Bad River (South Dakota)

The North Fork Bad River rises in eastern Pennington County and flows 51 miles (82 km)[2] east-southeast to Philip, while the South Fork Bad River rises at the confluence of Whitewater Creek and Big Buffalo Creek in Jackson County, within the Buffalo Gap National Grassland, and flows 36 miles (58 km) northeast to Philip.

[2] The main stem of the Bad River flows east-northeast from Philip, passing Midland and Capa.

The Bad drainage basin is about 3,000 square miles (7,800 km2) and is located south of the Cheyenne River in the Pierre Hills and Southern Plateaus.

[3] The river basin is noted for deposits of manganese and fuller's earth.

[3] The name recalls an incident around the spring of 1738 when a flash flood on the Bad River inundated the camp of a north-traveling band, causing a large loss of life, including all their horses.