

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. Enjoy breathtaking aerial views and amazing tours with park rangers. Discover the wonder and awe of these contrasting spectacles of the West, one soaring, rich in forest and water and other barren and deeply eroded, which are brought to together by a shared geology and history. They are the Gateway to the Great American West. They are the Black Hills and the Badlands.
Cinematography
Drone shots before drones were basic. Pure 2012 ambition.
Production
Park rangers out-act most Netflix stars. Government employee charisma.
Director
Ron Meyer
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The Black Hills are Paha Sapa to the Lakota—sacred land never legally sold, only seized. The documentary's gentle treatment of this theft is... diplomatic.
Director Ron Meyer made roughly forty of these National Parks docs. This is his 'middle period.' Respect the grind.
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