Overview Of Badlands National Park

Located outside the Black Hills in Southwestern South Dakota, Badlands National Park is one of the most unique landscapes in the country. Badlands is iconic, known for its dramatic formations, canyons, and prairies.

The park covers 244,000 acres (381 square miles) and is home to abundant wildlife, most notably bison, bighorn sheep, and prairie dogs. A small but mighty population of black-footed ferrets calls this place home.

Badlands National Park is divided into two units: North and South.  You will almost certainly spend your time in the North Unit, which is managed by the National Park Service. 

Why Should I Visit Badlands National Park?

Badlands is a great park for scenic drives, wildlife viewing, overlooks, and hiking.

The landscape here is unique and unforgettable, combining beauty with accessibility and abundant wildlife.

While the hiking at Badlands is easy to moderate in difficulty, the trails leave a lasting impression – especially the Notch Trail.

This is the park to visit for memorable sunrises and sunsets over a rugged landscape.

Our Experience At Badlands

My wife and I spent two days in the north unit of Badlands National Park, which we felt was the perfect length to take in the scenery. 

Day 1 at Badlands

After flying in to Rapid City, we drove to Wall and experienced Wall Drug and some of the attractions in town before making our way into the park in the early afternoon. 

Starting in the park, we drove a very short way to the trailhead for the Door, Window, and Notch Trails.  Hiking the Window Trail, we were blown away by the scenery.  Coming from Florida, we had never seen anything like what we saw at Badlands.

The Door Trail was fun as you can explore off-the-beaten-path, navigating through the Badlands from point to point. Don’t worry, it is easy.

We hiked the Notch Trail and climbed the ladder into what seemed like another world.  Be careful, there may be a back-up of people climbing and descending the ladder.  It is safer for everybody to go one at a time.

It started to get late, so we drove west to a few of the overlooks as the sun set.  Near Bigfoot Pass Overlook, we took Bigfoot Rd north to I-90.  Don’t do this.  The road was muddy, and our rental car had street tires.  We took our time, and luckily we were able to dodge all of the cows in the road on our way back to the highway.  We checked into our hotel and hit the sack.

Day 2 at Badlands

The second day, we started at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, which had great exhibits about the history and geology of the Badlands.  It was packed, but the stickers were cool, so we collected our stamp and waited in line. Watch your speed around the visitor center especially, as there are downhill stretches where you may accumulate speed, and the park rangers will pull you over.

We made our way to the Castle Trail and were impressed by the desolate beauty of the area.  It was really cool to see where the grass melted away into Badlands.  We saw deer on our hike, and not a lot of people. 

The majority of people will hike the Notch trail and avoid the longer Castle Trail.  The Castle Trail is out and back at around 10 miles, but we only completed 7 miles as due to mud we skipped the last mile and a half.  We saw flowers and cactuses, both unexpected.

Back in The Car

After our hike, we traveled from overlook to overlook, taking pictures and admiring the bison and prairie dogs.  We tried in vain to find a black-footed ferret, an endangered creature that lives off of prairie dogs.

The format of the badlands change depending on where in the park you are. We stopped at each overlook in the park, and would definitely recommend that you do the same.

Traveling west from the visitor center on 240, we continued our journey through the park on Sage Creek Rim Road, which is a gravel road.  We found fewer people on this gravel road and more bison and prairie dogs.  There were an incredible number of prairie dogs at Robert’s Prairie Dog Town.  We loved this less populated part of the North Unit.

Continuing on Sage Creek Rd will take you out of the park, but be careful if it is muddy and your rental car is like ours was.  You may find yourself sliding down the muddy parts of the road.  We took 44 up through Scenic and back towards Rapid City and the Black Hills.

What We Would Do Differently

While we had the pleasure of watching a sunset in the park, our trip would have been enhanced by waking up early to watch a sunrise in the park. We will surely do this on our next trip to Badlands.

When we planned our trip, we saw rain in the forecast, so we purchased and brought raincoats with us.  Rain to me means that you get wet.  Rain in the Badlands and South Dakota in general may just mean a light sprinkle, where you do not even need a raincoat as it evaporates as fast as it falls.  When we repeat this trip, I will check the expected quantity of precipitation, not just weather or not there is precipitation expected.

On our next trip to the Badlands, if there is any possibility the roads will be wet, I will get a bigger SUV or truck, preferably with better tires or 4WD.  You will be fine if you stay on paved roads and off of the dirt and gravel, but I am not good at that.  I like to explore a little further off the beaten path.  Having a more capable vehicle will also help depending on where you travel in the Black Hills, as the east side is less developed.

Where To Eat Near Badlands

There are not a lot of food options available near Badlands National Park. 

The closest food we found was at the town of Wall.  The major player in Wall is Wall Drug, and you will enjoy the experience eating there with your free ice water and $0.05 coffee, and we really liked the bison hot dog there.  T

here is more food available in Rapid City and the Black Hills, but both of those are far away.  I would recommend bringing a bag lunch like uncrustables so that you do not have to leave the park.

Lodging Near Badlands

Camping is available in the park, there is limited lodging in Wall, and of course there is lodging in Rapid City. 

If money is no object, stay at the Cedar Pass Lodge within Badlands National Park. This would be the best place to stay if you want a cabin.

You could stay in Wall, but we stayed in Kadoka, SD (Remember that town from Armageddon?)  Kadoka only houses around 500 people and is the kind of place where you drive down main street and see folks driving around with their dogs on side by sides.

We stayed at a motel named Grandpa Joe’s Place, which we found to be both affordable and excellent.  The rooms felt vintage and were impossibly clean. Not believing that our room could be so perfectly clean, we searched for any dust, anywhere, and were not able to find any.  They did not serve breakfast, but we brought food we could reheat in the microwave.

Tips For Visiting Badlands

We did our trip in May, and it was cold out.  Plan to dress warmly and be prepared for precipitation.  I thought May was a great time to go there to avoid major crowds, and I would go at the same time on a return trip.

To minimize crowds and heat in the summer, arrive early or late in the day.

There is not a lot of shade in Badlands – bring plenty of water.

Download maps ahead of time as some areas of the park may not have cell signal.

Bring a second pair of shoes to wear in the car. If the ground is at all wet, your shoes will get muddy, and the mud will get tracked into your rental car.

The less populated the area in Badlands, the more wildlife you are likely to see.  We saw Bighorn Sheep, Pronghorns, Bison, and Prairie Dogs on our trip.

Watch for wildlife on the roads, if we were not paying attention we might have hit several bison.

The South Unit of Badlands is run by the Oglala Lakota Tribe.  The South Unit has the White River Visitor Center, which is open seasonally.  If you are interested in a more remote and primitive experience, I would focus on the South Unit.

Try to visit the National Grasslands Visitor Center in Wall, SD if you visit on a weekday.  It was closed when we were in town but they had really neat displays of the grasslands outside. They are open Monday-Thursday from 8:00 AM-4:30PM.

When To Visit Badlands National Park

Badlands National Park is open year-round

We recommend visiting in the late spring from May to June or early fall from September to October, to optimize weather and crowds. Summer is the most likely to be crowded, and South Dakota winters are no joke

Always check the Badlands National Park website or call for the most up-to-date information.

What To Bring To Badlands National Park

Badlands National Park is remote in some areas, and you need to plan accordingly. I would bring:

• Water
• Sunscreen dependent on season
• Hiking or trail running shoes
• Hiking clothes
• A jacket
• Snacks and meals
• Camera
• Phone with offline maps
• Second pair of shoes to wear in the car, so you don’t track mud in the rental
• Possibly a raincoat

Does Badlands National Park Have An Entrance Fee Or Require Reservations?

While Badlands charges an entrance fee of $30, you can use your America the Beautiful Park Pass to skip the fee.

Reservations are not required for entry into Badlands National Park.

Sample Itinerary For Badlands National Park

We recommend that you visit for 2 days to fully experience the park.

Day 1:

• Drive the Badlands Loop Road, stopping to photograph wildlife
• Stop at all overlooks and take pictures
• Hike the Window, Door, and Notch Trails, in that order
• Stop at the Prairie Dog Town and look for a Black Footed Ferret
• Watch the Sunset at Pinnacles Overlook

Day 2:

• Watch the sunrise at Big Badlands Overlook
• Visit the Ben Reifel Visitor Center
• Hike the Castle Trail
• Drive the unpaved Sage Creek Rim Road and see even more wildlife on your way out

Summary

Badlands is one of the most unique and memorable national parks in the United States. It is famous for its landscapes, wildlife, and easy access to trails. Bring your family there this year if you can, you won’t regret it.

This trip was special for us because it was our first National Park-centric trip together.  We absolutely loved Badlands and cannot wait to take our kids there one day.  It is one of those places that pictures do not do justice, and you owe it to yourself to visit.

Other Sights Near Badlands

Minuteman Missile National Historic Site – This is very close to Badlands and is a great place to go to learn about the Cold War and Mutually Assured Destruction.

Wind Cave National Park – Great for cave tours to see boxwork as well as hiking above ground.

Custer State Park – Bison, Donkeys, National Treasure 2, scenic drives, and access to the highest mountain east of the Rockies.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial – An American classic.  You should see Crazy Horse while you are in the area.

Jewel Cave National Monument – This cave is not talked about very much but is even more impressive than Wind Cave.  You have to see it to understand.

The Black Hills – A national forest sprinkled with awesome small towns and NPS sites.

Devils Tower National Monument – A giant rock in the middle of nowhere, but that you should see on a trip to the Black Hills area.