The History of Badlands National Monument and the White River (Big) Badlands of South Dakota

The booklet traces natural and human history of the Badlands region, opening with geology and fossil-rich landscapes, then surveying prehistoric occupation and early explorers, followed by settlement patterns and ranching, legislative campaigns and establishment and changing boundaries of the national monument, New Deal-era development, visitor facilities and park administration, and wildlife reintroductions and conservation efforts; appendices supply chronology, visitor statistics, leadership lists, and references, while photographs and maps document physical features and management milestones.