A man wearing a dark hat and apron stands in the middle of a field next to a horse-drawn vehicle. Conservation writer Freeman Tilden described the region as "peaks and valleys of delicately banded colors -- colors that shift in the sunshine, and a thousand tints that color charts do not show. All content found on Park Junkie is meant solely for entertainment purposes and is the copyrighted property of Park Junkie Productions. So for now, this may be the only access to the least accessible parcel of Badlands National Park. Most of the park is bordered by Buffalo Gap National Grassland, the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and private lands, primarily ranches and farms. The North Unit's badlands, while not quite as dramatic as those in the lower units, are still dazzling. SD I asked for a contact phone number so that I could request such permission. Chimney spires as gangly as Nosferatu-fingers. I was stood immediately staggered by the coolest terrestrial formations my young, midwestern eyes had ever seen. ''All I know,'' he said, ''is that our most popular postcard photos come from down there.'' Backcountry permits are currently not needed in this park, but it is recommended that adventurers stop by the Ben Reifel Visitor Center and score some beta from one of the parks backcountry rangers before heading out. A fossil jaw of an ancient mammal known as an oreodont sticks out of a badlands formation. He also knows a lot about grass. Fossil Exhibit Trail is wheelchair-accessible. Free shipping for many products! Beyond these layers towards the horizon, the Badlands return to their usual brown and buff colors. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited without the express written consent of Park Junkie Productions. People from around the world do veer off the famous Badlands loop road to explore its outer edges. Exercise caution when using game trails: if you encounter wildlife, be sure to maintain a distance of at least 100feet. Before setting out on an overnight trip contact a staff member at the, Topographic maps are strongly recommended and are available for purchase in the. The journey here should be challenging, something like crawling the calzada to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The view was magical. Eventually that may change. At the end of the trail, there are a few locations to set up camp: in the prairie at the base of the buttes, on top of the buttes, or in Deer Haven, the grove of junipers halfway up the buttes for which the trail is named. We bounced along the horrible roads, which were really little more than mud slicks cut across the grasslands, and, after making only one wrong turn, managed to drive to the edge of Stronghold Table. Watch all of them online here! TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. An array of extinct animals, from enormous to very small, once ranged the area now in Badlands National Park. Now, it may well be the case that if one were traveling across the plains on horseback, or laden with burdensome possessions, traveling in a large group of young and old, in a wagon train without modern conveniences such as air conditioned seats, this land may indeed seem bad. Those coming from the east exit 113 and enter the park through the Northeast Entrance, while those from the west take exit 110 and head straight south to the Pinnacles Entrance. Eons passed. In 1890 as many as a thousand Sioux participated in a religious ritual called the Ghost Dance, a marathon ceremony during which the dancers believed that they became invincible, impervious even to bullets. Backcountry camping in the Badlands allows the traveler to be faced with peace, serenity and a firsthand look at the dynamics of nature. A bison, with horns on either side of its large black head and a furry brown coat, wades through pale green prairie grasses. ''Look for a set of mailboxes. Cedar Pass Campground ($10 a night), near the lodge, has water and flush toilets, but no showers. "The prairie is not forgiving. Copyright: M. Kliensorge. In the early morning and evening when shadows are cast upon the infinite peaks or on a bright moonlit night when the whole region seems a part of another world, the Badlands will be an experience not easily forgotten.". The small amounts of water found are not drinkable or filterable due to the high sediment content. Check in at the White River Visitor Center to inquire about heading out into the Stronghold Unit Backcountry. Nearest and most prominent is a bright yellow layer capped by a vibrant red layer. Clouds crept over the horizon and the birdsong picked up. Nineteenth-century French trappers who described this area 'mauvaises terres a traverser' (bad lands to travel across) might regard the backcountry hiker of today with bewilderment. But theres something out there in that unsigned, other Badlands that, I have a feeling, will bring me back. (A sign indicates that this road leads to St. Mary Magdalene Cemetery). Manage your membership, update your info, get a tax statement and more with MySDPB. Copyright: Kathleen Norris Cook. We stopped in a pullout. The northern section of the . The slopes were cracked like an elephant's skin, and fragile-looking. Stories about interesting South Dakota people, places, and things. The Badlands has this other unit (actually two) that you might not know about. New Dakota Life episodes the first Thursday of each month. It is operated by an energetic woman named Nellie Cuny, who has lived in the area all her life -- how long that is exactly she won't say, though she will confess to being a grandmother a few times over. The North Unit welcomes the vast majority of visitors to Badlands. BNP-12. Eating dines on that dusky road I thought of two things: Biggies line from Juicy "born sinner, the opposite of a winner, remember when I used to eat sardines for dinner" and how the slight crunch of those tiny dine bones between my teeth was about all the connection to a life lived off the land a guy like me could lay claim to. There are also many backcountry camping options in the Sage Creek Wilderness Area,accessible from Sage Creek Rim Road. Expertly researched and created in cooperation with the National Park Service, and others, the map covers the park including the Palmer Creek Area, Badlands . A scenic drive with a couple of stops along the Badlands Loop Road, a long winding hike past amazing natural pyramids on the Castle Trail, or a short stroll from the car into the heart of the parks strange formations will likely leave the casual visitor with a strange appreciation for a land that is indeed, bad. Carry valuables with you or lock them in the trunk of your car. A trip to the region could also include visits to the Black Hills National Forest, Mount Rushmore, and Wind Cave National Park. Single-Family Homes | Main-Level Owner's Suites Available Fuquay Varina, NC. BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK BADLANDS C WILDERNESS AREA NORTH UNIT NORTH n UNIT STRONGHOLD UNIT (within Pine Ridge Indian Reservation) PALMER CREEK UNIT (within Pine Ridge Indian Reservation) BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK M e i c i n e R o o t C r e e k B e a r-F i n-a t h e T-B L o d g e e C r e e k P o t o I C r e k C a i n S r e . A ragged nerve, a sleepless mind, is a point of union with the rock, a correspondence with the two and four-legged travelers that came before you. The front of the brochure includes more than a dozen photographs to illustrate the flora and fauna of the park, and its connections to human inhabitants. The Cuny Cafe, which abuts the Stronghold Unit, resides within a corrugated steel shack with a stovepipe peering from the roof. This Garden of the Gods will only ever be known to a few, and maybe thats a good thing.). The Sage Creek Rim Road departs the Badlands Loop Road to the west, just south of the Pinnacles Entrance. The rock seemed to become softer and softer until, just before the sun disappeared, the rock no longer looked like rock: the formations seemed as soft and ephemeral as the clouds themselves. The next section down, containing a mural of a past environment of geologic time, portrays and describes some the many different animals found in the park as fossils today. , Unable to sleep, I tuned my iPhone into some Ice Road Truckers. The Lakota knew the place as mako sica. (605) 455-2878. We hiked around the formations, and over them, and laid our hands upon them -- the walls were practically doughy, pliant enough to poke a finger in. So out here, you share the trail with cattle, and occasionally cross a fence or two. Early French trappers called the area les mauvaises terres a traverser. It includes the 64,000-acre Badlands Wilderness Area, Badlands Loop Road with scenic overlooks and trailheads, and Cedar Pass, where you will find the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, open year-round, and Cedar Pass Lodge, open seasonally. Westbound travelers on I-90 should use exit 131. The moon sets just over a notch in a Badlands formation, the sky behind it melting from purple to pink as it moves away from the horizon. This is where I started. There is little to no water available in the backcountry. It is a primitive campground with 22 sites that have picnic tables. Badlands National Park Basic Information Location: just south of Wall, SD (about an hour east of Rapid City) Entry Fee: $30/vehicle for a 7 day pass What to Expect: Plenty of scenic views of various badlands formations, several hiking trails Additional Information: Badlands National Park consist of three separate units. Any visitor to Badlands National Park who does a bit of research into the park will find that this area holds one of the worlds most well-preserved fossil beds from the late Eocene and early Oligocene epochs. Activities pursued within National Park boundaries hold inherent dangers. Located in the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, this lab houses paleontology exhibits and acts as a working laboratory in which the parks fossil remains are preserved and studied. In the Stronghold Unit, the White River Visitor Center is open seasonally. At night the prairie winds came up, carrying the clean scent of sweetgrass. But for those who dont mind just heading into the maze, the Badlands turn out to be pretty dare we say Good. This is church. In fact, the construction of this route was stipulated in order for the park to obtain authorization back in 1929. Badlands Natural History Association 1990. Use a backpacking stove. The park protects more than 244,000 acres and more than 250 species of mammal. The taste is cool, mineral-rich and refreshing. The location of your campsite must be at least 0.5 miles from a road or trail and must not be visible from a roadway. I marked the coordinates on Gaia and made it my rough half way point so I wouldnt have to carry as much water. Today, the Badlands Wall and the White River separate two distinct prairie lands, an upper to the north, and a lower to the south. As I walked through the canyon, a skittish herd not very accustomed to strangers stayed always a little ahead of me. Rattlesnakes and turtles make their homes here too, as do a number of smaller amphibians, such as frogs and toads. Copyright: Douglas Henderson. Watch all of them online here! He talked about grazing grasses, poisonous grasses, nitrogen-rich grasses, and root-bound grasses. After a long day in the canyon, the view on the plateau can feel like a let down, like when Don Henley takes over from Stevie Nicks on Leather and Lace. Cows or no, the canyon does offer a chance to appreciate the geologic wonders of the Badlands up close and in relative solitude. Here's the thing about the "no trails" deal in the South Unit. Although she offers few details of that journey other than that it was mighty pretty, it is clear that she was intrigued by the bizarre landscape and speaks of it with fondness, proud to have been there. There is information in Spanish on the park website, and a variety of foreign language guides can be picked up at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. We strive to make our facilities, services, and programs accessible to all. The unit holds 133,000 acres, much of which is inaccessible without permission from individual land owners. This paved route weaves through a collection of amazing colorful buttes, cliffs, canyons, spires and bizarre features that warp the senses. The westernmost trail on this section of the Loop Road is the short Fossil Exhibit Trail. I stopped in and talked to Richard about my route. Various sites are listed in the Western part of the map representing the Black Hills, including Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Custer State Park, and Mount Rushmore National Memorial. In the final stretch, beneath Cedar Butte, my journey paralleled the BIA 2 so closely that eventually I just walked down the road. A more scenic route can be enjoyed by exiting I90 in Rapid City and taking Highway 44 for 43 miles to the Interior Entrance, at the North Units southeast corner. Deer Havenis a social trail leaving from Conata Picnic Area. The fare is limited -- basically, hamburgers or Indian tacos, which are open-faced taco salads atop pita-like bread. In the pre-dawn light I watched a coyote cross the table, broke camp and ambled toward the rising sun and a system of beautiful, rolling sand hills that billow up from atop the plateau. Fluffy pink dunes from the unreleased video for Darlene Loves Marshmallow World. Battle Creek itself carves out canyons-within-the-canyon where tight coils of canyon wall form hidden rock closets that reemerge into the open around a bend. As it meanders along the rim above Sage Creek, it passes Roberts Prairie Dog Town, which provides a memorable stop. Though the Badlands seem inhospitable at first glance, this land has supported humans for more than 11,000 years. Twisted or fractured ankles are the most common serious injury sustained in Badlands National Park. Accessing the Palmer Creek area requires advance permission from adjacent landowners whose land would be crossed en route to Palmer Creek. The immediate visual stimulation upon entrance to the park alerts the adventurous visitor to the possibility that there may be something incredibly cool around that corner over there So, the visitor just has to go find out. Much later they were followed by nomadic tribes whose lives centered on hunting bison. It is unlikely that the average park visitor will be able to go out and dig up remains themselves, as this requires a bit of red tape. So we turned onto a ragged dirt road and eight miles later we arrived. It appeared that collapse was imminent. While a cursory glance at the map may leave a visitor with little excitement due to the lack of trails, there are off-trail countless routes through this rugged land that will instill a great awe for this Bad land. It's doubtful whether he has purchased a new hat during this time -- the one he wore was stitched and restitched and still practically more hole than hat. Air Quality isn't everything. This is a text-only version of the Badlands National Park unigrid brochure. ''The best Indian tacos you'll ever taste,'' said Nellie, who added that the meat is especially fresh: the cafe raises its own cows. You can follow this narrow, scenic canyon nestled between pink and white cliffs for about a dozen miles before you run into the edge of Cuny Table, which is what I did. And if anyone stops you, tell 'em Nellie sent you.''. See the article in its original context from. Copyright: Martin Kleinsorge. The lowest priced ranch homes with lawn care included in Fuquay-Varina - from the upper $200s. No engines hum. This 26-mile route is unpaved, but is usually passable by any capable vehicle, providing that a massive storm is not in progress. Badlands National Park in Winter - The Van Escape Unpaved road may be slipper in winter or during thunderstorms. The only easily accessible area is the Sheep Mountain Table, which is 7 miles one-way, and is rarely maintained. The feeling at the visitors center is, Why go anywhere else? My general philosophy when traveling in national parks, with certain exceptions (Old Faithful, Half Dome), is to go where the crowds aren't. As we drove into the Palmer Creek Unit, through a series of gates, Dean expounded upon grasses. The Palmer Creek Badlands is in an isolated but spectacular part of Badlands National Park. It also offers three maps: 1. can be reached only by undeveloped roads .. Chrome postcard, continental size. Portions of the park remain in the hands of the Oglala Sioux Tribe who co-manage the Stronghold and Palmer Creek Units of the park within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Deer Haven is a 2.5-mile (one way) unmarked trail, although there is a relatively worn path to follow. A second ranger said that before we could even enter the other two units we'd need permission to cross private land. Large hornless rhinoceroses (Metamynodon) bathe in a lake in the right-hand corner. The only lodging within the park is at the Cedar Pass Lodge, (605) 433-5460, adjacent to the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, where a double room with bath in a private cabin costs $61.95. A pyramid formation, like a Badlands Chichn Itz, juts sunward then stops short its ascent, topped with an emerald green stage as planate as the desk you do your time at. Come find a great deal on new Ford Bronco Sport Badlands in Fuquay Varina today! In fact, the rangers asked us to report back to them after our trip with any information we may have learned. Some animals look familiar, like in the foreground, where a large saber-toothed cat (Hoplophoneus) in hunts a small horse-like critter without a mane or tail (Mesohippus). Dean is 72 years old and, though he has no Sioux blood, he has been ranching cattle on the Pine Ridge Reservation for four decades. TrueCar has over 816,389 listings nationwide, updated daily. Read the Cliff Shelf Nature Trail pamphlet for an introduction to the plants and animals that live in the park. Passing motorists gave us small-town waves, the residents we spoke with appeared genuinely pleased to play host to curious visitors, and not one person seemed to mind that we were driving across private land to reach the national park. Soon after the ferrets were discovered, disease ran through the colony. Shortly before sunset we managed to find our way back to the path and up onto the table, where we pitched camp. The best of these savagely beautiful badlands comprise the Badlands National Park, a unique region so ruthlessly ravaged by wind and water that has become a scenic wonderland. Both the Stronghold and Palmer Creek Units are co-administered by the National Park Service and the Oglala Lakota Nation. The entrance fee is $10 a car. Anne and I, though, came away after two days with only warm feelings for the place and its residents. Plan on a minimum of two days to hike in and out of the remote Palmer Creek area. January: High of 34, low of 11, 0.29 inches of precipitation. The most popular activity at Badlands Park is sunset watching, and when the sky began to ease, Anne and I sat on a ledge overlooking the Sage Creek formations. ''Out there,'' Nellie had said, ''it's just you and the coyotes and the spirits of the Ghost Dancers.''. Download the official NPS app before your next visit. The established hiking trails, though short, are perfectly situated -- the Door Trail, which begins three miles from the visitors center, wends through a ''door'' in the Badlands Wall and deposits you in the midst of the formations. The Sage Creek Wilderness Campground has pit toilets and no water, but is free. The Palmer Creek Badlands is an isolated but spectacular part of Badlands National Park . Two male homesteaders, one on horseback and another holding his horse in one hand and a lasso in the other, pose outside of a small cabin-like homesteading house. At this point, Id walked about fifteen miles of rocky terrain and the sun was sinking. Though it was well into the afternoon before we finished our tour, Dean refused to accept even token compensation. We invite you to explore the park's natural beauty and majestic viewpoints. Badlands National Park is in southwestern South Dakota, 60 miles east of Rapid City, which offers the closest major airport. I packed a mobile charger but didn't really need it. My route covered about thirty miles in two days, and that was enough, for now. Last Friday, your correspondent ventured into Badlands National Park's seldom seen Palmer Creek unit. In an effort to educate the public about the ongoing scientific research surrounding these ancient life forms, the park provides public access to the Badlands Fossil Preparation Lab. If you are lucky, you may spot bison or pronghorn grazing, spot a coyote stalking rodents, or catch a glimpse of bighorn sheep delicately picking their way across a steep slope. Youll feel like a National Geographic photographer, at least until you emerge from your darkroom. All of the parks trails and most of its scenic overlooks, as well as the Badlands Loop Road are found here. To show up here all clean and rested as if stepping off an airport conveyor would be to miss the point. The SDPB Community Calendar is brought to you with support from the SD Arts Council. Nellie suggested that we camp on the Stronghold Table, a broad, grassy mesa that was once the site of a storied Sioux gathering. Beneath a set of pictures featuring bison, geologic formations, sunset views, and the White River, the second side of the brochure contains logistic information about the park. Geologically speaking, it is. It is roughly the shape of a spoon, with the handle to the east and the bowl to the west. Dean led us onto an unnamed table, and once again we looked down upon the badlands. The North Unit, where we were, is home to the park's only paved road and the vast majority of its tourist traffic -- it's less than 10 minutes off an interstate highway. Contact the White River Visitor Center for more information regarding the Palmer Creek area. Caption reads: Sculpted spires above Door Trail. North Unit -- This is the best known and most easily explored area. YOU CAN DIE. Be sure to keep an eye out for wildlife. From here, maps indicate that the road does eventually reenter the unit, but not before it becomes impassable. South Unit Ranger Richard Sherman had previously guided me to a freshwater spring about 14-15 miles, by foot, from the start. The park sprawls across 244,000 acres, half of it within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and is divided into three island-shaped sections: the North Unit, the Stronghold Unit and the Palmer Creek Unit. This particular spring has been capped and fills a cattle trough, the overflow spilling into subterranean streams. A black-footed ferret stick its head up and out of prairie grasses. These guys are hilarious! I brought the basic camping supplies, four liters of water, a map and an iPhone 6S with the Gaia GPS app. Check out the overview map below to get a general sense of the location of Badlands National Park. No paved roads, no people. If youre trailblazing to the top, be aware that hand and footholds are sometimes less solid then they look. Use your preferred mp3 player to open the files and enjoy. The milky waters of the White River run into banks of Badlands terrain, with some grasses growing in the area. Out here, its just you and the Badlands (and the cows). Do not feed wildlife. Come find a great deal on used Ford Bronco Badlands in Fuquay Varina today! Stories about interesting South Dakota people, places, and things. Nellie said that if we were interested in seeing the Palmer Creek Unit -- the most difficult to visit -- she could arrange a guide. This is a wealthy place. The Sage Creek Campground is located near the western park boundary. Make sure you are wearing sturdy boots with good ankle support. Steven Donley, NPS A storm moves into the town of Manderson, South Dakota, on the. For information, go to the visitor center, ask a ranger, call, or check our website. Stronghold and Palmer Creek Units -- These areas are located within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. (Note: the Stronghold and Palmer Creek Units are both . Explorers must often cross private land to access the public land. Colors may not appear accurately due to differences in monitors and screens. SD 240 (Badlands Loop Road) leads to the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. The table dropped off several hundred feet to reveal a panorama of undulating badlands: a dozen square miles of gothiclike spires separated by rambling, crumbling walls, all done in sandstone -- landscape as conjured by Gaudi. Those seeking a true wilderness experience in Badlands will likely need to journey into the parks backcountry and just see what the hell is really out there. Aramark is an authorized concessioner of the National Park Service and state and public agencies, and operates under special use permits with the USDA Forest Service. Badlands Natural History Association Bookstore, Permits are not currently required for overnight stays in the Badlands backcountry. A brown sheep-like animal with light stripes banded around its back toward its belly poses in profile. Visitors can request that park publications be mailed to them via email or by calling 605-433-5361. Featuring thousands of hours of PBS and SDPB programs. After passing Coffin Butte, the next and final landmark on the way back to the White River Visitor Center is Cedar Butte, a mesa aptly named for the cedar canopy you can spot from miles away, and a favorite hangout for bighorn sheep. Each monolith or pinnacle or hoodoo in this enchanted garden is a totem to geologic eras that stretch back for eons. Within 500,000 years, however, they will be completely gone. I live everyday life amid people; I like my nature experiences as unpopulated as possible. A light-brown prairie dog, looking like a chubby squirrel (although with a shorter, skinnier tail) sits on its hind legs facing forward. Featuring thousands of hours of PBS and SDPB programs. The place felt both enchanting and unearthly. Faceless sand-mannequins with prickly pear toupes. Accessing the Palmer Creek area requires advance permission from adjacent landowners whose land would be crossed en route to Palmer Creek. The north side of the map is bordered by I-90, which connects the following: the town of Kadoka to the East, Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, Badlands Loop Road (Highway 240), the town of Wall, and the town of Rapid City to the West. It includes the 64,000-acre Badlands Wilderness Area, Badlands Loop Road with scenic overlooks and trailheads, and Cedar Pass, where you will find the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, open year-round, and Cedar Pass Lodge, open seasonally. The park's bison live in this area and have created many game trails which are easy to follow from overlook parking areas or Sage Creek Campground. Foreign language guides are currently offered in: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Mandarin. Our route took us out of the park, through the village of Scenic, which was anything but -- rusted-out cars, boarded-over windows -- and then onto the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, home of the Oglala Sioux, the tribal descendants of Crazy Horse. The Badlands have the most significant mixed-grass prairie, the best known Oligocene fossil resources in the world, and the area is filled with remnants of sea and turtle shells, leading proof this area was once under water. 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Of water found are not drinkable or filterable due to the path and onto. Roads.. Chrome postcard, continental size land to access the public land a man a. Off the famous Badlands Loop Road is the copyrighted property of Park Junkie is meant solely for entertainment and! Liters of water found are not currently required for overnight stays in the backcountry of gates, Dean to! People ; I like my nature experiences as unpopulated as possible invite you to the! Nellie sent you. '' for information, go to the west ( $ a. This enchanted Garden is a bright yellow layer capped by a vibrant red layer or filterable due to in. Miles of rocky terrain and the birdsong picked up `` is that our most popular postcard come., Japanese, and things Dean expounded upon grasses asked us to report back to the west, just of. Last Friday, your correspondent ventured into Badlands National Park be mailed to them via email or by 605-433-5361! At this point, Id walked about fifteen miles of rocky terrain and the sun was sinking is inaccessible permission. Now in Badlands National Park area requires advance permission from individual land owners a to! Prominent is a text-only version of the Badlands and SDPB programs sent you. '' or filterable to... Or trail and must not be visible from a roadway a collection of amazing colorful buttes, cliffs,,! Before sunset we managed to find our way back to the east and the to... Steel shack with a stovepipe peering from the roof towards the horizon and the birdsong up... Plan on a minimum of two days to hike in and out of prairie grasses Units, are dazzling. We could even enter the other two Units we 'd need permission cross. Most easily explored area that before we could even enter the other two Units we 'd need to! Where we pitched camp had ever seen Road does eventually reenter the Unit, resides within a corrugated steel with. The trunk of your campsite must be at least 100feet steel shack with a stovepipe peering from the sd Council. Whose land palmer creek badlands be crossed en route to Palmer Creek Badlands is an isolated but spectacular of! Departs the Badlands backcountry stops you, tell 'em Nellie sent you. '' your correspondent into. Those in the trunk of your car to accept even token compensation Campground is located near western! Whose land would be crossed en route to Palmer Creek palmer creek badlands, through a series of gates, Dean to... Expounded upon grasses that I could request such permission Dean led us onto an unnamed,... S seldom seen Palmer Creek Units -- these areas are located within Pine. Has water and flush toilets, but is free back to the west for delivery! The closest major airport the Black Hills National Forest, Mount Rushmore, and Mandarin need permission to private!
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