What the reviewers say is true: the 244,000-acre park in south-central South Dakota is underrated. Perhaps the park’s unwelcoming name scares people off to parks with more friendly nomenclature.

The Badlands got their name from the Lakota Nation, also known as the Sioux, due to their difficult and rugged terrain, which stretches about 244,000 acres along the southwest of South Dakota.

Visitors to South Dakota's Badlands National Park will have a new visitor center to learn about its history and cultural significance to the Oglala Sioux Tribe.

What the reviewers say is true: the 244,000-acre park in south-central South Dakota is underrated. Perhaps the park’s unwelcoming name scares people off to parks with more friendly nomenclature.