Badlands
Striped buttes, spires and mixed-grass prairie rich in fossils, bison and bighorn sheep
- Hours
- Open 24 hours, all year
- Entry
- $30 per car
- Reservations
- Not required
- Size
- 242,756 acres
Badlands Weather Now
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Badlands protects a maze of buttes, pinnacles and gullies carved from layers of sediment and volcanic ash laid down over millions of years. The colorful bands you see record ancient seas, rivers and floodplains, and the rock is eroding about an inch a year. It is one of the richest fossil beds in the world, with remains of ancient rhinos, horses and saber-toothed cats. It was set aside as a national monument in 1939 and became a national park in 1978.
Most people see the park along the Badlands Loop Road, stopping at overlooks and short trails, but much of it is a 64,000-acre wilderness of mixed-grass prairie. The South Unit lies on the Pine Ridge Reservation and is co-managed with the Oglala Sioux Tribe. Black-footed ferrets, once thought extinct, were reintroduced here. Kids sometimes spot real fossils, and a ranger-staffed fossil lab lets you watch paleontologists at work in summer.
The park and surrounding area
- Park boundary
- Other parks
- Major highway
- Road
- Rivers and lakes
- Town
Plan your trip
- Best time to go
- May, June, September and early October bring milder temperatures than the hot, stormy midsummer and the cold, windy winter.
- How long to stay
- One full day covers the Loop Road and short trails; two days lets you add Sage Creek and a night under the stars.
- Getting there
- Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) is about 1 hour 15 minutes from the Pinnacles entrance and a bit more to Ben Reifel Visitor Center; Sioux Falls (FSD) is about 4 hours away.
- Wildlife
- Look for bison, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, mule deer, black-tailed prairie dogs, coyotes and the rare black-footed ferret.
Plan and book
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Where to stay
- Hotels in Wall (opens in a new tab)South Dakota
- Hotels in Interior (opens in a new tab)South Dakota
- Hotels in Rapid City (opens in a new tab)South Dakota
- Lodges inside the park (opens in a new tab)Official NPS list
Tours and activities
- Guided tours on Viator (opens in a new tab)Day trips, wildlife, photography
- Tours on GetYourGuide (opens in a new tab)Compare options and reviews
- Campsites on Recreation.gov (opens in a new tab)Official federal booking site
What to pack for Badlands
- Large water bottle or hydration packThere is almost no shade or water along the trails, and summer days are hot.
- Wide-brim sun hatThe open prairie and pale rock reflect strong sun all day.
- Hiking shoes with good treadThe clay is loose when dry and very slick when wet.
- Windproof jacketWind and fast-moving storms are common on the open plains.
- BinocularsBighorn sheep and bison are often far off on ridges and prairie.
A first day, start to finish
- Door and Window Trails at sunrise
- Fossil Exhibit Trail
- Ben Reifel Visitor Center
- Yellow Mounds and Pinnacles overlooks
- Sage Creek Rim Road for bison and prairie dogs
Don't miss
- Badlands Loop Road (SD 240)A 39-mile scenic drive through the North Unit with more than a dozen overlooks, including Pinnacles and Yellow Mounds.
- Door and Window TrailsShort, easy walks near the northeast entrance that lead through a gap and to a natural window in the Badlands Wall.
- Fossil Exhibit TrailA quarter-mile boardwalk with touchable casts of animals that lived here more than 30 million years ago.
- Yellow Mounds OverlookSoft yellow and red hills made of ancient sea-floor soils, best in early morning or evening light.
- Sage Creek Rim Road and Roberts Prairie Dog TownA gravel road west of Pinnacles where bison herds, bighorn sheep and a large prairie dog town are common sights.
Know before you go
Do
- Carry plenty of water, since there is almost no shade and very little drinking water outside developed areas.
- Pay with a card or buy your pass online, because the park does not accept cash.
- Drive Sage Creek Rim Road early or late in the day for the best chance to see bison and bighorn sheep.
Don't
- Climb on crumbly formations after rain, when the clay turns slick and can give way.
- Pick up fossils; report finds to a ranger instead so scientists can study them.
- Approach bison or prairie dogs, and watch for rattlesnakes in tall grass.
The park is open 24 hours a day, year-round, though winter storms can close roads for a time. Ben Reifel Visitor Center is open all year, about 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in fall and spring, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in summer and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in winter. As of October 2026 the Notch Trail is closed until further notice (since August 31, 2026) while staff repair its ladder.
Stay for sunset at Pinnacles Overlook, then stick around for the dark-sky stargazing the park is known for.Trekker's tip