Near Interior in Jackson County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Badlands Oasis
Photographed By Ruth VanSteenwyk, July 15, 2019
1. Badlands Oasis Marker
Water is scarce in the Badlands, which get less than 16 inches of precipitation per year. The bowl-like Cliff Shelf where you stand provides more moisture than commonly found in this desolate land.
Drawn to this spot for more than 11,000 years, humans have used the area for everything from ancient hunting camps to modern lodges.
Picture Captions:
Picnickers in the early 1900s lunching at Cliff Shelf.
Remnants of ancient campfires like this dot the Badlands. Pieces of charred bone and hearthstones remind us of hunting camps and a Plains lifestyle rarely seen today.
Cedar Pass Lodge was a popular retreat built in the 1920s. It provided entertainment for visitors and local residents, with cabins, restaurants, and a dance hall, which featured bandleaders like Lawrence Welk.
Ben Millard, owner of Cedar Pass Lodge, left the lodge and the land around you to the National Park Service. Millard Ridge, behind you, is named in his honor.
Erected by Badlands National Park, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Entertainment • Native Americans • Parks & Recreational Areas • Settlements & Settlers.
Location.
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Cliff Shelf Nature Trail (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Mako sica (approx. 0.9 miles away); Anatomy of a Badland (approx. 0.9 miles away); Saddle Pass Trail (approx. 2.3 miles away); The Badlands Wall (approx. 2.7 miles away); Bands of Time (approx. 3.9 miles away); What a Find! (approx. 3.9 miles away); Under the Sea (approx. 3.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Interior.
Photographed By Ruth VanSteenwyk, July 15, 2019
2. Badlands Oasis Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on July 26, 2019. It was originally submitted on July 25, 2019, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. This page has been viewed 233 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 25, 2019, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
