Creating a national park requires the cooperation of government, land owners and conservationists, but also usually involves the vision of a few dedicated individuals. Such is the case of Badlands National Park, where two men developed a consensus to preserve the land for current and future generations. read more
Authorized as Badlands National Monument on March 4, 1929, it was not established until January 25, 1939. Badlands was redesignated a national park on November 10, 1978. Under the Mission 66 plan, the Ben Reifel Visitor Center was constructed for the monument in 1957–58. read more
President Franklin Roosevelt officially proclaimed and founded the park as a national monument in 1939. It became a national park by an act of Congress in 1978. But the road to this status started well before 1939. read more