Since it was first released in 1977, Star Wars has been a cultural phenomenon that has kept us going to the box office time and again to see just what happened a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. While the movies are obviously a work of fiction, their locations do resemble real life places, including this place in South Dakota that looks like something out of Star Wars:

Do you recognize this South Dakota landmark?
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No, it isn't Tatooine; it's the iconic Badlands National Park!
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Consisting of 242,756 acres of colorful buttes and pinnacles, Badlands National Park is truly a sight to behold, not only for its dramatic canyons but vibrant colors as well.
Flickr/Roderick Eime

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What gives the Badlands its beautiful colors? It's thanks to erosion, which has peeled away and revealed sedimentary layers of red and orange (iron oxides), white (volcanic ash), purple and yellow (shale), and gray and tan (gravel and sand).
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In addition to its appearance, the Badlands also boasts a colorful history, as the area was used for hunting by early Native Americans for some 11,000 years!
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And now for your side-by-side comparison of Badlands National Park...
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...and the desert planet of Tatooine.
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Sorry, we just couldn't resist!

Badlands National Park is open year round (minus Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day) and costs $20 per vehicle to enter. For more information, please visit the National Park Service’s website. You can learn even more about this amazing place by reading The One Secret You Need To Know Before Visiting South Dakota’s Badlands National Park!

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