Another one of my motorcycle touring trips included a couple days visiting the Badlands in South Dakota. I was not expecting the beauty I discovered there.

The Lakota called the topography “Makhóšiča“, literally bad land, while French trappers called it “les mauvaises terres à traverser” – “the bad lands to cross”. This dry terrain is a type of soft sedimentary rock and clay-rich soils that have been extensively eroded by wind and water. It almost has a look of volcanic rock. And, it is so rich in colors, patterns and shapes. This type of terrain can be found in several locations in the U.S. such as Makoshika State Park in Montana,Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota and the Badlands National Park in South Dakota. Another popular area of badland formations is Toadstool Geologic Park in the Oglala National Grassland of northwestern Nebrask and you can include Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado and Utah.