Badlands National Park

Nestled in the rugged southwestern South Dakota, Badlands National Park offers a striking landscape of stark beauty and dramatic contrasts. Renowned for its unique geological formations, the park encompasses a sprawling wilderness of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles, and spires blended with the largest undisturbed mixed grass prairie in the United States. 

Here, visitors can explore the remnants of a long-past era where ancient mammals once roamed, and today, where bison, bighorn sheep, and prairie dogs continue to thrive. As we explore what makes Badlands National Park a must-visit destination, prepare to discover a world where science, history, and wild beauty converge in an unforgettable landscape.

Being from the East Coast, South Dakota was never really a place we felt we needed to visit. Besides Mount Rushmore what was really in South Dakota? Well, we were surprised by the many places South Dakota has to offer and we already plan on going back in the future.

We didn’t plan much time in South Dakota but explored Badlands National Park, in addition to Mount Rushmore and Custer State Park. We allowed a day for the Badlands and it was enough to see everything we wanted.

Badlands National Park Information

Badlands National Park consists of 244,000 acres and was originally established as a national monument in 1939 and later became a national park in 1978. The 27-mile main road going through the park is the Badlands Loop Road (Hwy 240). There is a $30, 7-day national park fee to enter for cars and $25 for motorcycles. All national park passes are accepted here.

The park is divided into two main sections, the North Unit, which is the area where most people visit, and the Stronghold Unit located in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The Badlands Wilderness Area, located within the North Unit, covers 64,250 acres and is the home to the bison. This herd of 50 bison was moved from Theodore Roosevelt National Park in the 1960s and in the 1980s additional 20 were moved from the Colorado National Monument. Today’s herd averages 1200 bison in this area.

Park Overlooks

Discover the breathtaking landscape of rock formations and native grasslands along your drive. There are many places to stop along the way to get a close-up look at these formations with the stunning colors they offer. Below we detail some of the overlooks but we stopped at all of them to take in the view.

Big Badlands Overlook

We entered from the northeast entrance which is right off Route 90. The first thing you see is Big Badlands Overlook and wow what a view. Since we didn’t get a chance to travel out west that offered, we were amazed at all the rock structures with all the different colors in them. We’re used to the east coast with mostly forest and green woods.

Ben Reifel Visitor Center

Our next stop was the Ben Reifel Visitor Center to get our map of the park and speak to a ranger about where we really should explore. It’s something we always do when visiting a national park for the first time. The rangers are super helpful in telling you about all the highlights within the park. They also offer ranger-led programs through the summer months. You can learn so much from them. It’s open year-round and has many exhibits of the park.

Be prepared for rapidly changing weather. Summer temperatures get extremely hot in the 100s with winter bringing below-freezing temperatures. We visited over Labor Day weekend and temperatures reached 103 degrees and the park was hazy because of wildfires in distant states.

Big Foot Pass Overlook

Wounded Knee is where Lakota Chief Big Foot journeyed with his tribe. The area is mostly flat rock formations. A parking area leads to two short-level walkways to separate vistas of the colorful canyons below. There are several picnic tables and restrooms at this overlook.

Panorama Point

Panorama Point is one of the many overlooks along the park’s scenic drive, Each of the overlooks has a little different perspective of the Badlands and this one offers a 180-degree panoramic view that is full of color. It’s a combination of the rock formations and the grasslands. When we were there all the grasslands were brown due to the lack of rain. We were told during spring there is some green in the Badlands.

Burns Basin Overlook

This is a spot where you want to stop if you are skipping some overlooks. The view is great and some trails lead from the overlook so that you can get a better perspective of this area.

Yellow Mounds Overlook

These mounds have colors of soft yellow, red, and purple in contrast to most of the Badland’s browns and gray.

Pinnacles Overlook

Probably the best stop along the route through the Badlands. It’s great to see pinnacles as far as the eye can see.

Other Scenic Overlooks

There are many other overlooks that you should stop at including:

• White River Valley Overlook
• Prairie Wind overlook
• Homestead Overlook
• Conata Basin Overlook
• Ancient Hunters Overlook
• Hay Butte Overlook

Badlands Wilderness Overlook

After you reach the Pinnacle Entrance to the park, Badlands Loop Road turns into an unpaved dirt road called Sage Creek Rim Road. This is where you enter the Badlands Wilderness area and where you will see American bison, prairie dogs, bighorn sheep, and pronghorn. Be sure to look for these animals that call this park home.

Please note: The area gets very dry and hot and the dirt road can become unpassable due to the dust that comes off the road when driving. We only stayed on this road for a short time because of this.

Roberts Prairie Dog Towns

On Sage Creek Road west of the Pinnacle Entrance of the park is an area where you can see prairie dogs. Prairie dogs live in prairie dog towns. There are hundreds of mounds where they live and you can see them running all around the mounds. As you can see from the above picture, they fade into the environment so you will have to look closely. We’ve never seen these cute, adorable animals before so it was a treat for us to experience them. There is a gift store there where you can buy peanuts to feed the prairie dogs. Kids will love doing this and you can even hear them bark.

Stronghold Unit & Pine Creek Sections of the Park

The lesser visited part of the park is the Stronghold Unit and Palmer Creek Unit. The White River Visitor Center is open only during the summer. Its a small center with restrooms and picnic tables and has Indian exhibits. Located in the Stronghold Unit, you can get there from Route 27. This section of the park has few roads and is within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The Palmer Creek section has no roads going through it. We didn’t visit this section of the park

Badlands National Park Hiking Trails

Castle Trail

Castle Trail is the longest trail in the park at 10 miles and the first trail you come across when entering from the northeast. This trail begins at the Door and Window parking lots and leads to the Fossil Exhibit Trail. It’s a flat easy trail through the Badlands rock formations.

Fossil Exhibit Trail

Fossil Trail is an easy .25-mile trail on a boardwalk with exhibits and fossils of creations that once were on this earth.

Door Trail

You hike to a break in the Badlands Wall to a view of the Badlands. This easy .75-mile trail is part boardwalk and part level dirt trail. It’s open after that and you can continue at your own risk.

Window Trail

Your easy .25-mile hike goes to a “natural window” in the Badlands Wall and has a view of the canyon.

Notch Trail

This trail is moderate to strenuous and goes through the canyon where you climb a ladder to “the notch” to a view of the White River Valley. This hike is not for you if you are afraid of heights.

Saddle Pass

This .25-mile difficult hike climbs up the Badlands Wall for a view of White River Valley.

Medicine Root Loop

This moderate 4-mile round trip hike allows you to explore the mixed-grass prairie with the rock formations of the Badlands in the distance. You can see cactus on this trail. You can get to this trail at the end of the Saddle Pass Trail or in the opposite direction from Old Northeast Road.

Cliff Shelf Nature

You walk the boardwalks along this .5 moderate trail then you climb stairs to reach the juniper forest by the Badlands Wall. You can sometimes view Big Horn Sheep here.

Visit the National Park Services website for more information on Badlands National Park.

Junior Ranger Program

The Junior Ranger Program at Badlands National Park is an engaging and educational way for children to learn about the park’s unique environment, wildlife, and cultural history.

To participate, children can pick up a free Junior Ranger booklet at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center or the White River Visitor Center within the park. The booklet contains activities suitable for various age groups, typically ranging from ages 5 to 13.  

The booklet includes a variety of activities such as scavenger hunts, observational tasks, quizzes, and games that teach about the geological formations, the native plants and animals, and the cultural history of the Badlands. The activities are designed to be both fun and educational, encouraging children to learn at their own pace.

After completing the required number of activities, the young explorers return their booklets to a visitor center. A park ranger reviews their work, and if they’ve completed the activities satisfactorily, they are sworn in as Junior Rangers and receive an official Badlands National Park Junior Ranger badge.

Lodging in the Area

Cedar Pass Lodge

Cedar Pass Lodge offers a comfortable and scenic accommodation option for visitors to Badlands National Park, offering spectacular views of the park’s distinctive geological formations. It’s close to the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, making it a central base for exploring the park.

The lodge features cabin-style accommodations that blend rustic charm with modern amenities. These cabins are designed to be environmentally friendly, featuring sustainable materials and energy-efficient technologies.

Each cabin at Cedar Pass Lodge is equipped with air conditioning, private bathrooms, and coffee makers. While the cabins do not have televisions or radios, this encourages guests to disconnect and immerse themselves in the natural beauty surrounding them.

The lodge operates a restaurant that serves meals throughout the day, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The menu includes local favorites and dishes prepared with regional ingredients, giving guests a taste of South Dakota’s culinary offerings.

Cedar Pass Lodge operates seasonally, typically from April to October, aligning with the peak visitor seasons for the park. Reservations are recommended, especially during the peak summer months, as the lodge can fill up quickly.

Cedar Pass Campground

Cedar Pass Campground is within walking distance of the lodge. Opened from the beginning of April to the end of October, they offer dry tent camping and RV campsites with electricity only. All sites have a covered picnic table and restrooms and showers are available for your convenience. The Badlands don’t allow fires. Cooking with propane only.

Cedar Pass Campground is located near the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, making it more centrally located within the park compared to Sage Creek. It’s easily accessible by paved roads. Unlike Sage Creek, Cedar Pass offers more developed camping facilities, making it suitable for both tents and RVs.  The campground provides flush toilets, and running water, and each campsite has a picnic table and a fire ring. There are no electrical hookups in the individual campsites, but RV dump stations are available.

Cedar Pass Campground charges a camping fee, and reservations are recommended, especially during the peak season from May to September. You can make reservations online, which helps secure a spot during busy times.  The campground offers stunning views of the Badlands formations, particularly at sunrise and sunset. The more developed nature of the campground means it’s less likely you’ll have wildlife wandering through the camp, but the surrounding areas are still rich in wildlife and scenic beauty.

Sage Creek Campground

Sage Creek Campground is located on the west side of Badlands National Park, accessible via Sage Creek Rim Road, an unpaved road that can be rough but is passable for most vehicles under normal conditions.

It’s a primitive campground, meaning there are limited facilities. You won’t find any electric hookups, running water, or RV hookups here. Despite its primitive nature, the campground does offer pit toilets and covered picnic tables. There is no potable water available, so you’ll need to bring all the water you’ll need for drinking, cooking, and washing.

Camping at Sage Creek Campground is free and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. No reservations can be made. The area is known for its scenic views and abundant wildlife, including bison that often roam near (or even through) the campground. Visitors need to maintain a safe distance from wildlife.

Wall, South Dakota

Near the Pinnacles Entrance of the park is the town of Wall South Dakota. Wall Drug is a tourist attraction with shopping, souvenirs, restaurants, and crazy exhibits. It’s a famous landmark off Route 90 in Wall. There are several hotels and restaurants for your convenience. We stayed in Wall where most people stay when visiting the Badlands.

Wall Drug Store, often simply known as Wall Drug, is a famous roadside attraction located in the small town of Wall, South Dakota, just a few miles north of the Badlands National Park.

Wall Drug started as a small drug store in 1931. During the Great Depression, the owners, Ted and Dorothy Hustead, bought the store and struggled to attract customers until they hit upon a unique marketing strategy: offering free ice water to thirsty travelers heading to the newly opened Mount Rushmore. This idea turned Wall Drug into a popular stop and has since grown into a sprawling complex of stores, restaurants, and entertainment venues.

Today, Wall Drug includes not just a pharmacy but also a variety of gift shops, restaurants, and attractions. It’s famous for its quirky and eclectic displays, including a giant jackalope, a life-size animatronic T-Rex, and various historical photos and memorabilia. The backyard area features a Western-themed water show and various statues and photo ops, making it a fun place for families.

The restaurant at Wall Drug is well-known for its homemade doughnuts, hot beef sandwiches, and 5-cent coffee. The dining area is adorned with historical and Western-themed art, providing a unique atmosphere.

Wall Drug offers a wide range of souvenirs, from typical tourist trinkets to more unique items like Black Hills gold jewelry, Western wear, and Native American crafts.

Conclusion

As our exploration of Badlands National Park comes to a close, it’s clear that this remarkable destination offers more than just a visual feast. With its rich tapestry of geological formations, thriving wildlife, and profound historical significance, the Badlands provide a unique opportunity for both adventure and contemplation.

Whether you’re trekking through its rugged terrain, observing its diverse ecosystem, or simply soaking in the vast, otherworldly landscapes, the park invites you to connect deeply with the natural world. A visit to the Badlands isn’t just a journey through physical space; it’s a journey through time and life itself.

So pack your bags, prepare your spirit for adventure, and make your way to South Dakota—you won’t regret a moment spent in this stark, beautiful testament to nature’s artistry and endurance.

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