In the age of social media, every moment can become content, the mundane can be edited to appear magical, and branding extends to even the most ordinary aspects of life. As Don Draper tells us, 'make it simple but significant'—across all facets of consumption, even public spaces and parks, hype inflates our expectations, pre-packaging narratives for our experiences. The Badlands, where bisons and bighorns wander among the legacies of Custer's expansion and Big Foot's resistance, is rarely mentioned in travel media, and not given its due place in America's visitor brochures. Yet, in an irony of life, its neglect is its greatest asset. Spend a day at each of its protected parks, and experience another world without joining NASA. Here, unbranded magic awaits in a quiet solitude of a world that is your own.

Badlands National Park & Custer State Park