This is the largest region of the Great Plains. Located between the Llanos Estacado ("Staked Plains") of western Texas and the southern section of Nebraska, the High Plains region is characterized by thick layers of sedimentary rock and a thin layer of topsoil. There are also a number of deep valleys and river beds that run throughout the region. The Ogallala Aquifer is located within this region and is a type of underground lake said to to hold as much water as Lake Huron. Residents of the High Plains use this aquifer as an irrigation source for agriculture.
One of the most iconic Great Plains areas, the Badlands, features a number of stunning rock towers and cliffs that have made the area almost a legendary part of American Midwest culture. It has inspired musicians, photographers and film-makers with its desolate, visually stunning landscapes. The rock formations are made mostly from sedimentary rock, and the area has little vegetation and very high temperatures during the day.
This area is localized mostly in South Dakota, but also includes parts of Wyoming. On the outskirts of the Rocky Mountain Range, the area is filled with igneous and metamorphic rock formations. It is also home to one of the most prolific gold mines in the country. Mount Rushmore is also located within this Great Plains region.
Unlike the rock formations of the Black Hills region, the Sand Hills are made up of tiny sand particles deposited from the southern edge of an ancient glacier that has long since melted. The region is located almost entirely in Nebraska and it is one of the largest sand dune areas in the Western Hemisphere. Today, these sand dunes are mostly covered by large grasses.
The Red River Valley reaches into Canada and makes up parts of North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota and is also known as the Lake Agassiz Basin. This lake was once the largest body of fresh water in North America, bigger than all of the Great Lakes combined. However, as glaciers damming the Red River melted, the lake water escaped; the region is now a dried lake-bed that is full of alluvial soils. The area is home to some of the most productive wheat farms in the country.
