Prairie and pinnacles near Castle Trail in Badlands National Park, South Dakota
© Danita Delimont/Getty Image
Life on the prairie. A good time in the Badlands
At the close of National Parks Week, we arrive at Badlands in South Dakota. Our photo today shows a view from Castle Trail - at 16 kilometres round trip, it’s the longest marked hike in the park. Spring rain in the area has revived the grasses across the prairie as the sun illuminates the pinnacle rock formations in the distance. Soon, grazing animals such as bison and pronghorn will begin feasting on the fresh crop of grasses. This is also a good time of year to spot some of the dozens of different butterfly species that live in the park and provide a delicate contrast to the park’s rugged landscape.
Related Images
Chimney Rock and Uncompahgre National Forest, Colorado
Sunset at Counts Point in West MacDonnell Ranges, Northern Territory, Australia
Lake Dobson in Mount Field National Park of Tasmania
Hope Valley, Peak District, England
An old farm in the Shetland Islands, Scotland
Glastonbury Tor and St Michael's Tower in England for the start of the Glastonbury Festival
Salisbury Cathedral with grazing flock of sheep, England
Tintern Abbey, Wales
Bing Today Images
Spectacled bear resting in tree, Ecuador
Apr 28, 2026
Impala in Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana
Apr 28, 2025
Northern gannets, Great Saltee Island, Ireland
Apr 28, 2021
Ruby Beach in Olympic National Park, Washington, USA
Apr 28, 2018
Oak tree canopy in Roudsea Wood, Cumbria, England
Apr 28, 2016
