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All the United States Kansas Winona Little Jerusalem Badlands
AO Edited

Little Jerusalem Badlands

Once an ancient sea, this landscape of rocky ravines is filled with the fossils of ancient marine life.

Winona, Kansas

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Delanie Johnson
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Overlook of Little Jerusalem   showmestateofmind / Atlas Obscura User
  Ty Nigh / CC BY-SA 2.0
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Opened as an official Kansas state park in late 2019, Little Jerusalem Badlands was once a local secret.

The badlands are around three stories tall and were given the name because they create acres of alleyways and sandstone "buildings," similar to the look of Jerusalem. While visitors can't walk through the deep cuts of the badlands or climb, there is a more than two-mile out and back trail that provides up close and captivating views.

The park is comprised of 220 acres of Smoky Hill Chalk badlands. This is part of a larger geological deposit that is known to have exceptionally well-preserved marine reptiles. Long ago, this area was covered by a great sea. Some of the fossilized remains found here date back as far as 85 million years ago, and include giant clams and oysters.

Over the course of millions of years, the sea dried up and the long-buried chalk layer was exposed at the surface. Erosion from wind and water sculpted the landscape into the rocky ravines that you can see here today. Little Jerusalem is one of the best examples of badlands in Kansas. If you happen to be traveling along I-70, stretching your legs at Little Jerusalem is a must.

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Geology Fossils State Parks Rock Formations Natural Wonders

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showmestateofmind

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Osage, Michelle Cassidy, Sheabae

  • Osage
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • Sheabae

Published

May 26, 2022

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  • https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/places-we-protect/little-jerusalem-badlands-state-park/
Little Jerusalem Badlands
3101-3199 Gold
Winona, Kansas, 67764
United States
38.785801, -100.928033
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