Montana is full of unique, diverse, rugged beauty. Here, we can go on waterfall hikes, climb mountains, fish rivers and lakes, and cruise through the plains. But nothing quite compares to the vast Terry Badlands Wilderness Study Area. In fact, parts of this place even look otherworldly.

You’ll find the Terry Badlands near the tiny town of Terry in Prairie County.

Bureau of Land Management / Flickr To put things in perspective, this entire county has about 1,200 people in it, whereas the nearby Miles City has over 8,000.

Here you’ll find colorful, banded cliffs that lay sprawled across the land, overlooking the rolling prairie.

Bureau of Land Management / Flickr And while it’s beautiful, it’s definitely something you won’t see anywhere else in Montana.

The sandstone bridges, spires, and buttes are divided by deep gullies that were formed by thousands of years of wind and water erosion.

Bureau of Land Management / Flickr It’s pretty amazing that it took thousands of years to create this magical place.

Walk through the badlands long enough and you’re bound to see some wildlife – it’s everywhere here.

Wikipedia From raptors and reptiles to mule and whitetail deer, you’ll see all kinds of critters in the area.

The Terry Badlands are most often used for hiking, backcountry hunting, and collecting rocks and fossils.

Wikipedia When wildflowers are in season, you’ll see an abundance of them here along with sage, yucca, and juniper.

Take the Calypso Trail to the top of the summit, which offers perfect panoramic views.

Bureau of Land Management / Flickr You can catch the sunset here solo – in fact, you might not see another person the entire time you’re in the area.

The Terry Badlands Wilderness Study Area is an underrated treasure.

Bureau of Land Management / Flickr And when you need to be alone and spend some time in nature, you won’t find a better place than this one.

Have you been to the Terry Badlands before? Try to go in the summer to enjoy the scenery in the warm sunshine.

Bureau of Land Management / Flickr

To put things in perspective, this entire county has about 1,200 people in it, whereas the nearby Miles City has over 8,000.

And while it’s beautiful, it’s definitely something you won’t see anywhere else in Montana.

It’s pretty amazing that it took thousands of years to create this magical place.

Wikipedia

From raptors and reptiles to mule and whitetail deer, you’ll see all kinds of critters in the area.

When wildflowers are in season, you’ll see an abundance of them here along with sage, yucca, and juniper.

You can catch the sunset here solo – in fact, you might not see another person the entire time you’re in the area.

And when you need to be alone and spend some time in nature, you won’t find a better place than this one.

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Address: Terry Badlands, Montana 59349, USA