Talk to Your Guide: (605) 252-9100
Talk to Your Guide: (605) 252-9100
Here are the best things to do in Badlands National Park, from the Loop Road and short trails to wildlife and dark night skies, with what you need to plan your visit.
Badlands National Park is 244,000 acres of eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires surrounded by mixed-grass prairie in southwestern South Dakota. It’s about an hour east of Rapid City, and it protects one of the world’s richest fossil beds.
People come for the scenic drive, the short hikes, the wildlife, the photographs and the open horizons. Some stay a few hours and others spend a full day, so use this guide to decide what fits your trip.
The Badlands look the way they do because of layers. The Park Service says the rock here was laid down starting about 75 million years ago, and it only began eroding about 500,000 years ago. That erosion is still going, and it’s what cut the ridges, pinnacles, spires and canyons that rise out of the prairie.
It’s also why the park matters to science, because fossils keep working their way out of the rock as it wears down. The best known are ancient mammals that lived long after the dinosaurs were gone. Guests always ask about Sue, the T. rex, but she didn’t come from the park. She was found near Faith, South Dakota, in 1990, the Black Hills Institute in Hill City dug her out, and she’s at the Field Museum in Chicago today.
What surprises most people is how close the rock and the grass sit together. Mixed-grass prairie runs right up to the formations, and it supports bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, coyotes and golden eagles.
Many travelers pair the park with Mount Rushmore or a drive through the greater Black Hills region, because it fits well into a South Dakota road trip.
Badlands National Park sits just south of Interstate 90 in southwestern South Dakota.
From Rapid City: about 1 hour to the Pinnacles Entrance
From Wall: about 7 miles south to the Pinnacles Entrance
From Mount Rushmore: about 1 hour 45 minutes
The park has three entrance stations: Northeast at Interstate 90 exit 131, Pinnacles at exit 110 near Wall, and Interior. GPS directions aren’t always reliable out here, so look at a park map before you leave.
Most visitors base themselves in Rapid City and make a day trip.
Badlands National Park is open 24 hours a day, all year, but winter weather can close park roads. A private vehicle pays $30 for seven days, by card only, or you can use an America the Beautiful National Park Pass.
Ben Reifel Visitor Center has exhibits, a working fossil lab, restrooms and rangers at the information desk. Check current hours before you go, especially in winter.
Most visitors spend half a day to a full day in Badlands National Park.
Half Day
Drive the Badlands Loop Road and stop at the major overlooks.
Full Day
Add a few short hikes, time for wildlife and sunset at an overlook.
Two Days
Try the longer trails and the backcountry, and see both sunrise and sunset.
If you’re pairing Badlands with Mount Rushmore, leave room for the drive between them, which is about 1 hour 45 minutes.
Wildlife: Bison, bighorn sheep, swift foxes, badgers, prairie dogs and pronghorn all live here, and you may see birds from bald and golden eagles to songbirds. Nobody can promise a sighting, and about one in four of our wildlife tours finds bighorn sheep. You’ll often hear them first, because lambs butting heads make a loud, flat crack that carries across the formations. We built the Badlands Wildlife Expedition around all of this.
Spectacular Landscapes: Buttes, canyons and sharp spires rise straight out of the prairie, and the colors change as the light moves across them through the day.
Incredible Sunset: The sky lights up behind the jagged rock, and then the shadows fill the canyons and the park goes quiet. If you only see one time of day here, make it sunset.
4. Stargazing: The park is remote and has very little light pollution, so the night sky is one of the best reasons to stay late. Our Badlands National Park Sunset and Night Sky tour shows you why golden hour, sunset, blue hour and the dark night sky are our favorites.
In July 2026, Badlands National Park was certified an International Dark Sky Park by DarkSky International, the first and only one in South Dakota. Our International Dark Sky Park tour of the Badlands is built entirely around that certification.
Morning
Enter at the Northeast Entrance. Big Badlands Overlook is the best place we know for sunrise. Then drive the Badlands Loop Road and take your time at the major overlooks, because the shadows and light are at their best early.
Midday
Hike Door Trail or Notch Trail, and be very careful in summer, because temperatures often pass 100 degrees. This isn’t the best time to be at the Badlands. The sun is overhead, the shadows disappear, and the landscape and your photos look washed out. Storms tend to build at this time of day, so keep an eye on a good weather app. One saving grace is the chance of a rainbow.
Evening
Golden hour is the hour before sunset, and it’s when wildlife tends to be most active. The colors brighten, the photographs get better and the summer heat eases. Bison range near Sage Creek, but we don’t recommend Sage Creek Rim Road for inexperienced drivers, rental cars or anything without 4WD. It’s gravel with heavy washboard and soft edges, and it turns slick when it’s wet, which is one good reason to go with a guide.
Night
Pick a clear night and a quiet spot away from car lights. You can see about 7,500 stars with the naked eye, along with shooting stars and satellites, and if you’re lucky the aurora borealis. Use the night setting on your phone for photographs.
There is very little shade in Badlands National Park, so bring water, sunscreen and a hat. The Park Service says to drink a gallon of water a day in summer.
Cell service is limited, so download maps ahead of time.
Stay on marked trails, because the formations are fragile and erosion is constant. Wear closed-toed shoes or boots, because the Park Service says most injuries here come from falls.
On foot, stay at least 100 yards from any wild animal, or stay in your vehicle. Watch for prairie rattlesnakes near boardwalks, stairs and tall grass, and back away slowly if you hear one.
Weather changes quickly, and thunderstorms can cross the prairie with little warning. Wet clay turns to gumbo, which sticks to everything and can stay slick for a few hours or several days.
In peak summer, start early to avoid both heat and traffic.
Yes, if you like wide landscapes, geology, wildlife and space.
It’s especially good for photographers, nature lovers and anyone who wants a place that feels raw and open.
It may not suit you if you’re after forest hiking, lakes or alpine terrain, because the beauty here is stark.
The park also changes every day. The light, the temperature, the shadows, the clouds and the wildlife are never the same twice, so no two of our tours follow the same path. For many travelers, Badlands National Park becomes the unexpected highlight of their South Dakota trip.
Exploring on your own gives you flexibility, and a local guide gives you the story behind what you’re seeing.
A private Badlands tour can include:
Timing built around wildlife
A good spot for sunset
Local knowledge of the geology and history
Someone else doing the driving
A pace set by your group
If you’d rather not work out the timing or where to eat, take a look at our private Badlands National Park tour and our sunset tours. If you’re happy on your own, this guide has what you need.
The full Loop Road takes about 1.5 hours at a steady drive, and most visitors spend several hours with overlooks and short walks.
Yes. The Badlands Loop Road and its overlooks give you plenty of views and photographs, and the park has accessible trails and overlooks too.
Yes, especially the short trails, the overlooks and looking for wildlife. The Park Service calls Fossil Exhibit Trail a great place for little ones. Notch Trail has a ladder, and the park recommends it for age 5 and up.
Yes. Ben Reifel Visitor Center has restrooms with running water, and other stops along the Loop Road have vault toilets.
Late fall, winter, and early spring are the quietest seasons.
Owner and lead guide at My XO Adventures in Rapid City, South Dakota
Daniel Milks is the owner and lead guide of My XO Adventures, based in Rapid City, South Dakota. He leads private days through the Black Hills and Badlands built around wildlife behavior, geology, local history, and photo worthy stops, with a calm pace that leaves room for real discovery. Each route is shaped around your interests, current conditions, and simple, practical planning so your day feels easy, personal, and local. My XO Adventures tours include admission fees for the parks, monuments, and memorials on your itinerary. Learn more about Daniel on his bio page.