Sculpted by Time: The Badlands of Theodore Roosevelt National Park

In western North Dakota, the landscape changes dramatically from flat grassy plains to a colorful, jagged maze of canyons and rock towers. This striking environment is known as the North Dakota Badlands, home to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Long ago, French explorers called this region "bad lands to travel through" because the steep hills, loose soil, and deep gullies made riding horses or pulling wagons extremely difficult. Today, visitors from around the world come to marvel at these rugged landforms and discover how nature carved such a unique wilderness over millions of years.

The story of the badlands began millions of years ago when ancient rivers carried sand, silt, and volcanic ash from the Rocky Mountains toward the east. Layer upon layer of sediment accumulated over time, hardening into soft rock. Each layer boasts a distinct color—gray clay, yellow sandstone, dark coal, and bright red rock called scoria. Later, as the Little Missouri River began flowing through the region, rain, melting snow, and wind started wearing away the soft rock layers. This process, called erosion, carved deep valleys, sharp ridges, and flat-topped hills called buttes.