Badlands National Park244,000 acres of eroded buttes and pinnacles, the world's richest Oligocene fossil bed, and the largest mixed-grass prairie in the U.S.
244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles, and spires in southwestern South Dakota, blended with the largest protected mixed-grass prairie in the country. The Lakota called it Mako Sica — 'land bad' — for its lack of water and broken terrain. The Oligocene fossil beds (35 million years old) are among the world's richest, with ancient horses, three-toed rhinos, sabertooth cats, and the giant pig-like archaeotherium. Designated a national monument in 1939 and redesignated a national park in 1978; today it protects bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, and reintroduced black-footed ferrets.
- 244,000Acres
- 1978Established
- Largest in U.S.Mixed-grass prairie
- ~1,200Bison herd
Land of stone and lightthe world's richest Oligocene fossil bed.
Badlands National Park sits in southwestern South Dakota, between the Missouri and Cheyenne Rivers, on the western edge of the Great Plains. The Lakota called it Mako Sica — 'land bad' — long before French-Canadian fur trappers translated it as les mauvaises terres à traverser ('the bad lands to cross'). What looks like a moonscape is actually 75 million years of stratified sedimentary rock — Pierre Shale at the bottom (an ancient sea floor), Chadron Formation in the middle (Eocene jungle), and Brule and Sharps Formations on top (Oligocene savanna) — being eroded one inch a year by wind and water. At current rates, the entire formation will be gone in another 500,000 years.
The Oligocene fossil beds (35 million years old) are some of the richest in the world. The first scientific specimens were collected in 1846; today the park's collections include specimens of the giant pig-like archaeotherium, three-toed horses (mesohippus), early rhinos (subhyracodon), sabertooth cats (hoplophoneus), and the dog-sized giant beaver palaeocastor. The Conata Picnic Area Fossil Trail is the only place inside the park where casual visitors can see fossils embedded in situ — and where rangers run summer touch-table programs every Saturday.
The 31-mile Badlands Loop Road (SD-240) connects the Pinnacles Entrance on the west to the Northeast Entrance, with 16 named overlooks and the Ben Reifel Visitor Center (Cedar Pass) in between. Plan three to four hours for the loop with stops, plus an extra 90 minutes for the Sage Creek Rim Road dirt detour through the Badlands Wilderness — the highest-probability bison and bighorn drive in the park. The South Unit, on the Pine Ridge Reservation, has no through-road; the White River Visitor Center is the only summer-staffed access. Cedar Pass Lodge (April–October) and Cedar Pass Campground are the two in-park lodging options.
What you'll seehighlights of Badlands National Park.
A short loop through the exhibits, encounters, and shows that make this stop worth a half-day on its own.
Badlands Loop Road — 31 miles
SD-240 connects the Pinnacles Entrance (off I-90 exit 110) and the Northeast Entrance (exit 131), with 16 named overlooks: Big Badlands, Door Trail, Yellow Mounds, Pinnacles, Panorama Point. Allow 2–3 hours nonstop, half a day with stops and the visitor center. Open year-round; in winter the road is plowed but ice closures happen.
Sage Creek Rim Road & Roberts Prairie Dog Town
A 22-mile gravel detour through the Badlands Wilderness Area — the most reliable bison-spotting drive in the park (about 1,200 head live in the wilderness). Roberts Prairie Dog Town is one of the largest black-tailed prairie dog colonies in North America (300+ acres of burrows). Slick when wet, fine when dry — passenger cars are usually OK in summer.
Notch Trail — ladder climb to the prairie edge
The most popular hike in the park — 1.5 miles round-trip with a wooden ladder bolted into a sandstone face midway. Leads to a dramatic notch in the Wall overlooking the White River Valley and (on clear days) the South Unit. Trailhead at the Door/Window/Notch parking area; allow 90 minutes. Hold the ladder rails — the sandstone steps are smooth.
Castle Trail — 10 miles end to end
The longest hike in the park — a 5-mile one-way trail (10 round-trip) along the Wall from the Door Parking Area to Fossil Exhibit Trail. Mostly flat, mostly exposed, no shade. Connects with the Saddle Pass and Medicine Root loops for a network of 14+ miles of trails. Best done as a shuttle hike with two cars, or in shoulder seasons when temperatures drop below 90°F.
Fossil Exhibit Trail — Oligocene specimens in situ
A 0.25-mile boardwalk loop with cast replicas of fossils that have been excavated from the immediate area — three-toed horses (mesohippus), giant pig-like archaeotherium, sabertooth cat (hoplophoneus). The first paleontology specimens were collected here in 1846; the park's active dig sites are off-limits, but rangers run touch-table programs at the Conata Picnic Area every summer Saturday.
Cedar Pass Lodge — 1928 cabins
Twenty-six log cabins clustered around the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, originally built 1928 by Ben Millard, designated as concessioner cabins by the NPS in 1939. Renovated 2014. Open mid-April through mid-October; the Cedar Pass Lodge restaurant serves Indian Fry Bread Tacos using a recipe from the Oglala Sioux Tribe (the lodge concession is tribally affiliated). Reserve 6+ months ahead in summer.
Stargazing — Bortle Class 2 dark sky
Badlands is one of the darkest skies in the National Park system — Bortle Class 2 across most of the park, dropping to Class 1 in the South Unit. The Cedar Pass Amphitheater hosts ranger-led night sky programs nightly Memorial Day through Labor Day, weather permitting. Bring red-light flashlights only; the Milky Way core is visible from April through October overhead.
Black-footed ferret reintroduction
The black-footed ferret was declared extinct in 1979 — then a Wyoming rancher's dog brought home a dead specimen in 1981. Eighteen survivors became the founding population of a captive breeding program; Badlands released its first reintroduced ferrets in 1994. Today about 100 ferrets live in the park, mostly inside Roberts Prairie Dog Town. Spotted only at night with red flashlights — patience required.
Hours & tickets
Open hours
Park is open 24/7 year-round. Ben Reifel Visitor Center: 8 AM–5 PM (MT) summer, 9 AM–4 PM winter. White River Visitor Center (South Unit, on Pine Ridge Reservation) is summer-only, typically June–August. Temperatures swing from -40°F in winter to 116°F in summer; sudden afternoon thunderstorms in July and August can flood unimproved roads.
- MondayOpen 24 hrs
- TuesdayOpen 24 hrs
- WednesdayOpen 24 hrs
- ThursdayTodayOpen 24 hrs
- FridayOpen 24 hrs
- SaturdayOpen 24 hrs
- SundayOpen 24 hrs
Note · No timed-entry reservations needed. The Pinnacles and Northeast entrances are the two main vehicle gates; both feed the 31-mile Badlands Loop Road (SD-240). Sage Creek Rim Road is gravel and unpaved — slick when wet, fine when dry. Badlands has no cell service in most of the park; pick up a paper map at the visitor center.
Ticket pricing
Per-person admission. Buy in advance to skip the gate line.
- Private vehicle (1–7 days)$30Driver and all passengers, 7 consecutive days
- Per person (foot, bike)$15Individuals 16+, 7 consecutive days
- Motorcycle$25Up to 2 motorcycles, up to 4 passengers
- Annual Badlands pass$55Unlimited entry to Badlands for 12 months
- Cedar Pass Lodge cabin$285In-park lodging, mid-April through mid-October
- America the Beautiful — Annual$80All U.S. national parks and federal recreation lands
Children 15 and under enter free. Cedar Pass Campground ($28/night, 96 sites, water + flush toilets) is reservable; Sage Creek Campground (free, 22 sites, vault toilets) is first-come and lets you sleep among bison. The South Unit on Pine Ridge Reservation is co-managed with the Oglala Sioux Tribe — the visitor center is the place to learn about the Stronghold, the site of the 1890 Ghost Dance.
Plan your visitStay near Badlands National Parkhand-picked vacation rentals nearby.
No matches.
Try loosening your filters or clearing the search.