorations in 1963 each other. Small populations are suscep- to pastures for cattle or farms. Today, ap- and 1983, their numbers increased dramati- tible to the loss of genetic diversity. Genetic extraction and archiving. The goal of this proximately 300,000 bison are distributed cally at Badlands National Park. From drift is the loss of rare genes in a population study is to help assure the long-term preser- among private herds. About 20,000 bison 1983 to 1987 extended research was con- because of the low number of individuals vation of genetic diversity of healthy plains are found in U.S. and Canadian national ducted at Badlands and the population that actually breed and pass on their genetic bison for future generations. Based on this parks and wildlife refuges. The recovery of peaked at greater than 1000 animals. The material to their young. Inbreeding occurs current study, the bison population at the bison throughout North America repre- current population is regulated when num- when closely related individuals breed with Badlands National Park appears to be free sents a success story in conservation and bers exceed 500 animals. Badlands National each other, causing visible abnormalities in of domestic cattle genetics and have a rea- restoration biology. Park conducted roundups in 2002 and their young. Long-term management must sonable degree of genetic diversity. address and deal with these issues. Researchers believe that Badlands bison are The Department of the Interior is currently a critical population in insuring the genetic studying bison by sampling the federal integrity and long-term conservation of this herds at their fall roundups. So far, over 500 species throughout the federally managed animals have been sampled at Badlands, bison populations. Though the day may 750 animals at Theodore Roosevelt Na- never come when millions of bison again tional Park and more than 400 animals at roam the Great Plains, their presence will Wind Cave National Park. Sampling of 600 be preserved in some pockets of the West. animals at Yellowstone and Grand Teton By Eddie Childers, a wildlife biologist at Badlands National Parks also occurred. Blood and National Park and Dr. Jim Derr from Texas A&M hair samples were collected and trans- University. ported to the College of Veterinary Medi- cine at Texas A&M University for DNA

Bison are herded towards the corrals so that blood and genetic samples can be taken. Some individuals will be removed from the herd and given to the Intertribal Bison Cooperative.

Current populations of North American 2003. Over 130 bison of different ages and bison were restored largely through animals sexes were given to the InterTribal Bison from private herds owned by U.S. and Ca- Cooperative. The InterTribal Bison Coop- nadian ranchers, including one herd from erative distributes bison to American Indian Philip, South Dakota. Only one publicly tribes throughout the West in their effort to owned bison herd of 22 animals from re-establish bison herds on their lands. Yellowstone National Park may have con- tributed genetic material to surviving plains Although bison numbers have increased at bison. In Canada, Wood Buffalo National Badlands National Park over the last few Park bison numbers fell to 500 native ani- years, major challenges remain in assuring mals before the introduction of 6,000 the long-term health and sustainability of plains bison to the herd in 1926. this species at both Badlands and other federally managed lands. One factor in left: A large male bison is controlled in a squeeze chute so that a researcher can determine age by check- ing teeth. Other staff are also collecting blood and hair samples for DNA studies. Bison returned as the dominant large herbi- bison management is the recent discovery vore of Badlands National Park in 1963 with that a number of bison contain evidence of right: A bison races down the corral chute after being freed.

...... Bighorns in the Badlands

WHILE VISITING THE BADLANDS YOU MAY BE Peak area in Colorado to Badlands Na- Despite these efforts, the park’s bighorn suprised to see bighorn sheep. Often con- tional Park. From this small reintroduced sheep population is still relatively small. sidered mountain dwellers, bighorn sheep group, there are now almost 90 bighorns in and biologists are skeptical whether Bad- are also at home in the steep, sparsely veg- the park. This population has been moni- lands bighorns have the ability to persist etated slopes of the Badlands. Bighorn tored for the last 40 years. In the mid 1990s, over time. Any population needs genetic sheep are associated with wild, undisturbed wildlife biologists at Badlands National diversity and sufficient numbers to repro- places, yet it is an animal that that has come Park engaged in a detailed research project duce and survive catastrophic events such to rely on wildlife management practices on habitat availability and sheep population as disease outbreaks. A population of 300 for its survival. dynamics. Detailed field observations animals would help the bighorn sheep Bighorn sheep in the Badlands. Photo Credit: Paul Horsted about plant composition, water availability become self sustaining. The park plans to Historically, Audubon bighorn sheep and terrain type were collected. Blood and reintroduce additional sheep from New roamed the White River Badlands. Bighorn fecal samples were sent to labs for analysis. Mexico and other parts of South Dakota in sheep select a home range on steep slopes lated hunting. Following the mission of the From the data gathered, biologists learned fall 2004. Such large scale wildlife manage- and often maintain their ranges for several National Park Service, Badlands National that the park’s bighorn sheep were not ment projects rely on cooperative agree- generations. They feed in early morning Park restores native species whenever fea- using all of the available habitat. It was ments between different federal, state and and evening, browsing on pockets of veg- sible. Although the Audubon bighorn sheep estimated that the Badlands could support private agencies. etation within the badlands, or on the open is no more, the Rocky Mountain bighorn up to 300 bighorn sheep. By nature, they do prairie. Keen eyesight alerts them to preda- sheep is a close relative. Some biologists not tend to colonize new areas. Wildlife Perhaps on your drive through the Bad- tors, and if disturbed they bolt for the contend that the genetic difference between biologists and resource managers stepped lands you will get a glimpse of the elusive safety of steep terrain. the Rocky Mountain and Audubon species in to help in 1996. Sixteen bighorn sheep bighorn sheep. They are a symbol not only is so slight that classification as separate from the west side of the park were cap- of wildness, but also the complexity of The Audubon bighorn sheep became ex- species is unwarranted. tured. These sheep were moved to the managing wildlife in the 21st century. tinct in 1925 from a combination of factors Cedar Pass area, near the Ben Reifel Visitor including introduced diseases from domes- In 1964, twenty-two Rocky Mountain big- Center and park headquarters. By Julie Johndreau, education specialist at Badlands National Park. tic sheep, habitat disturbance and unregu- horn sheep were relocated from the Pikes

Prairie Preamble 9 Protecting Fossil Resources

WHEN BADLANDS NATIONAL MONUMENT found in the park. Fossils collected during was authorized by Congress in 1929, a the summer field season are prepared, report accompanying the park’s enabling curated and stored at cooperating muse- legislation spoke of the area’s fossil re- ums, where they are available to other sources as a primary purpose for the pro- researchers and to the general public. Since posed park.The report cited “vast beds of the year 2000, Badlands paleontologists vertebrate fossil remains…which appear in have surveyed new paleontological locali- great variety. The whole area is a vast store- ties in the park recording much of this house of the biological past and for three- information into the park’s Geographical quarters of a century (since 1847) it has Information System (GIS) database. been the scene for scientific expeditions left: Dan Lien creates a protective plaster cast around a fossil specimen before its removal from the Pig Dig. from all parts of the world.” The White Over the last ten years, the staff at Badlands Photo Credit: South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Office of University and Public Relations. River Badlands contain what many scien- National Park has worked in partnership to right: At the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology paleontology lab, student Lorin King com- tists believe are the richest know beds of develop several programs to protect fossils. pletes the detailed task of removing a small fossil from the surrounding rock. fossilized mammal remains from the Oli- One of these programs will begin again in gocene Epoch, approximately 25-34 million June 2004 when National Park Service staff dum of Agreement, co-manages the South years ago. working in close cooperation with students Unit with the Oglala Sioux tribe. Many of and faculty from the South Dakota School the fossil sites within the South Unit are also One would assume that if fossils have sur- of Mines and Technology open the Big Pig considered sacred by the Lakota people. vived for over 30 million years, they Dig fossil excavation for its 11th field sea- The staff at Badlands National Park is ex- wouldn’t require much help from the Na- son. A wide variety of fossil mammals have ploring ways to respect the concerns of tional Park Service to stay intact. When the been discovered at the site, including three- tribal members regarding sacred sites while layers of rock that formed the Badlands toed horses, ancient rhinoceros and the also protecting this valuable fossil resource. were being deposited, rivers carried sedi- pig-like mammal, Archaeotherium. More ments from the rising Black Hills and recent discoveries include saber-tooth cats Protection and study of fossils is important quickly buried plants and animals, protect- and oreodonts (sheep-like mammal). Based because fossils provide many important ing the remains from oxidation and bacte- on a detailed analysis of the surrounding clues about how the earth and its inhabit- rial decay. This allowed the replacement of sediments, the site is believed to be an ants have changed through time. Because the bone material with mineral, also known ancient watering hole where animals con- animals and plants are always adapting to as fossilization, to occur. But today, the gregated during times of drought. climatic change, their fossilized remains can Badlands are a changing landscape with be important indicators of ancient climates. erosion occurring at a rapid pace. Cycles of Also in summer 2004, field-mapping teams Fossils from the Badlands provide evidence freeze and thaw and run off from melting will be working in the Cedar Pass area, of a cooling and drying trend that began over 34 million years ago, leading to the development of the modern prairie. Fossils above: Paleontologist Mike Greenwald catalogs, also provide valuable clues as to the origins studies and monitors Badlands fossils housed at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. of living plants and animals.

Park visitors play an important role in fossil resource protection. If you find a fossil, do not remove or damage the specimen. A fossil removed without proper documenta- tion looses most of its scientific value. Care- fully record detailed locality information on a map or GPS unit, if you have one. Care- fully describe how to find the site in relation to a known trail or road. Report your find to a ranger or at the Visitor Center.

Park staff, the research community and the public all work as partners in the protection of fossil resources. It is only through careful left: South Dakota School of Mines graduate Cayce Lillesve excavates for fossils. Photo Credit: South documentation, excavation and education Dakota School of Mines and Technology. that these irreplaceable resources will be right: South Dakota School of Mines graduate student Gerald Mundt maps out the location of fossils preserved. uncovered at the Pig Dig. Photo Credit: South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. above: Fossils are often associated with dinosaurs By park paleontologist Dr. Rachel Benton, who has on display in museums, but many Badlands fossils worked at Badlands National Park since 1994. snow, spring rains or summer thunder- documenting new fossil sites that have been are from small mammals like this Proscalops skull. storms expose fossils on the surface. Fossils exposed. Studies in this area are very im- are then vulnerable to the elements, causing portant because the fossils provide impor- them to break down into small fragments. tant clues to the origin of our modern prai- rie ecosystem. Research groups will evalu- Last Year for the Pig Dig! Besides the threat of erosion, fossils also ate individual fossil sites, rock layers and need protection from vandalism and theft. the ancient environment in which the fos- It appears that this summer will be the last field Not everyone views fossil resources as a sils were preserved. season at the Pig Dig source of scientific information. Fossils are due to the difficulty in often seen as art objects and valuable tools In another project, the National Park Ser- obtaining funds for this for investment. The growing global fossil vice is currently working with the Oglala project. When the season wraps trade has spurred a great temptation to Sioux Tribe to conduct monitoring and up in August 2004, the staffs at steal fossils from public and private lands. possibly excavation of a rich fossil site con- Badlands National Park and the Recent sales of large ticket fossils have taining titanotheres. Roaming North South Dakota School of Mines placed increased pressure on law enforce- America 35 million years ago, titanotheres and Technology will have ment officials to crack down on fossil were the size of small elephants and had enjoyed 11 very productive field seasons, poaching. Legislation has been proposed in large bony projections extending from their collecting well over 8,000 bones and greeting Congress to provide greater protection for snouts. The titanothere site has been over 50,000 visitors! Several important research fossils on public lands but has not been heavily vandalized and there is concern that studies have been generated from the site and as more specimens are prepared and curated, more studies will continue. The Pig Dig was generously supported by enacted. the remaining fossils could be stolen or the National Park Service Natural Resources Preservation Program, the National Park Foun- damaged before excavation occurs. Scien- dation, the Canon Corporation, Badlands Natural History Association and the National Park The only way to provide protection for tists are interested in how these ancient Service Fee Demonstration Program. fossil resources is to actively document and skeletons were preserved and what types of collect scientifically significant fossils. The ancient environments existed here 35 mil- Visitors can obtain directions to the Pig Dig site by contacting a ranger at the visitor center. staff at Badlands National Park works in lion years ago. This fossil site lies in the The site is open to the pubic from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, seven days a week from early June partnership with the paleontological re- South Unit of Badlands National Park, on to late August. Site interpreters greet visitors and describe many of the tasks that are being search community in documenting and the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The completed at the site. The site is closed during inclement weather. collecting the great numbers of fossils National Park Service, through a Memoran- 10 Prairie Preamble Keeping Tabs on Air Quality

VISITORS TO BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK ARE To help protect our air, Badlands National often awestruck by the vast, open vistas Park participates in a nationwide program awaiting them along South Dakota Highway of air quality monitoring. Changes to our 240 through the park. In fact, much of air quality come from particulate matter western South Dakota gives a sense of end- (dust and airborne solids), ozone (car less prairie and immense sky in all direc- exhaust and other emissions), or chemicals tions. The seemingly infinite expanses of (energy production). Such monitoring grass and sky engulf visitors unfamiliar with helps park managers ensure that the the prairie landscape and often instill feel- National Park Service is meeting its ings of smallness and insignificance. Con- mandate to protect the park’s air quality gress touched on this profound feeling and also facilitates tracking of regional and when establishing the park. They described national air quality trends. As a Class 1 area “a vast area of rutted ravines, high ridges, under the Clean Air Act, the air quality in hills and cliffs …extending as far as the eye Badlands National Park must be as clean as can reach” with “a continuous serrated sky- any air in the land. line series of towers, pinnacles and precipi- tous gulches …which cannot be duplicated The National Park Service and Badlands elsewhere.” Later, passage of the Clean Air National Park are participants in the Inter- Act and designation of a large portion of agency Monitoring of Protected Visual left: Pat Sampson records data from the transmissometer for the park’s air quality monitoring program. the park as wilderness required the most Environments (IMPROVE) air quality stringent protection of air quality. The monitoring network with the Environmen- right: View from Big Badlands Overlook showing the exceptional air quality of Badlands National Park. Clean Air Act gave legal recognition of the tal Protection Agency and federal and state importance of clean, clear skies over Bad- land managers. The objectives of the IM- Trends over weeks, months and years can and native plants but can have impacts far lands National Park. PROVE program are to establish current air be identified from this data. from the source. Ozone is not produced quality conditions in mandatory Class I directly by smokestacks or vehicles, but is While people are often taken by the grand areas (national parks and wilderness areas), The second type of monitoring is for the result of emissions reacting in sunlight. views, few stop to think about the purity identify emission sources responsible for chemical pollution. Air is filtered for com- and clarity of the air which may allow them visibility impairment and document long- ponents, such as nitrates, lead, sulfur and Badlands National Park is using the best to see 50 miles or more from park term trends of visibility in Class I areas. carbons. These pollutants can often be available science to monitor its air quality overlooks. On days when there is haze in traced to their sources. With the current and contribute to the nationwide system of the air from fires, windblown dust, fog or Badlands National Park monitors three emphasis on development of new energy monitoring air quality trends. By protecting snowfall, the reduction in visibility is specific types of air pollution. First, we sources such as power plants, it is impor- our air, Badlands National Park not only striking. Without clean, clear air the feeling measure the loss of visibility from haze or tant to know what may result from these preserves the health of native plants and of vastness is lost. Besides affecting particulate pollution with a transmissom- new sites and monitor air quality after the animals, but also allows future generations visibility, airborne pollutants can harm the eter. A transmissometer consists of a light sources are built. of visitors to view “a vast area of rutted park’s plants and animals, as well as the transmitter and receiver placed across an ravines, high ridges, hills and cliffs …ex- health of visitors breathing the air. open space from each other. The light is of The third, and newest, component of Bad- tending as far as the eye can reach.” Protecting air quality is a challenging task a known quantity, so any reduction from lands air quality monitoring measures because impacts to our air often come from refraction or absorption by particles in the ozone levels. Ozone is the principal compo- By Brian Kenner, chief of natural resource manage- ment at Badlands National Park well outside park boundaries. air is recorded by the receiver. The hazier nent of urban smog and is highly toxic to the air, the less light reaches the receiver. plants. It is particularly damaging to crops

...... Fire on the Prairie Badlands History

THE FORCES THAT SHAPED THE VEGETATION Badlands National Park has a Fire AT FIRST GLANCE THE BADLANDS APPEAR explorers into the area in the mid 1700s. By of the Great Plains were drought, grazing Management Plan that directs the park to to be a harsh place. Summer heat the late 1800s, homesteaders arrived but the and fire. Remove or alter any of those burn between one to five thousand acres reaches over 110ºF and winter cold dips climate of the area eventually forced most forces and the prairie will change. Fire, in per year. The park has been divided into 22 to –42ºF. Drinking water is scarce and to leave or shift to ranching. In the early particular, played a significant role. Created burn units, which are burned every five to the land looks inhospitable. Yet, 1900s the Cedar Pass Lodge provided visi- by both early American Indians and natural ten years. In 2004, the fire managers are throughout time, many people have tors with a place to stay and play in the causes such as lightning, wildfires cleared planning to carry out prescribed burns on called the Badlands home. Archeologi- Badlands. In 1939 efforts by Ben Millard the prairie of trees and burned away dead approximately 2,200 acres. cal evidence hints at the extent of this and Peter Norbeck helped establish Bad- grasses. Vital nutrients returned to the soil human story and provides tangible clues lands National Monument, later expanded

and open spaces were maintained. Many factors determine whether a ...... of the area’s use. Stone tools, butchered to a national park in 1978. Wildfires improved grazing for wildlife as prescribed fire will be conducted. Weather bison bones, fire pits, ceramics and nutrient rich new grass returned after fires. is one factor, including forecasted historic homesteads tell us there is a Each group of people has left behind evi- precipitation, wind and humidity. Another human story that we have only begun to dence of their stay in the Badlands. Arche- The role of fire changed forever when important factor is the availability of discover. ology, the study of human cultures, assists settlers arrived on the Great Plains. Viewed sufficient staff to conduct the burn safely. park staff to identify and manage this evi- as a threat to life and property, all fires were Safety for surrounding private property is Finding cultural resources in the park is dence. Cultural resources in the park are suppressed. Dead vegetation accumulated. another important consideration. Fire difficult due to the prairie vegetation protected. If you discover any objects, leave Over the years, that accumulation of dead breaks around the burn site are created by and rapidly eroding landscape. It is them where found, remember the location grass became compacted into a thick thatch mowing or with fire retardant foam. believed the Great Plains has supported and report your discovery to a park ranger. that choked out new grass shoots. Exotic human activity for the past 10,000 years. Research and knowledge of our cultural plants, species not originally native to the Today, Badlands National Park uses fire to Only recently, we have begun to identify sites helps park staff better understand and prairie, took hold and spread. Some exotics mimic nature in restoring the native prairie and manage local cultural resources with tell the human story of the Badlands. such as Canada thistle can dominate the ecosystem. Depending on when the assistance of the Midwest Archaeo- landscape and choke out native plants, you visit the park, you may see logical Center and Augustana College in By Aaron Kaye, park ranger at Badlands National Park. further altering the prairie ecosystem. smoke, encounter blackened Sioux Falls, South Dakota. areas or perhaps observe the Part of the role of a national park is to vibrant green of new grass Discovery of points, fire remains and preserve the natural processes that created covering the burned sites. bones indicate prehistoric, Paleo-Indian the ecosystem we see today. Since bison You are witnessing the return peoples were primarily nomadic big only have access to graze a small portion of of a key component of the game hunters. As the large game of the the park and domestic cattle grazing is not prairie ecosystem. Fire, a force ice ages died out these people switched allowed, fire is one tool we have to that shaped the prairie of the to hunting bison. With the arrival of the influence the vegetation at Badlands past, is once again playing a horse and new technologies such as National Park. Grass is dependent on some role in its future. firearms and metal, modern Indian type of disturbance to keep it healthy. Fires groups like the Lakota (or Sioux) moved By Mike Carlbom, fire in the spring also help control exotic plants. coordinator for Badlands onto the Great Plains. Next into the area A chert projectile point found in the North Unit of National Park. came fur traders, mountain men and Badlands National Park during archelogical surveys......

Prairie Preamble 11 Ranger Programs = accessible

Programs are presented at the Cedar Pass Campground, Ben Reifel Visitor Center or at overlooks or trails throughout the park. You can find program locations by watching for white signs announcing programs along the Loop Road. For information on program times and dates, check park bulletin boards or stop by a park visitor center. Additional programs may also be avavailable depending on staffing availability. Please remember that Badlands National Park is in the Mountain Time Zone.

Program Descriptions

Geology Walk Learn about the geologic story of the White River Badlands on this 1-hour walk. Meet at the Door Trailhead, located at the far east end of the Door/Window Parking Area one mile south of the Northeast Entrance Station on the Badlands Loop Road. Wear a hat and closed-toe shoes. Terrain is varied.

Fossil Talk Find out how fossils can tell us the story of ancient life in the Badlands and why they should be protected at this 15–20 minute talk. Presented at the Fossil Exhibit Trail, 5 miles northwest of the Ben Reifel Visitor Center on the Badlands Loop Road.

Junior Ranger Program Calling all visitors between 5 and 12 years of age! Meet at the shelter at the Cedar Pass Campground Amphitheater parking lot for a 45-minute adventure into an aspect of the Badlands. Wear closed-toe shoes and a hat. It may be a walk, a game, or another activity. Attendees will be awarded a Junior Ranger badge. Parents are also welcome!

Prairie Walk Explore the diversity of the mixed-grass prairie at Badlands National Park. Meet in front of the Ben Reifel Visitor Center for an easy, ½ mile, 1-hour exploration. Wear closed-toe shoes and bring a hat.

Evening Program Join a park ranger for a 40-minute slide presentation on an aspect of Badlands National Park at the Cedar Pass Campground Amphitheater. Topics will vary.

National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Area Services

Badlands National Park Cactus Flat (Interstate 90, Exit 131) Food, gas, sundries, camping, lodging, Minuteman Missile NHS project office. Editing and Design: Dan Johnson Contributors: Doug Albertson, Rachel Benton, Mike Carlbom, Eddie Childers, Interior (2 miles west of Cedar Pass) Paul Hansen, Julie Johndreau, Dan Food, gas, sundries, lodging, camping, post office, mechanic, church Johnson, Liz Johnson, Aaron Kaye, services. Brian Kenner, Sue Lamie, Greg Schroeder, Bill Supernaugh. Scenic (along SD HWY 44) Funding for the 2004 Prairie Preamble Gas, sundries is provided by the Badlands Natural History Association. Printing was done Wall (Interstate 90, Exit 110) by Shakopee Valley Printing in Food, gas, sundries, lodging, camping, post office, mechanic, church Shakopee, MN. Program Cancellations services, bank with ATM, medical clinic.

The Badlands are famous for lightning storms. If lightning is visible Our 2004 staff is made up of permanent and seasonal park rangers and from the program location, the program will be cancelled for volunteer interns from universities and colleges across the country. employee and visitor safety. Programs are typically not cancelled Interns will wear the patch of their sponsoring organization. For more due to rain. Be prepared for changing weather conditions. Programs information on internships, call (605) 433-5245 or send an email to Badlands Natural History Association may also be cancelled due to staffing shortages caused by wildland [email protected] and request information on internships or fire or search and rescue call outs. volunteer positions.

Badlands Natural History Association

The Badlands Natural History Association, or BNHA, was estab- lished in 1959 to work in cooperation with the National Park Individual Association Membership $25 per person per Service in furthering its scientific, educational, historical and calendar year. Includes membership card allowing you a 15% interpretive activities. Since then, BNHA has contributed over $1 discount at BNHA stores and discounts with other cooperating million to the park. Sales of BNHA items in park visitor centers associations in the U.S. and special mailings through the year. result in donations to the park’s education and resource manage- ment programs. Lifetime Membership $250 per person. Includes membership card allowing you a 15% discount at BNHA is a nonprofit organization that has an active membership BNHA stores and discounts with other cooperating associations program. To become a member of BNHA, get a flyer from any in the U.S. and special mailings. park visitor center, call BNHA at (605) 433 – 5489 or fill out the form. Members receive a 15% discount on all sales of BNHA Name materials and will often receive a discount at other National Park Service bookstores. Address

By joining the Badlands Natural History Association you will help City State Zip preserve the legacy of Badlands National Park. Your membership Your membership dues will be gratefully dues are directly used to enhance the experience of visitors to received, immediately acknowledged and Phone Amount Enclosed the area. An investment in the future, your contribution is a efficiently used. Your membership dues are perpetuation of the national park idea. tax-deductible.

EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA™ 12 Prairie Preamble