Badlands National Park

For the average visitor, a casual drive is the essential means by which to see Badlands National Park. To do the scenery justice, drive slowly, and don't hesitate to get out and explore on foot when the occasion calls for it.

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  • 1. Badlands Loop Road

    The simplest drive is on two-lane Badlands Loop Road (Route/Highway 240). The drive circles from Exit 110 off I--90 through the park and back to the interstate at Exit 131. Start from either end and make your way around to the various overlooks along the way. Pinnacles and Yellow Mounds overlooks are outstanding places to examine the sandy pink- and brown-toned ridges and spires distinctive to the badlands. The landscape flattens out slightly to the north, revealing spectacular views of mixed-grass prairies. The Cedar Pass area of the drive has some of the park's best trails.

    I–90, Exit 110, Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA
  • 2. Badlands Wilderness Area

    Covering about a quarter of the park, this 100-square-mile area is part of the country's largest prairie wilderness. About two-thirds of the Sage Creek region is mixed-grass prairie, making it the ideal grazing grounds for bison, pronghorn, and other native animals. The Hay Butte Overlook (2 miles northwest on Sage Creek Rim Road) and the Pinnacles Overlook (1 mile south of the Pinnacles entrance) are the best places to get an overview of the wilderness area. Feel free to park at an overlook and hike your own route into the untamed, unmarked prairie.

    Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA
  • 3. Fossil Exhibit Trail

    The trail, in place since 1964, has fossil replicas of early mammals displayed at wayside exhibits along its ¼-mile length, which is completely wheelchair accessible. Give yourself at least an hour to fully enjoy this popular hike. Easy.

    Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA
  • 4. Affordable Adventures Badlands Tour

    Tour–Sight

    Take a seven-hour narrated tour through the park and surrounding badlands. Tours can easily be customized and are available year-round.

    5542 Meteor St., Rapid City, South Dakota, 57703, USA
    605-342–7691

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: From $120
  • 5. Ancient Hunters Overlook

    Perched above a dense fossil bed, this overhang, adjacent to the Pinnacles overlook, is where prehistoric bison hunters drove herds of buffalo over the edge.

    Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA
  • Recommended Fodor’s Video

  • 6. Badlands Natural History Association Bookstore

    The Badlands Natural History Association Bookstore sells everything from books on geology and paleontology to postcards and posters.

    Badlands Loop Rd., Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA
    605-433–5489
  • 7. Ben Reifel Visitor Center

    Open year-round, the park's main information hub has brochures, maps, and information on ranger programs. Check out exhibits on geology and wildlife, and watch paleontologists at work in the Fossil Prep Lab (June--September). View the film, Land of Stone and Light, in the 95-seat theater, and shop in the Badlands Natural History Association Bookstore. The facility is named for a Sioux activist and the first Lakota to serve in Congress. Born on the nearby Rosebud Indian Reservation, Ben Reifel also served in the Army during World War II.

    Badlands National Park, South Dakota, 57750, USA
    605-433–5361

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: June–mid-Aug., daily 7–7; mid-Aug.–mid-Sept., daily 8–5; mid-Sept–May, daily 8–4
  • 8. Big Badlands Overlook

    From this spot just south of the park's northeast entrance, the vast majority of the park's 1 million annual visitors get their first views of the White River Badlands.

    Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA
  • 9. Big Foot Pass Overlook

    See where Sioux Chief Big Foot and his band traveled en route to the battle at Wounded Knee, December 29, 1890.

    Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA
  • 10. Big Pig Dig

    Until 2008, paleontologists dug for fossils at this site near the Conata Picnic Area. It was named for a large fossil originally thought to be of a prehistoric pig (it turned out to be a small, hornless rhinoceros). Wayside signs and exhibits, including a mural, provide context on the area and its fossils.

    Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA
  • 11. Bigfoot Pass Overlook

    There is only a handful of tables here and no water or restrooms, but the incredible view makes it a lovely spot to have lunch.

    Badlands Loop Rd., Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA
  • 12. Castle Trail

    The park's longest hike runs 5 miles one way between the Fossil Exhibit trailhead on Badlands Loop Road and the parking area for the Door and Windows trails. Although the Castle Trail is fairly level, allow at least three hours to cover the entire 10 miles out and back. If you choose to follow the Medicine Root Loop, which detours off the Castle Trail, you'll add ½ mile to the trek. Experienced hikers will do this one more quickly. Moderate.

    Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA
  • 13. Cliff Shelf Nature Trail

    This ½-mile loop winds through a wooded prairie oasis in the middle of dry, rocky ridges and climbs 200 feet to a peak above White River Valley for an incomparable view. Look for chipmunks, squirrels, and red-winged blackbirds in the wet wood, and eagles, hawks, and vultures at hilltop. Even casual hikers can complete this trail in far less than an hour, but if you want to observe the true diversity of wildlife present here, stay longer. Moderate.

    Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA
  • 14. Conata Picnic Area

    A half-dozen or so covered picnic tables are scattered over this area, which rests against a badlands wall ½ mile south of Badlands Loop Road. There's no potable water, but there are bathroom facilities and you can enjoy your lunch in peaceful isolation at the threshold of the Badlands Wilderness Area. The Conata Basin area is to the east, and Sage Creek area is to the west.

    Conata Rd., Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA
  • 15. Door Trail

    The ¾-mile round-trip trail leads through a natural opening, or door, in a badlands rock wall. The eerie sandstone formations and passageways beckon, but it's recommended that you stay on the trail. The first 100 yards of the trail are on a boardwalk. Even a patient and observant hiker will take only about 30 minutes. Easy.

    Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA
  • 16. Evening Program and Night Sky Viewing

    Watch a 45-minute presentation on the wildlife, natural history, paleontology, or another aspect of the Badlands. Shows typically begin around 9 pm. Stick around afterward for the Night Sky Viewing, a stargazing interpretive program complete with telescopes.

    20681 Hwy. 240, Badlands National Park, South Dakota, 57750, USA

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Mid-June–mid-Aug., daily usually about 9 pm
  • 17. Fossil Talk

    What were the Badlands like many years ago? This 20-minute talk about protected fossil exhibits will inspire and answer all your questions. It's usually held at 10:30 am and 1:30 pm daily at the Fossil Exhibit Trail.

    Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Mid-June–mid-Aug., daily at 10:30 am, 1:30 pm, and 3:30 pm
  • 18. Geology Walk

    Learn the geologic story of the White River Badlands in a 45-minute walk, generally departing from the Door Trailhead daily at 8:30 am. The terrain can be rough in places, so be sure to wear hiking boots or sneakers. A hat is a good idea, too.

    Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Mid-June–mid-Aug., daily at 8:30 am
  • 19. Junior Ranger Program

    Children ages 7--12 can join in this daily, 30-minute adventure, typically a short hike, game, or other hands-on activity focused on badlands wildlife, geology, or fossils. Parents are welcome. Meet at the visitor center at 11 am, and wear closed-toe shoes.

    25216 Hwy. 240, Badlands National Park, South Dakota, 57750, USA
    605-433–5361

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: June–Aug. Check at visitor center or on park website for exact times.
  • 20. Minuteman Missile National Historic Site

    This remote piece of United States history just north of Badlands National Park gives visitors the opportunity to tour a decommissioned Minuteman II intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) site, the first national park in the world dedicated to the Cold War. Start at the visitor center at I--90 Exit 131 to watch a film and view informative exhibits. The second site is the Delta 01-Lanch Control Facility at Exit 127. It's open only to visitors with tickets to the ranger-led tour that are available at the visitor center on a first-come, first-served basis. The next stop west, at Exit 116, is the Delta-09 missile silo, which has exhibits and a self-guided cell phone tour that describe the site and give visitors a view down into the silo.

    I--90 Exit 126, Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA
    605-433--5552

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