To many visitors, Badlands National Park appears as a strange alien landscape composed of eroded pinnacles, buttes, and hoodoos. Look a little closer however, and you’ll see that the park is also home to the country’s largest undisturbed mixed grass prairie. The Badlands covers 242,756 acres, 64,144 of which are protected as designated wilderness, and is home to 31 miles of scenic byway. This means that whether you have a couple of hours to spend, or a couple weeks, consider these Five Ways to Enjoy Badlands National Park.
Though the terrain is stark, there is life here among the eroded formations and grassland — bison, rocky mountain bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, pronghorn, and a host of other wildlife make their home here. You may very well have the opportunity to see all of these during your visit, as well as amazing scenic viewpoints overlooking the amazing natural architecture of the park.
**Glen’s note – we’ve held a few of these travel blogs specifically because of the impact of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. While most of the information remains relevant, we highly encourage you to call ahead and check what (if any) restrictions or limited services are in place within the Badlands National Park. Also, check out our blog on Trusted Traveler Programs that will help you navigate airports!**
Drive Badlands Loop Road
Unfortunately, you may not be able to experience everything a national park has to offer with a single visit. If you only have a few hours to enjoy the Badlands, you can see much of the amazing landscape and eroded formations from the Badlands Loop State Scenic Byway (SD 240).
You can enter the park on the Badlands Loop from either the Northeast or Pinnacles Entrance. Even though you’re only looking at driving about 30 miles, expect to spend at least an hour in the park. I would recommend budgeting even more though — it’s not unusual for wildlife to cross the road, and you don’t want to miss out on some of the amazing overlooks. Two or three hours will give you enough time to enjoy the drive, but if you plan on doing any hiking you may want to plan on spending the whole day.
Enjoy Some Day Hikes
Badlands National Park looks amazing from the Badlands Loop Road and its many overlooks, but it’s even better on foot. The landscape is stark and the terrain is challenging, but the beauty of the park makes every step worth the effort. If you plan on doing any hiking in the park, check out the park’s hiking guide while you plan your visit.
If you don’t have a lot of hiking experience you can find some relatively easy trails in the park. The Door Trail is only .75 miles and the first .25 is on a wooden boardwalk that leads to a “the Door,” an opening in the Badlands Wall that shows a great view of one section of the park. Beyond that spot, the trail is unmaintained.
The Window Trail, another short easy trail, runs only .25 miles leading to an amazing view of an incredible canyon through another natural opening in the Badlands Wall. The Fossil Exhibit Trail is another quarter mile boardwalk trail featuring a number or exhibits and fossil replicas of the extinct animals that lived in this area in the distant past.
Want a more challenging hike?
Give the Notch Trail a try — it shares a trailhead with the Door and Window Trails, and though it’s only about 1.5 miles round trip, it requires scaling a log ladder, skirting a cliff, and scrambling over rock. Want another challenge? Head to Saddle Pass Trail. Despite the fact that it’s less than a half mile round trip, it’s incredibly challenging. The terrain will crumble beneath your feet and you may struggle to keep your footing as you fight your way up the steep trail. The difficult hike ends overlooking the beautiful White River Valley, which will make you forget about the challenge on the way up.
At least until you make your way back down to the trailhead! You also could opt instead to hop on one of the longer trails that connect with Saddle Pass, like Medicine Loop or Castle Trail. These are a bit longer, but absolutely worth exploring if you have the time. Make sure that you take plenty of water with you, and wear sunscreen.
Stay in the Cedar Pass Lodge
Want to spend a few nights in the park? The Cedar Pass Lodge provides an option for those that prefer sleeping with a roof overhead. Operated by Forever Resorts, the lodge offers eco-friendly cabins built in 2012-2013 to resemble the parks original 1928 cabins. Don’t let the traditional design fool you, these cabins have everything that you and your family will need — sleeping for two or up to six, flat screen TVs with satellite reception, mini fridges, coffee makers, and ultra quiet air conditioning and heat.
Cedar Pass Lodge also offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner featuring locally sourced fare — whether you’re staying in one of the lodge’s cabins, camping in the park, or just passing through, stop and enjoy a bite to eat at a table with more incredible views of the park.
Camp in the Badlands
If you want to camp in Badlands National Park you have a few different options depending on your skill level and the experience that you’d like to have. Your first option is to camp at Cedar Pass Campground. Here you’ll stay at one of 96 designated sites, each with a shaded picnic table. You’ll have access to running water and flush toilets, as well as pay showers, and the Cedar Pass Lodge restaurant. These sites fill up quickly during the peak season, so plan ahead.
Interested in a more primitive Badlands camping experience? Check out the Sage Creek Campground. You can camp free here, but there are no services available here. There’s a dumpster and vault toilets, but no water or electricity. Make sure that you have everything that you need when you head out.
The Backcountry
Your final camping option is to pack into the backcountry. You don’t need any reservations — you don’t even have to get a permit — to backpack and stay in the backcountry at Badlands National Park. That said, you should check in with a ranger at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center before you begin your trek. The ranger will let you know of any safety concerns or places you should avoid. You should also make sure that someone knows where you’re going and when to expect you back, and to use any trail registers from the spots where you begin your hike. This might seem overcautious, but the Badlands backcountry can be dangerous. You may run into rattlesnakes, bison, or other wildlife — stay at least 100 feet away from wild animals when you spot them.
The terrain can prove challenging in some areas, so mind your footing and wear shoes or boots with ankle support. Lastly, you will find no potable water in the backcountry. The water you do find cannot be filtered, treated, or boiled to render it drinkable. The mineral content is simply too high and the sediment to fine. You will need to pack in all the water that you will need, and take plenty because you’re probably going to sweat! You’ll have no amenities or facilities in the backcountry, and you’ll need to practice Leave No Trace fundamentals — that means carrying out all of your trash, including toilet paper.
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Final Thoughts on Five Ways to Enjoy Badlands National Park
We hope the information in our piece – Five Ways to Enjoy Badlands National Park, can help you with an informed decision when planning your vacation. Be sure to check out some of our other outdoor pieces like A Beginner’s Guide to hiking our National Parks or Four Great Reasons to Visit National Parks.
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Wade Ellett runs Intrepid Daily, a website devoted to helping people lead more adventurous lives. He recently moved to Spearfish, SD where he spends his time exploring the Black Hills National Forest with his wife and dog, and enjoying South Dakota’s six national parks and NPS managed sites.
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