Uploaded January 2022 | Updated September 2026, 50 minutes ago
Badlands National Park in South Dakota is famous for its eponymous formations. It’s striking fins, buttes, mesas, and overall eroded geography make for some truly spectacular geological formations.
In fact, Badlands National Park is actually where that term originated. All subsequent badlands have been named after it. From the famous Bryce Canyon Hoodoos to the blockbuster Lord of the Rings Putangirua Pinnacles, Badlands occur all over the world. Badlands are simply heavily eroded areas of sedimentary rock.
In this explainer, you’ll learn:
How badlands got their name
What badlands are
How badlands form
Why badlands are important for archaeology
Enjoy!
National Park Diaries is now on PATREON. You can support the channel here: patreon.com/nationalparkdiaries
Badlands National Park in South Dakota is famous for its eponymous formations. It’s striking fins, buttes, mesas, and overall eroded geography make for some truly spectacular geological formations.
In fact, Badlands National Park is actually where that term originated. All subsequent badlands have been named after it. From the famous Bryce Canyon Hoodoos to the blockbuster Lord of the Rings Putangirua Pinnacles, Badlands occur all over the world. Badlands are simply heavily eroded areas of sedimentary rock.
In this explainer, you’ll learn:
How badlands got their name
What badlands are
How badlands form
Why badlands are important for archaeology
Enjoy!
National Park Diaries is now on PATREON. You can support the channel here: patreon.com/nationalparkdiaries
