With a one-sentence ruling the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has refused to consider the helicopter industry's challenge to commercial overflight bans at Badlands National Park and Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

One could be forgiven for thinking this is a national park you can see in an hour or so then move on along to the next big thing, because you can see so much from the road. To really get a feel for Badlands, however, you should spend at least a couple of days, if not more. This is especially true if you are a photographer loaded with cameras and gear.

Badlands National Park in South Dakota is a treasure trove of fossils. Walk in any direction and you may find a fossil bone shard or tooth or seed or even a dung beetle ball (yes, seriously). If you are really lucky, you might even discover a fossil skull. But, how do you identify fossils out there when everything looks the same? And what should you do with that fossil find?

Thinking of a trip to Badlands National Park in South Dakota? Want to lodge in-park? Check out the Cedar Pass Lodge cabins. Traveler contributing photographer and writer Rebecca Latson did just that and reports on her stay.