"Step Off the Prairie" Badlands National Park by HasTowelWillTravel

Millions of years ago, the middle part of the United States was covered by a huge inland sea. Shallow and warm, it did not have the huge dinosaurs that existed elsewhere, save some marine reptiles. But as the sea retreated, and the cycles of glaciers took their toll on the sedimentary rock contained there, these wondrous layered canyons emerged in the middle of the prairie.

This has created a landscape which is utterly surreal. The alien formations of the landscape crash into the unbridled life of the prairie, providing a juxtoposition of barren rock and wildflowers that is intoxicating. Add in the sky, which is as vast as one could ever conceive, it is themaking of a veritable smörgåsbord of natural delight.

• Pros:Isolated beauty, rare formations found in very few places
• Cons:Hard to get to, isolated
• In a nutshell:The beauty of the moon wrapped up in rolling prairie grass