Badlands National Park becomes first park in South Dakota to earn Dark Sky designation
Recognition honors international spots that protect the night sky for stargazers
South Dakota’s Badlands National Park has been designated an International Dark Sky Park by DarkSky International, becoming the first location in the state to receive the designation.
The 244,000-acre park known for its striking features on the prairie is one of only two National Park Service sites in the agency’s Midwest Region to earn the recognition.
The designation was announced during a ceremony Friday, July 17.
