Badlands Trail & Visitor Guide
Badlands · United States · 242,756 acres (about 379 square miles) in southwestern South Dakota, including 64,144 acres of designated wilderness.
Why Visit Badlands
Badlands National Park preserves 244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles, and spires alongside one of the world's richest fossil beds, containing remains of ancient horses, saber-toothed cats, and rhinoceroses from 28 to 37 million years ago. The park's rock formations erode roughly one inch per year, meaning the landscape today is dramatically different from even a century ago.
Free Badlands Audio Guide with Roamee Pro
Roamee Pro offers a free, self-guided Badlands audio guide. It narrates trails, viewpoints, geology, and wildlife as you explore — Door Trail, Notch Trail, Castle Trail, plus quieter spots like Saddle Pass Trail and Roberts Prairie Dog Town. No guide, no schedule, works offline.
explore by interest
Signature Trails
- Notch Trail1.5 miles round trip · Moderate
Climbs a log-and-rope ladder, then follows a ledge to a notch overlooking the White River Valley.
- Castle Trail10 miles round trip · Moderate (long but flat)
Longest trail in the park, running between the Door/Window/Notch parking area and the Fossil Exhibit Trail across mixed-grass prairie and rock formations.
- Door Trail0.75 miles round trip · Easy
Boardwalk leads through a break in the Badlands Wall into an eroded badlands landscape; the route beyond the boardwalk is marked by numbered posts.
- Saddle Pass Trail0.25 miles round trip · Strenuous
Steep, often slippery climb up the Badlands Wall connecting the Castle and Medicine Root trails; can be impassable when wet.
- Fossil Exhibit Trail0.25 miles round trip · Easy
Accessible boardwalk with displays of fossils of animals that once lived in the area, such as the rhino-like Subhyracodon.
Must-See in Badlands
- •Door Trail — a 0.75-mile round trip through a natural opening in the Badlands Wall to an otherworldly landscape
- •Notch Trail — a 1.5-mile round trip with a log ladder climb and a canyon notch overlook
- •Castle Trail — a 10-mile point-to-point trail through the heart of the Badlands formations
- •Pinnacles Overlook — a viewpoint at the highest point of Badlands Loop Road with panoramic views
Best Viewpoints
- •Pinnacles Overlook (near the northwest entrance, good for sunset)
- •Big Badlands Overlook (just inside the northeast entrance)
- •Yellow Mounds Overlook (banded yellow paleosol formations)
- •Panorama Point
- •Conata Basin Overlook
Quieter Corners of Badlands
- •Saddle Pass Trail — a short, steep scramble up the Badlands Wall with expansive views from the top
- •Roberts Prairie Dog Town — a large black-tailed prairie dog colony visible from the road with animals active at dawn and dusk
Wildlife You May See
Entrance Fee
$30 per private vehicle, valid 7 days; $25 motorcycle; $15 per person on foot or bicycle. An annual Badlands park pass is $55. The $80 America the Beautiful interagency annual pass is accepted.
Getting There
Off Interstate 90 in southwestern South Dakota. Use I-90 Exit 131 (near Cactus Flat) for the northeast entrance and Ben Reifel Visitor Center, or Exit 110 (Wall) for the Pinnacles entrance. The park is about 60 miles east of Rapid City and its regional airport (RAP). There is no public transit; a car is required.
Where to Stay
Inside the park: Cedar Pass Lodge (cabins, open seasonally) near Ben Reifel Visitor Center, plus Cedar Pass Campground (reservable, with showers and electric sites). Sage Creek Campground is free, first-come first-served, with vault toilets and no water. Backcountry camping is allowed in the wilderness with no permit required, at least 0.5 mile from roads and out of sight of them. The nearby towns of Wall and Interior have additional motels.
Best Time
Spring (April–May) and fall (September–October) offer mild temperatures and fewer crowds. Summer is hot and is peak visitation; winter is cold, but the park and Badlands Loop Road stay open year-round.
Safety
The top hazard is the terrain itself: the clay-rich formations become slippery when wet, and steep, crumbly edges and unfenced overlooks cause falls. Summer heat regularly exceeds 100°F (38°C) with little shade, so carry water (at least 1 gallon per person per day) since trails have none. Prairie rattlesnakes are present; watch where you step and place your hands. Sudden thunderstorms bring lightning and flash flooding in low areas. Keep at least 100 feet from bison, which can charge.
Scenic Drives
- •Badlands Loop Road (SD Highway 240): about 31 miles connecting the northeast entrance (I-90 Exit 131) and the Pinnacles entrance (Exit 110), passing most major overlooks
- •Sage Creek Rim Road: a gravel road off the loop running west past Roberts Prairie Dog Town and into the Sage Creek Wilderness, where bison are often seen
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