If you are looking for a unique summer vacation I would highly recommend the Badlands National Park in South Dakota. This park experiences the extreme temperatures of the desert but offers gorgeous views of winding roads through grassy prairie lands and colorful striped rock formations. There are plenty of hiking trails where you can experience the unique geologic formations up close, and you may come across some of the wildlife in the park.
Cost of Park Entry
Park entry is $30 per private vehicle, or $25 for a motorcycle for a 7 day pass. This fee can be paid online prior to arrival at the park or there are three park entrances where you will be able to purchase the pass.
We recommend paying upon arrival since the lines typically are not long. https://www.nps.gov/badl/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm
Camping in the Badlands
There are two campgrounds located inside Badlands National Park. The Cedar Pass Campground is located near the Visitors Center and the Interior Park Entrance. The Cedar Pass Campground has 96 sites that are open all year. From the research we have done the camping fee is $14 per night. Cold water, toilets, and picnic areas are available along with a dump station for a $1 fee per use.
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| Badlands National Park Sign | Interior, South Dakota Entrance |
There are several campgrounds outside of the park. The Badlands Interior Motel and Campground is located one mile outside of the park from the Interior entrance in Interior, South Dakota. The campground offers RV spots with or without full hookups as well as tent camping spots, camping cabins, or a motel room. There is a pool on site as well which is a great way to beat the heat after a morning hike in the park while you wait on the day to cool back off. The main building also offers breakfast and a small convenience store.
The rates for RV spots at The Badlands Interior Motel and Campground are $28.50/day to $49.80/day. The tent camping spots are $24.50 to $28.50/day. The camping cabins are $49.40/day. There are also motel rooms available and the price will vary on those rooms.
The Circle 10 Campground is about 3 miles from the Northeast entrance to the Badlands National Park, and just off of Interstate 90. This campground has a pool and RV hookups. The campground is across from the Badlands Trading Post which is a convenience store if you need fuel or snacks. On the other side of interstate 90 is the town of Wall, South Dakota which offers the Sleepy Hollow Campground and Resort which is located just across the railroad tracks from the famous Wall Drug. Of course since you are in the town of Wall there will be many more food options; however, you will be about 8 miles from the nearest park entrance.
The Badlands Boondocking Area is a free parking area just outside of the Pinnacles park entrance off of highway 240. This location offers plenty of scenic views of the rock formations of the Badlands, but offers zero amenities so be prepared for that.
The park offers backcountry camping as well. For the rules and suggested locations you can visit the park website. https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/backcountry-camping-badl.htm
Hotels Nearby
Depending on the time of year you plan on visiting The Badlands, you may experience some extremely hot daytime temperatures. Our trip was during the first week of August and the daytime temperature ended up being a toasty 105 degrees fahrenheit. Since the daytime temperature was so hot we decided it would be best to book a hotel room near the park to beat the heat.
As mentioned above the Badlands Interior Motel and Campground is located about one mile from the Interior park entrance. This is a seasonal motel and campground that is open April 1st to the second week of October. The rates for this hotel vary, so you will need to check booking sites or call for rates for your trip. This is where we stayed during our visit, and the motel was quite roomy. Since the motel is so close to the park you can expect to see the scenic views from just outside your door. The motel does offer breakfast and a small convenience store. There is also a pool that is located at the front of the motel if you choose to take a dip to beat the soaring daytime temperatures.
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| Door Trail Badlands National Park | South Dakota Travel |
The Badlands Inn is also located just outside of the Interior park entrance. This is also a seasonal hotel which is open from around the second week of May to the second week of October. This hotel offers microwaves, mini fridges, air conditioning, TVs, and coffee makers. This hotel was renovated in 2013, and will also offer scenic views from the hotel.
Inside the park the Cedar Pass Lodge offers some cabins that you would be able to rent. The cabins offer microwaves, mini fridges, and most importantly a heat and air unit. These cabins are located just inside the Interior park entrance, so it is convenient to trail heads as well as several food options. If you go to the town of Wall, South Dakota, you will find many more options for hotels and lodging. This town is located about 8 miles north of the Pinnacles park entrance so you will need to drive into the park daily. Wall, South Dakota, is of course the location of the famous Wall Drug, so you will have plenty of options for food.
Food Nearby
As far as food inside the park the best option will be to pack your own. There are plenty of picnic locations at the various pull offs that will offer scenic views while you eat. The Conata Picnic Area is located near the Yellow Mounds area and offers covered picnic tables. The Ben Reifel Picnic Area is located next to the Visitors Center near the Interior park entrance, and also offers covered picnic tables. Since this location is next to the Visitors Center you will have access to air conditioning and restrooms.
Still inside the park, the Cedar Pass Lodge offers a restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We had dinner at this location one evening before we did a quick drive and a ranger program, and it was nice to have a warm burger. I will say that the prices are a bit higher than most places for the food offered; however, you won’t have to leave the park. Cedar Pass Lodge offers burgers, both buffalo and beef, as well as salads, Indian tacos, and chicken sandwiches for lunch and dinner.
In the town of Interior, located about one mile outside of the park, there are a few options for food. Cowboy Corner is a small gas station that has the typical convenience store items as well as a few meal options. I believe during our visit the hot food options at Cowboy Corner were biscuits and gravy or roast beef. We grabbed a to-go box with the roast beef, chips, and a drink from the coolers and it was the perfect dinner after a day of hiking. Also in the town of Interior is the Wagon Wheel Bar which offers burgers, pizzas and other bar foods.
The town of Wall, South Dakota, is a bit of a larger town located around 8 miles north of the Pinnacles park entrance. Wall is home of the famous Wall Drug which has a restaurant inside along with an ice cream shop and several stores. We stopped at Wall Drug on our way through the state to Custer, and the food was delicious. The restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Lunch and dinner consists of the typical offering of burgers, chicken sandwiches, and hot dogs.
Wall, South Dakota, also has a Dairy Queen, the 3 Amigos Cantina, Red Rock restaurant, and the Badlands Saloon that are all open late. There is a brunch restaurant called Walkin’ Bacon that is open until 2 PM.
If you are in need of a grocery store during your stay, Wall, South Dakota, also has the Wall Food Center where you will be able to grab some fresh foods or snacks for your time in the park.
Nearby Attractions
If you are looking for things to do near Badlands National Park other than hiking and sightseeing, you can head to the Ben Reifel Visitors Center near the Interior park entrance. The visitors center offers a bookstore as well as park information, and a museum where you can learn more about the Badlands National Park.
Also inside the Badlands National Park is Robert’s Prairie Dog Town. This is a pull off area off of Rim Road where you will be able to see prairie dogs popping out of their holes along with the bison roaming the prairie. |
| Wall Drug | Wall, South Dakota |
In the nearby town of Wall, South Dakota, you can visit Wall Drug which has several shops, a restaurant, ice cream, and the backyard where there are several props for photos.
If you are wanting to drive further out of the park, Mount Rushmore is about an hour and a half away from Badlands National Park. At Mount Rushmore you will be able to see the carvings of the presidents, walk the presidential trail, and learn more about the project.
If you are looking for more hiking opportunities, Wind Cave National Park is about an hour away and Custer State Park is about an hour and a half away.
Temperatures and Weather
While the Badlands National Park isn’t actually a desert, it is an arid and unpredictable climate. According to the national park website, the Badlands can experience temperatures of 116 degrees fahrenheit in the summer, to -40 degrees fahrenheit in the winter. It is important to know what the weather will be during your visit so you can pack properly and plan your days accordingly. Below are the average high and low temperatures along with the average amount of precipitation.
December to March
Average high temperatures are between 34 and 48 degrees fahrenheit. The average low temperatures are between 11 and 24 degrees with less than one inch in precipitation.
April to June
Average high temperatures are between 62 and 83 degrees fahrenheit. The average low temperatures are between 36 and 56 degrees fahrenheit with an average of 1.5 and 3 inches of precipitation.
July to September
Average high temperatures are between 81 and 92 degrees fahrenheit. The average low temperatures are between 51 and 62 degrees fahrenheit with an average of 1.25 to 2 inches of precipitation.
October and November
Average high temperatures are between 68 and 50 degrees. The average low temperatures are between 26 and 39 degrees fahrenheit with less than one inch in precipitation.
During our visit to Badlands National Park, the high temperatures hit around 105 degrees fahrenheit, and the lows were in the 60s. Keep in mind that the climate of Badlands National Park is an arid environment so the temperature swings can be quite drastic. It is a good idea to plan any of your hiking adventures first thing in the morning or in the evening after it has cooled off. Be sure to pack a sweatshirt or long sleeves for the evening if you go to any of the overlooks, and ranger programs in the evenings.
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| Log Ladder on Notch Trail at Badlands National Park |
The hiking trails at Badlands National Park have stunning views and varying levels of difficulty. During our stay in the park we managed to hike all or part of six of the trails in the park.
Starting off with the easiest trails in the park. The Fossil Trail is a fully accessible trail that is a quarter mile boardwalk loop. This loop has different information and fossil replicas of the wildlife that once roamed in the park. This short trail is perfect for the whole family and is a great spot for your kids to learn more about the area.
The trailheads for the Door, Window, and Notch trails all originate from the same parking lot near the Northeast park entrance. Door and Window are both easy trails that are boardwalk trails to a lookout point. Door Trail does have yellow markers that you can follow further into the terrain. There are several drop offs on the trail so be mindful of where you step. However, this is a relatively easy trail that goes for roughly a half mile before the trail ends. Overall, Door Trail is fairly flat and a nice walk to do with kids.
Since Door Trail is fairly short, you could also plan to hike Window Trail on the same day. We didn’t end up hiking the Window Trail since it was about 4 o’clock when we got to the park and it was around 90 degrees fahrenheit. However, Window Trail looks like it’s a quarter mile boardwalk trail that leads to an overlook point.
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| Castle Trail | Badlands National Park |
The trailhead for Castle Trail is across the road from the trailheads for Door, Window, and Notch trails. This is another fairly easy trail, but it is quite a bit longer than the previous trails mentioned. Castle Trail is a five mile hike one way that will take you to the Fossil trail. Overall the trail is relatively level, but you will have to hike down and around some rock formations, but we didn’t find any of them difficult or with large drop offs. Just be mindful of your step!
The Medicine Root Trail is a moderate trail that connects to the Castle Trail and the Saddle Pass Trail. This is a rolling trail that is through prairie grasses with views of the Badlands formations in the distance.
If you are looking for a difficult trail, Saddle Pass is a quarter mile trail that climbs up the Badlands Wall. This trail is only a quarter mile trail; however, it has approximately a 300 foot elevation change. We did climb part of this trail to get a better view of the area and I have to say it is gorgeous. This trail joins the Medicine Root Trail and the Castle Trail.
The Notch Trail is the last official park trail, and is a moderate trail with a really fun log ladder to climb the cliff wall. This trail is easy to the point of the log ladder, so if you want to hike part of the trail and turn around at that point it is a great option to view the landscape and some of the wildlife of the Badlands. It is a trail that has lots of ledges after the log ladder, so it’s not a great trail if you are afraid of heights, or aren’t steady on your feet. We did turn around at this point ourselves, but I made sure to climb the ladder. I have to say climbing up the ladder wasn’t all that difficult, but coming down is awkward.
There is a short boardwalk hike at the Prairie Wind Overlook as well. This short boardwalk offers views of the grasslands with some prairie dogs in the distance. This is a great easy walk to do with the entire family. The views at this overlook aren’t the most scenic and this isn’t the busiest overlook, so it’s a great place to stop.
Badlands National Park is also an open hiking park, so you can go off trail in most spots just be mindful of the wildlife and terrain. We found that there were several areas where people have worn in a trail and those were easy places to explore or get a better view at overlooks.
Lookout and Pull Off Points
There are around 16 overlook points in Badlands National Park. We entered the park at the Northeast park entrance, so I’m going to go through the various overlooks starting at this park entrance. The first overlook you will come across from the Northeast park entrance will be Big Badlands Overlook. This overlook shows the east side of the Badlands Wall which is the geologic feature that divides the upper and lower prairies.
Once you pass the Big Badlands Overlook you will follow the road past the Ben Reifel Visitors Center and continue following the road to the right along the lower side of the formations. The road winds up through Norbeck Pass where the Fossil Trail is and where we saw some bighorn sheep around sunset. This road will take you up to the White River Valley Overlook. This overlook has a few small paths that you can walk out further toward the edge. If you do this of course watch your step because the drop offs are quite far.
The next overlook will be Bigfoot Pass. This overlook has a boardwalk path that will take you closer to the cliff edge with benches to enjoy the view. This overlook also has covered picnic benches where you can enjoy a lunch in the shade.
Panorama Point is the next overlook on the route. This overlook has a ramp up to a platform with a panoramic view of the White River Valley. Prairie Winds Overlook is just past Panorama Point, and has a boardwalk path that goes out into the prairie. This overlook focuses on education on the grassland that surrounds Badlands National Park and was a less crowded overlook.
Burns Basin Overlook is the next stop after Prairie Winds, and this overlook has a bench on a boardwalk that you can look at the area where Wilson Burns raised sheep during the early 20th century. Homestead Overlook is just past Burns Basin. This overlook has similar views, but you can learn more about homesteading in the area on the signage.
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| Yellow Mounds | Badlands National Park Overlooks |
Ancient Hunters Overlook is the next overlook on the drive through the park. This area of the park is a wetter area that grows an abundance of trees. This overlook gets the name because ancient artifacts have been found that show this area may have been an ancient butchering location.
Pinnacles Overlook is the next pull off. This area of the park shows the Sage Creek Wilderness area along with the Black Hills on a clear day. This area is also known for the bighorn sheep to gather, so it’s a great place to look for wildlife. Pinnacles Overlook has several short trails to walk out toward the cliffs to stretch your legs and enjoy the view.
To continue the overlooks you will want to turn onto Sage Creek Rim Road. Be advised this is a gravel road, and at times it is a bit rough. The next overlook will be Hay Butte Overlook. This area overlooks the grass topped buttes. Bison and bighorn sheep frequent the area and according to the park website, they are not shy of the road. The next overlook is Badlands Wilderness which offers similar views to Hay Butte, but this area begins to show the eroded Badlands turning into prairie grasses.
The next pull off is Robert’s Prairie Dog Town. From this pull off you will see the prairie dog towns full of their holes. You will see them peeking their heads out from the holes and running back and forth across the grass. While we visited the area there were also bison roaming through the field, and this is the only time we saw bison on our South Dakota trip.
Sheep Mountain Table Overlook is the highest elevation in the park at 3,300 feet according to the park website, and the road to the overlook is not maintained in the winter. This overlook is located in Scenic, South Dakota. To get to it you will need to follow Bombing Range Road until you get to Sheep Mountain Road, this road will be unpaved. The last overlook is the Red Shirt Table Overlook. This is a pull off on Red Shirt Table Road. According to the park website, this area is the most intact area of geology in the park, and the colors are the most vibrant of the park. These last two overlooks are out of the way from the rest of the overlooks, so they are likely to be less crowded.
Ranger Programs
If you are looking for things to do in the park with your family, check at the Ben Reifel Visitors Center for a list of the Ranger Programs the park offers. These programs are a fantastic way to learn more about the park, and the other national parks. We attended the ranger programs in the evening at the Cedar Pass Campground Amphitheater. Both evenings had park rangers leading programs of stargazing, along with a presentation of all of the national parks, and a program about the wildlife that can be found at Badlands National Park. Badlands National Park isn’t an official dark sky park; however, it does get dark enough that you will get a great view of the Milky Way.
If you are looking for a ranger program in the mornings, you can join a ranger for a geology walk at the Door trailhead. This program takes place on the boardwalk trail from the parking lot to the opening in the Badlands Wall, so this is a great program for the entire family.
Wildlife
Be mindful that if you do encounter wildlife on your hikes that these are wild animals and give them plenty of space.
We found bighorn sheep on the side of the road near sunset at Norbeck Pass, and pronghorn sheep on our hike along Notch Trail. The best place to see prairie dogs and bison will be Robert’s Prairie Dog Town along Sage Creek Rim Road.
Things to Take
Be sure to check the weather for your trip to pack the proper clothes. During the day the temperatures could be over 100 degrees fahrenheit during the day, so you will need to be mindful of that.
For hiking be sure to pack sturdy shoes, socks, and comfortable clothing. I would also suggest a backpack of some sort with water bottles and snacks. Be sure to pack sunscreen as well since there is very little shade in Badlands National Park. I would also suggest packing long sleeves or a sweatshirt of some sort if you are visiting in the summer since the temperatures cool significantly after sunset.
Take a camera with you because you will want to capture the beauty of the Badlands National Park. I only had my phone camera during my time in the park, and I wish I had a larger camera.
