Badlands Wall

The Badlands Wall is the primary feature of Badlands National Park's North Unit — an erosional formation stretching from near Kadoka in the east to Wall in the west, dividing the lower prairie to the south from the upper prairie to the north. The White River carved it into existence. It is still being carved: the formations erode close to an inch per year, and any water running off them picks up enough sediment to be undrinkable. From the top, for thousands of years, people scanned the plains for enemies and bison.