Amber Cossio photography

Devil's Tower National Monument is America's first national monument, and Badlands National Park actually began as a national monument itself; in 1978 Badlands was officially designated a national park. At almost 250,000 acres, Badlands NP is home to one of the richest fossil beds in the world. Exploring both of these protected areas was truly awe-inspiring - from the cultural history that has been embedded at Devil's Tower to the reintroduction of endangered mammals at Badlands, both areas have so much to offer.