Have a tight one day schedule for your Badlands visit? On our recent trip to South Dakota’s Black Hills, we knew that adding the Badlands to our itinerary was a must do. This ultimate tour guide of the Badlands National Park will help you explore the main highlights of the park. Discover the natural beauty in these red sand cliffs. This otherworldly landscape holds many secrets, including ancient marine fossils.
So why is it called the badlands? Mako Sica is what the Lakota called the Badlands. It translates literally to bad lands. The park encompasses 244,000 acres. It was designated a national park on January 29, 1939.
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Table of Contents
How to Get to Badlands National Park
It’s in the southwest part of the state, not too far from the Black Hills. The park is huge, covering an extensive area of the Great Plains. Badlands National Park is a should be part of any Midwest road trip.
From Rapid City
The Badlands are easily accessible if you fly into the regional airport at Rapid City. We arrived via Denver for our Great 8 Road trip of the South Dakota Black hills. We rented a car driving an hour east, taking 90 to exit 131 in Cactus Flat, SD, then continue south on SD-240 for 3-miles.to the Northeastern Entrance.
You can also enter the park near the town of Wall, starting at the Pinnacles Entrance. Take I-90 east to exit 110 in Wall, SD, then continued south on SD-240 for 8-miles.
Sioux Falls to Badlands National Park–275 miles (approximately 4 hours)
Rapid City to Badlands National Park–62 miles (approximately 1 hour)
Denver to Badlands National Park–375 miles (approximately 6 hours)
Know Before You Go
Typical entrance fees for a U.S. National Park are $30-$35 per vehicle. At just $80 per year, the America the Beautiful National Park Annual Pass grants you free access to over 2,000 Federal recreation areas in the United States, including all 62+ National Parks. The pass is easily paid for with three visits to any of the major parks, such as Yellowstone or Zion National Park.
One Day Best Guidelines for Visiting Badlands National Park
We’re excited to share some of the best things to do in Badlands National Park with you. Badlands National Park has something to offer everyone. Open 24 hours, 7 days a week.
We began our journey through the park, starting at the Northeastern Entrance (Hwy 240). The following itinerary stops follow in order. Visitors can drive the loop in reverse, starting at the pinnacles entrance station.
If you do one thing, Drive the Loop Road
This is a 38-mile scenic loop (Hwy 240) through the most picturesque landscape. For optimal views, sunrise and sunset really offset the colorful layers in the rock. Loop Road is a two-lane paved road. It is heavily traveled in the summer months. The park remains open 24 hours a day (weather permitting), all year long.
#1-Best Stops on the Scenic Badlands Loop Road
The scenic loop road traverses through the heart of the park. You will discover a wealth of information along the way, so take your time and check out the various viewpoints. Each will give you a completely different perspective on the park.. There are 15 overlooks along the loop.
- Big Badlands Overlook
- White River Valley Overlook
- Bigfoot Pass Overlook (includes a picnic area)-named for Chief Spotted Elk.
- Panorama Point
- Prairie Wind Overlook
- Burns Basin Overlook
- Homestead Overlook
- Conata Basin Overlook
- Yellow Mounds Overlook
- Conata Picnic Area
- Ancient Hunters Overlook
- Pinnacles Overlook
Big Badlands Overlook
This is the first overlook stop when entering from the North East Entrance Station is the Big Badlands Overlook. It is only a short 0.2 miles boardwalk. Gives you a stunning introductory view of the colorful badlands has a WOW factor.
Fossil Exhibit Trail
A 0.4-mile raised boardwalk loop has educational displays. The informational boards have fossil replicas of the ancient life forms that once roamed the area. This trail is wheelchair accessible. Definitely kid friendly, allowing them to go off trail and climb in the formations to find their own adventure. There is a large parking area for this trail. Additionally, there is a shade gazebo and a restroom facility at this trailhead.
Note: Remember, do not disturb or take any fossil or artifact from its place or the park. All collecting of rocks, minerals, plants, fossils or cultural objects (i.e. arrowheads) is illegal and punishable by a fine.
White River Valley Overlook
The overlook has spectacular views that showcase the red horizontal strips in the eroded rocks. Against the backdrop of the green valley below, the colors seemed even more vivid.
Panorama Point
An endless expanse of badlands buttes stretches out to the horizon. The eroded clay formation gives a dramatic, colorful view of the Badlands. What are the colored layers we see in the Badland formations?The winds of time are constantly eroding the colored layers of the Badlands. Wind and rain etch the sedimentary layers, carving these dramatic cliffs. The fossil-rich Badlands, many dating 34-37 million years to the Cretaceous age, are buried within this ancient seabed. Two layers of the Chadron and Brule formations are the location for many of these finds.
Burns Basin Overlook
Wilson Burns raised flocks of sheep in the basin during the early 20th century, and this overlook bears his name. He had the luxury of finding a natural spring. The viewpoint has a small railed platform. This overlook provides a bird’s-eye view of corrugated cliffs, steep canyons, and dome-shaped hills. Just a short distance on the opposite side of the road from Burns Basin is the Homestead Overlook. Look for wildlife. We saw Bighorn sheep grazing in the grasses.
Yellow Mounds Overlook
This place was mesmerizing to us. I have to say that it was my favorite. The photos do not do them justice. The colors are incredible. An ancient sea once covered the area and, as it drained 67 million years ago, decaying plant material layered to create these mounds. The ancient fossilized soils are known as paleosols. The reason for the yellow coloring is that of the mineral geothite.
Pinnacles Overlook
If you want to watch the sunset, this is the overlook to choose. It has 180-degree jaw-dropping views. It is just a short walk down a set of wooden stairs to the overlook. The view from the plateau showcases the etched geological features-pinnacles, ridges and unearthly jagged ravines below.
#2-Best Hiking Trails on the Badlands Scenic Loop
Hiking is a fantastic way to experience Badlands! Parking at the Notch trailhead parking lot gives you easy access to the Door, Window, Castle and Notch trails. Having watched a beautiful sunrise at the Big Badlands Overlook, we spent the rest of our early morning on The Door & Window Trails, The Notch Trail, and Castle Trail.
Note: The park has an open hike policy. This means you can hike off-trail. You can explore freely in the Badlands as a visitor.
Door Trail is 0.75 mile walk round-trip on a boardwalk. Wonderful views of the layered bluffs. Once you step off the boardwalk, follow the yellow poles marked with numbers. It was really ethereal, like walking on a moonscape.
Window Trail is short, easy 0.25 mile on a boardwalk with an overlook of some more beautiful scenery. At the end of the boardwalk step off to explore the unusual rock formations. Follow the numbered markers to the end for closer views of the rock face.
Not to be Missed the Thrilling Notch Trail
Before coming to the Badlands, I read you should hike the Notch Trail. If you do only one hike in the park, make sure it is this one. This 1.5-mile out-and-back trail is definitely a bit challenging. The ladder happens near the halfway Point on the trail. Getting there early is key to not having to wait forever to climb the ladder. The latter you arrive, the more time it takes since you have those coming down as well. A unique experience: the ladder was more difficult going down than up. A little slippery, so you’ll definitely want your good hiking shoes, and bring water.
NOTE: A word of caution in the summer rattlesnakes frequent the trail rocks, so choose wisely when reaching for a handhold.
At the top of the trail, I had to cope with my fear of heights for a few moments, but the views were totally worth it! Before reaching the end of the trail, an unmarked trail veers off to the left. Follow it to see even more panoramic views of the White river valley. Today, we had the trail to ourselves for almost the whole time. I must say, this made it more enjoyable.
#3-See the Backcountry-Tackle the Castle Trail
This is not for the faint of heart. The 5-mile point-to-point relatively flat trail. In all, this is the longest trail in the park, which begins at the Door and Window parking area and runs five miles one way to the Fossil Exhibit Trail. There is a backcountry sign-in sheet.
In all fairness, we have no time to walk through the whole trail. Instead, starting at directly across the road from where the Notch Trail combining it with the Saddle Pass Trail for 4.3 miles. One of the best features of tackling the trail starting from the Notch area is you will end at Saddle Pass, going down the slope. There is little to no shade available, so bring plenty of water, sunscreen and a hat.
It was an incredible hike spotting two bighorn sheep and a few mule deer. Along the way, we walked through prairie meadows and canyon areas that had gorgeous views of the geological formations. We even found toadstool formations, reminded me of our time in Bryce Canyon National Park. This trail gives you a perspective of what the pioneers encountered here. It is easy to see why early explorers called it an inhospitable no-man’s-land.
#4-Cliff Shelf Nature Trail
Just north of the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, this trail is a 0.5-mile easy interpretive loop. The elevated boardwalk passes through a cedar scrub forest. Walkway platforms at the high point overlook panoramic views of the White River Valley. It is a perfect quick hike for kids. Great for birding. We saw mountain bluebirds and meadowlarks in the cedar copse.
#5-Visit the Ben Reifel Visitor Center
Near Norbeck Pass, the Badlands Loop Road descends to the visitor center. Whenever we need information about the park, the visitors center is our go-to source. Open every day, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM. The museum educational exhibits include human history, wildlife, fossils and geology. We took the time to watch the park introduction video. In the 20-minute park film, The Land of Stone and Light, you will learn about the plants and animals that have frequented the park. Remember to get your passport stamp. The passport stamp kiosk is located beside the front door. Kids can take part in the Junior Ranger program inquire at the ranger desk.
Note: Currently, the Visitor Center at White River is currently closed. It is on the on the Pine Ridge Reservation 20-miles south of the Ben Reifel VC.
Fossil Preparation Lab-Are dinosaur fossils found in the Badlands?
Amateur paleontologists can venture through the Fossil Preparation Lab to see real archeologists working on the ancient treasures. The paleontologist volunteers work every day to uncover the secrets of the past. It had exhibits and a staff member to answer questions about fossil preparation and paleontology. The Fossil Room features staff preparing fossils,
For kids, there’s something magical about dinosaurs. There are lots of prehistoric fossils at Badlands National Park, but there are no dinosaurs, such as Tyrannosaurus Rex or Velociraptor. Rather, you will find miniature horses, brontotheres-rhinoceroses, and Oreodonts-sheep-like herbivories from the Age of Mammals. Oreodonts are the most extinct mammal fossil found in the park.
The rocks here in the park are too young to hold the larger land giants, since most of the landscape here was covered by the Western Interior Seaway. Visitors are more likely to find the impressions of vegetation, mosasaurs, ammonites or smaller invertebrates. We learned that ancient dinosaurs once inhabited this marine sea and fossil junkies can explore the Badland formations searching for that perfect find. Just remember to leave no trace, photograph, and mark the artifact, but leave it as you found it.
#6-Wildlife Viewing on the Sage Creek Rim Road
This winding gravel Sage Creek Rim Road (SD 590) crosses the Sage Creek Wilderness. It is the best place to see wildlife. Among the abundant wildlife you may see bison, bighorn sheep, pronghorn deer, prairie dogs and, if you are lucky, burrowing owls or black-footed ferrets. We did not drive the entire 30-mile road, opting to take the turnoff onto county road 502 just past Sage Creek Basin Overlook. This creates a loop joining Sage Creek Road returning to Hwy-240.
Stop at Roberts Prairie Dog Town
Who doesn’t love adorable prairie dogs? They are so entertaining, with their scurrying from burrow to burrow. They’re high-pitched squeaking and barking a warning to one another. Prairie dogs are diurnal and live in towns, which are sometimes populated by thousands of individuals and extend over many miles. Roberts Prairie Dog Town is 5-miles west of the Pinnacles Overlook. Even though we had watched prairie dogs at Devils Tower National Monument, and Wind Cave National Park, it was hard to resist not staying here longer.
Hay Butte Overlook
The views of the eroded cliffs seem endless at this viewpoint. The first turnout on the Sage Creek Rim road, you can look back to the Pinnacles overlook.
Sage Creek Basin Overlook
This is the last overlook on our scenic drive. From this point, there are opportunities to do backcountry hiking. If you truly want to experience all the diverse landscapes the Badlands offers, we highly recommend getting off trail. The Sage Creek Wilderness area is a vast expanse of prairie bisected by Sage Creek. The ethereal landscape gives you a feeling of being the first explorers here.
#7-Buffalo Gap National Grasslands
An oasis of green just outside the park boundary. Just one of the 20 grasslands administered by the USDA. Besides its 600,00 acres of stunning green prairie and vibrant-colored geological formations, it is also the second largest protected national grassland. They allow dispersed boondock camping is near Badlands Overlook, inside the Buffalo Gap National Grassland. You can camp on the edge of the Badlands for amazing sunsets or sunrises. In addition to waking to great panoramic views, pronghorn, mule deer, bighorn sheep and bison commonly frequented the mixed-grass prairie. There are no services here, however solitude is ensured. If you are looking to stay in the park, consider camping at Cedar Pass or Sage Creek Campground or the Cedar Pass Lodge.
The visitor center is one block north of Wall Drug. We stopped for passport stamps and map information. Buffalo Gap National Grassland is open year-round, 24 hours per day. The visitor center is open 8am to 8pm daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day and 8am to 4:30pm weekdays the rest of the year.
#8 Do Not Miss the World Famous Wall Drug
From the east, the Badlands Loop Road takes you right into Wall, SD, where you can visit Wall Drug. Yep, it is the iconic touristy place most seek to avoid, including us. However, it is definitely a place one must see at least once in their lifetime. You could spend all day in this sprawling American roadside attraction. As the multiple highway billboards advertise, free water or 5-cent coffee are a staple. The store has a huge selection of souvenirs, and every trinket imaginable. Most of the items come from China. However, I found a unique locally carved bison made from ironwood.
The quirky outdoor displays in the Wall Backyard are a magnet for the kids. Where else can you possibly pose on a giant jackalope? I remember my dad telling me about the legendary animal fabled to be a cross between a jackrabbit and an antelope. From the Wyatt Earp statue to the covered wagon, all are picture worthy. Both the backyard splash pad and the shooting gallery arcade are fun outdoor activities for the whole family.
Because we were starving, we ate at the Western Art Gallery, a cafeteria-style restaurant. The burger lunch is a little overpriced, but the food came quickly and tasted pretty good. Probably because we were hunger. We followed the map of the Wall Drug Mall, checking out the Traveler’s Chapel, the quintessential mining experience, and the bookstore before grabbing a signature homemade donut and leaving.
#9 Prairie Homestead
A mile northeast of the park entrance on highway 240, you can gain a glimpse back in time at how the early pioneers lived. The Prairie Homestead Historic site is listed on the National Registry of Historic places. For us was like stepping onto the set of Little House on the Prairie. There is a minimal entrance fee. Starting at the visitor center, the self-guided tour begins with a historical 8-minute video documentary. It makes you appreciate the tenacity, resourcefulness, and ingenuity of these early settlers.
The authentic homestead of Mr. & Mrs. Ed Brown has a sod house circa 1909. Sod houses were an alternative when logs were not readily available. Their insulating qualities helped to keep them warm in winter and cool during the summers. Outbuildings include the root cellar, animal barn, chicken coop, and outhouse. Even though you won’t spend a lot of time here, this exhibit is very educational and worth the stop.
#10-Hidden by Time-Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
This historic site can be found just outside the entrance gate at Exit 131-Hwy 240. Turning left, you will see the visitor center directly opposite the turnoff. The facility actually includes three different locations. If you only have a short time, the visitor’s center is worth a quick 30-minute tour. The information on the cold war is impressive. We spent quite a bit of time at the three separate locations: The Minuteman Missile Visitor Center, Launch Control Facility Delta-01, and Launch Facility Delta-09 (Missile Silo). If you can fit the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site into your schedule, we recommend doing so.
What Should We Bring for our One Day Itinerary?
- Bring binoculars to get an up close view of the animals in the park.
- Wear good hiking boots with traction and good ankle support.
- When hiking in the sun and heat of the summer, you’ll become dehydrated quickly. The usual recommendation for water on a two-hour hike is two quarts per hour (per person).
- Begin your national park app adventure by downloading the NPS App onto your mobile devices. Downloaded it for free through the App Store and Google Play.
Final Thoughts
Having visited Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, the landscapes here in the Badlands of South Dakota are starkly different. Both are referred to as the Badlands. Nevertheless, I can see why the rugged beauty of this moonscape draws hundreds of visitors to a treasure trove of formations. The striking colors are eye-catching to most. Still, I feel that a good deal may not get out to see the real Badlands. Exploring off trail, you find hidden gems and a little seclusion. Stepping away, you might just find the peace and quiet that most of the Black Hills attractions lack.
Have you visited the Badlands National Park? Are you interested in the geological formations in the park? Share your favorite memory of the park in the comments below.
