Badlands are a type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded by wind and water. They are characterized by steep slopes, minimal vegetation, lack of a substantial regolith, and high drainage density. (source: Wikipedia)
What this classification doesn’t include is the beauty you can find in these landscapes. We spent a big part of our vacation this year in Badlands, in South, and as well in North Dakota. It is easy to get spoiled by some of the more iconic parks here in the United States, but we had some very stunning and almost unexpected moments in the Dakotas. This photo was made one early evening in the North unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Down in the valley is the Little Missouri River, shallow and always very muddy. At this time of the day it became a very essential part of the photo. Walked back to the car with a smile in my face...