Badlands National Park has some of the most unique geographic features. South Dakota, for the most part, is this flat expanse of farmlands until you reach this one special place.
Millions of years of history have sculpted the landscape here, including a vast jungle and immense body of water that used to cover what now looks like a scene from Tatooine in a Star Wars movie.
The layers of color in the stone indicate various time periods throughout history, including the pinks and reds created from a chemical reaction of jungle and water. If you know what to look for, the land speaks volumes to what once was, and the abundance of fossils discovered here can help piece together the history of the natural world.
Planning your trip
Where to stay
On the drive to Badlands National Park you will start to notice that there is sign after sign urging you to visit Wall Drug. Located in the town of Wall, this large “drugstore” has everything. It is one of the most eclectic and crazy places.
Historically, Wall Drug provided free ice water and 5 cent coffee. Today it still boasts this offer.
The town of Wall is literally one street with 2-3 restaurants, including one in Wall Drug, but it’s 10 minutes from the park entrance and the perfect place to stay. Just don’t expect a 5-star hotel (though you can get a million-star campsite within the park).
Best time of year to visit Badlands National Park
I visited in October, outside of the peak season. It was perfect. It’s not super-hot and there is almost no one around.
I will always recommend visiting places during the shoulder or off seasons if possible to avoid the heaviest of the crowds.
What does it cost to visit Badlands National Park?
Park entrance fees are $30 per car, or you can travel the more sustainable way and take a bike or hike in, which will cost you $15. That pass is good for entrance to the park for 7 days.
How long does it take to go through Badlands National Park?
You can visit Badlands National Park in one day and see pretty much everything, but to really do it justice and not feel rushed you should really give it two days.
Two days gives you the chance to do all of the hikes, go star gazing, drive the park and stop at the look-offs and see all the amazing wildlife that call the Badlands home.
What is Badlands National Park best known for?
Fossils. Badlands National Park is one of the richest fossil beds in the country. Make sure to visit the fossil prep lab at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. Scientists can be seen chiseling away rock with a special tool, carefully extracting ancient fossils.
There are also several fossils on display, showcasing the animals that once called this area home.
Honorable mention: One of the unique things about Badlands National Park is the ability to hike and camp anywhere. There is no requirement to stay on a particular trail. They do provide signs so you can stick to the trail, but if you want to find a space that is truly your own for the night, you can.
Top Things to do in Badlands National Park
Wildlife Viewing
My favorite part. I wanted to see all the wildlife that called the Badlands home, and I did, except for the venomous snakes (which I really wanted to see but it was a bit late in the year for them to be out sunning on the rocks).
Driving along the main road you will see lots of Prairie dog towns (love these little guys! What personality), bighorn sheep, and bison. You may also see pronghorn antelope if you are lucky.
Hiking the Badlands
In a lot of the national parks there is an endless list of hikes you could do. Badlands, not so much. That’s not a bad thing, it gives you the chance to do it all, which I think is unique.
Door Trail
The Door trail, Window trail, Notch Trail and Castle Trail are all located at the same pull-off.
This is an easy 0.75 miles/1.2 km (round trip) trail that has a ¼ mile of accessible boardwalk in the beginning that provides views of the unique rock formations.
Once you get off the boardwalk into the open expanse of the rock there are sign posts that lead you among the spires and crevice’s, but feel free to take your own root.
You can wander around here for a long time just wandering different paths, but honestly, once you have gotten to the end of the posted root, there isn’t much additional to see.
Window Trail
The Window Trail is an easy 0.25 miles/0.4 km (round trip) walk through what the national park service labels an “intricately eroded canyon. It’s a quick one, with a nice view at the end, though they ask that you stay on the boardwalk trail.
Notch Trail
The Notch Trail was my favorite of all the hikes. They say it’s not for the faint of heart because of drop-offs. Honestly, and I’m afraid of heights, the only thing that made me uneasy was the ladder you have to climb up and then back down.
This is a cool place to explore. In one area you get a view of the Cliff Shelf Nature Trail but there are so many areas where the rocks have little pockets and hidden areas it’s just a lot of fun.
It’s rated on the national park service website as moderate to strenuous, but I can’t say I really agree. Again, other than the ladder, it wasn’t that challenging and large swaths of it is flat. The trail itself is 1.5 miles/2.4 km (round trip) and winds through a beautiful canyon area.
Cliff Shelf Nature Trail
The Cliff Shelf Nature Trail is very different from the first 3 I mentioned. This 0.5 miles/0.8 km (round trip) is labelled as moderate because of a 200-foot elevation gain. There is a lot of boardwalk and some paths through juniper trees, which makes you feel like you left Badlands and went somewhere else.
The presence of flora shows that this area has more water than other areas, which historically made it a stopping point for hunters.
They do ask that you stay on the trail here as well.
Castle Trail
The Castle Trail is an out and back trail that is 10 miles/16 km (round trip). It starts in the same parking area as the first 3 mentioned on this list and though long, is pretty flat and easy walking.
The trail ends at the Fossil Exhibit trail. I hiked the Castle Trail starting at the Fossil Exhibit trail and on the return too the Medicine Root Loop portion to vary the terrain a bit.
There is also the Saddle Pass trail that joins up with both the Castle Trail and Medicine Root Loop. I didn’t so this .25 miles/.40 km (round trip) steep climb. After seeing what the end of the trail looked like from the junction of the trails, I didn’t feel it would add anything to what I was already doing (other than a pretty serious climb).
If you are going to do the Castle Trail or the Medicine Root Loop, in my opinion, you can skip the Saddle Pass Trail.
Medicine Root Loop
The Medicine Root Loop is a 4 miles/6.4 km (round trip) fairly easy trail that connects to the Castle Trail. You walk through a lot of grassland area, with some cool looking rock formations in some areas. It’s a nice walk but not extremely visually stimulating.
Fossil Exhibit Trail
This is a cool little 0.25 miles/0.4 km (round trip) fully accessible boardwalk trail that highlights the animals that came before. There are informational signs showing those species that died off, those that evolved and those that moved to other areas.
Camping in Badlands National Park
As I mentioned above you can camp practically anywhere in the Badlands. You just have to be away from a trail and road. There are also designated camping sites at Sage Creek Wilderness area and Cedar Pass, if your more into car camping than backcountry camping.
Star gazing in Badlands National Park
One of the top things to do in Badlands National Park is stargazing.
There are organized events, where a ranger will give a one-hour presentation, pointing out various constellations. If you are just looking for a nice place to sit a see the milky way and more stars than you can imagine (including some “shooting stars”), many of the lookoffs are perfect for viewing.
I recommend the Pinnacles overlook. You can park in their pull-off and either stay there or walk down the steps to a lower area where there is a bench and a great place for viewing. In October, it can get a bit cold so dress appropriately, or bring a blanket.
Concluding Thoughts
There are so many different ways to experience this park. Though you can see most of what it has to offer in just a few days, you can also spend a week just exploring the backcountry, camping, and watching the stars.
It’s a great park that is accessible to people of all ages and abilities.
