Badlands National Park in South Dakota, USA, turns 40

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A park with a ‘bad’ name. The Badlands celebrates a milestone

Badlands National Park, located in the US state of South Dakota, was officially designated a national park on this day in 1940, ensuring 244,000 acres of picturesque landscape are protected, for all to enjoy. It first gained the nickname ‘badlands’ from the Lakota people, a nod to the extreme temperatures, lack of water and rocky terrain. But it’s not all rugged land here. The US national park includes grassland as well – home to bison, deer and the black-footed ferret, one of the most endangered mammals in North America.