Badlands National Park scavenger hunt for kids

What makes Badlands National Park worth investigating

Badlands National Park is a national park in South Dakota. The rugged beauty of the Badlands draws visitors from around the world. These striking geologic deposits contain one of the world’s richest fossil beds. Ancient horses and rhinos once roamed here.

The Lakota people called this area "mako sica" meaning "land bad," and scientists have found fossils here from animals that lived over 35 million years ago.

Colorful layered rock formations called buttes and spires. One of the richest fossil beds in the world. Large mixed-grass prairie with bison herds. Stunning night skies with very little light pollution. The best seasons to visit are spring and fall. The Badlands weather is variable and unpredictable with temperature extremes ranging from 116° F to -40° F. Summers are hot and dry with occasional violent thunderstorms.

10 things to look for

Use this as an observation menu, not a race. Choose fewer items for younger children, pause for questions and sketches, and leave every natural and historic object where it belongs.

• Bison Wildlife
  Large shaggy animals grazing on the prairie Observe only from the required distance; a sound, track, or other safe sign may count.
• Striped rock layers Geology
  Red, orange, and white bands in the cliff walls
• Prairie dog Wildlife
  Small brown rodents popping up from underground burrows Observe only from the required distance; a sound, track, or other safe sign may count.
• Fossil exhibit Geology
  Displays showing ancient animal bones found in the park
• Bighorn sheep Wildlife
  Sheep with large curving horns on rocky ledges Observe only from the required distance; a sound, track, or other safe sign may count.
• Pinnacles Geology
  Tall pointed rock spires rising from the ground
• Black-footed ferret sign Wildlife
  Information about one of the rarest mammals in North America Observe only from the required distance; a sound, track, or other safe sign may count.
• Prairie wildflowers Nature
  Colorful flowers blooming across the grasslands
• Notch Trail ladder Geology
  A wooden ladder you climb on the famous Notch Trail
• Pronghorn antelope Wildlife
  Tan and white animals that are the fastest in North America Observe only from the required distance; a sound, track, or other safe sign may count.

Checklist items describe things a visitor might observe. A sighting is never guaranteed. Do not approach wildlife, cross barriers, leave approved areas, or handle protected objects to complete an item.

Adapt the hunt by age

Turn “I want to go there” into a family plan

1. The child finds Badlands National Park in the HomeSchool.You park catalog and taps the heart.
2. The parent receives an in-app alert that the child wants to visit.
3. Badlands National Park appears in the child’s Travel Wish List inside the parent area.
4. The family chooses timing together, checks current conditions, and prints or opens this hunt.
5. After exploring, the child can save visit memories and progress in the park passport.

Respect the place

An adult should supervise the entire visit. Observe wildlife from the required distance, stay on allowed routes, follow posted and ranger instructions, pack out waste, and do not collect plants, rocks, cultural objects, or animals. HomeSchool.You is an independent learning platform and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service or any state or local park agency.

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