The Lakota people were the first to call them the "Badlands." And for good reason! This area of South Dakota is hot, dry and inhospitable. Steep slopes and loose sand makes walking difficult. When it does rain sand quickly becomes mud. The canyons funnel rainwater into raging and dangerous rivers. Throughout the year there's lots of wind that blows away dirt. But this has an upside, there are always new fossils appearing.