Nestled in the heart of America s great plains are contrasting tastes of a sacred land that beckons the visitor to enter the nation's mysterious and glorious West. A land of soaring pinnacles, deep canyons, hidden caves, national monuments and countless wildlife sanctuaries. It is also the place of the inglorious death of famed gunslinger, Wild Bill Hickok and the most sacred spot for the Lakota Sioux.
These contrasting tastes of the West, one soaring, rich in forests and water and the other barren and deeply eroded, are brought together by a shared geology and history. They are the Gateway to the Great American West. They are the Black Hills and the Badlands.

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3631 in DVD
• Released on: 2012-01-10
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Running time: 75 minutes

Most helpful customer reviews

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
Pleasantly surprised
By SonoraDick
It has been about thirty years since I visited this region & my only memories are the few photos I can still find. I thought that for the then asking-price of $6, I'd give this video a shot.

It's a very basic package. No liner notes; the disc is divided into just four chapters with no extra features. They are: 1) The Beauty 2) Geology 3) Ecosystems 4) History and Parks. My machine times the program at 69 rather than the 75 minutes listed in the description.

There is some stunning videography here, particularly in the Badlands. Dialogue is mostly narration by a male, with quiet background music, as well as a few comments by a local resident and park rangers. I found all chapters interesting.

Just a few personal nitpicks caused me to deduct one star... I thought too much time was devoted to a section showing fossils collected in the area, as well as to the shooting death of Wild Bill Hickok. Wind Cave National Park in the Black Hills is barely mentioned; however there is a good section covering neighboring Jewel Cave National Monument. I would have liked to have seen information about hiking and other outdoor opportunities, but that information is easily available elsewhere. This is definitely a natural and human history program, not a travelogue.

For the price, I consider this a good bargain. Very satisfied!