Badlands are aptly named because they’re bad for farming, they’re bad for grazing, and they’re bad for traversing. They’re just bad land, unless you’re a photographer that is. The rough terrain, exposed colors, and abundant wild life make for good shooting. The Badlands National Park is due south and can be seen here from earlier in my trip. These are badlands but a part of Theodore Roosevelt National Park which are the subject of this post.
Above you can see evidence of this land’s “bad” character. Though it didn’t have much value in 19th century society, this is frontier territory which young Theodore Roosevelt fell in love with. Though he never lived here full time, he did have a ranch that he visited often. Here he enjoyed the great outdoors, hunting and fishing, communing with nature. Many claim that it is from his time spent in these badlands that he developed his conservation values. Later in life, as President, this experience turned him into the greatest promoter of federally protected national parks. We (I) owe much to this man.
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