Badlands National Park just earned its International Dark Sky Park certification, and that’s reason enough to celebrate. But there’s so much more happening out there. In this episode, I sit down with Park Superintendent Eric Veach and Marissa Marshall, Executive Director of the Badlands National Park Conservancy, to dig into what makes this place so special. We talk about the park’s unique geology and deep natural history, the co-management partnership with nearby indigenous tribes, and what dark sky certification actually means for a park that boasts some of the darkest skies in the country. Marissa also shares details on the Conservancy’s ambitious new project to build an observatory at Badlands, plus how you can help make it happen. Oh, and yes, we talk about the bison, too. If you’ve ever wanted a reason to plan a trip to South Dakota, this episode is it.
LINKS FROM EPISODE 137:
- Subscribe to Night Sky Tourist: https://nightskytourist.com/
- 2026 Stargazing Guide (FREE download): https://nightskytourist.com/guide/
- Badlands National Park: https://www.nps.gov/badl/
- Badlands National Park Conservancy: https://badlandsconservancy.org/
- THE FILM- Connecting Across Time: https://www.badlandslegacy.org/
- Subpar Parks: America’s Most Extraordinary National Parks and Their Least Impressed Visitors: https://shorturl.at/nG0Xx (link to Bookshop.org)
- Episode 57: Badlands Observatory with Ron Dyvig & Teresa Hofer https://nightskytourist.com/57/
- Episode 36: Lakota Star Knowledge with Dr. Craig Howe: https://nightskytourist.com/36/
- Episode 108: Cedar Breaks National Monument with Matthias Schmitt: https://nightskytourist.com/108/
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