Badlands National Park Sights Guide
Welcome to the Badlands National Park Sights Guide
It is our intent to provide information that will be timely and of assistance in planning a trip, vacation or obtaining data about this park
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There are a number of things to do while enjoying Badlands National park. These activities include but are not limited to biking, camping, hiking, horseback riding, photography and wildlife watching.
Travelers come to the Badlands for many reasons. Some are lured by the park's magnificent rock formations, which reminded Dr. John Evans, an early explorer, of "some magnificent city of the dead, where the labor and the genius of forgotten nations had left behind them a multitude of monuments of art and skill." Others come to camp, photograph wildlife, or search for birds or flowers. More than a few are professional or amateur paleontologists who come to study the fossil remains of Badlands' ancient life.
For all visitors there is much ground to cover. The park consists of three units totaling more than 240,000 acres. The North Unit, which is the best known and most easily explored, includes the 64,000 acre Sage Creek Wilderness Area, a loop road with numerous scenic overlooks and trailheads, and Cedar Pass, where you'll find the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, open year round, and Cedar Pass Lodge, open seasonally. To the south, the Stronghold and Palmer Creek Units are located within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The Stronghold and Palmer Creek Units are managed under a cooperative agreement between the Oglala Lakota and the National Park Service. In the Stronghold Unit, the White River Visitor Center is open seasonally.
There is much to do in the Badlands. When you drive the Badlands Loop Road, you will find scenic overlooks and signs explaining some of what you see. Bring your binoculars! If you are lucky, you may spy bison or pronghorn grazing, or spot a coyote stalking rodents, or perhaps catch a glimpse of bighorn sheep delicately picking their way across the steep slope. A visit to Roberts Prairie Dog Town, five miles west of the Pinnacles Entrance on the unpaved Saga Creek Rim Road, gives you a chance to visit a different "home town." You may walk a nature trail, set off crosscountry with a backpack, or attend an amphitheater program in a summer evening.
Be advised that all plants, animals, rocks, mineral and fossils in Badlands National Park are protected by law. Observe, admire, and photograph everything you see, but do not pick, collect or disturb anything you find here. Do Not feed any of the park wildlife. They can become dependent on human food and will lose their ability to provide for themselves. More than one million visitors come to Badlands National Park each year, so it is important to follow these few rules to preserve the wonders that you find here, and that we all want to leave for future generations.
A few precautions will ensure that your stay in the Badlands is a safe and happy one. Be aware that the weather in the park can be severe and can go from one extreme to another in a short period of time. Dress appropriately, drive with extra caution during stormy or icy conditions, and seek shelter from the thundershowers, hailstorms, and occasional tornadoes that sometimes descend on the Badlands with sudden fury. Theft is uncommon, but it is a good practice to carry valuables in your pockets or backpacks, or lock them in your vehicle. Observing a bison up close in the wild may be a new and exciting experience for park visitors; it can also be dangerous. This is not a zoo, and the animals are wild and free. Never approach a bison closely. They can run faster than 30 miles per hour. Prairie rattlesnakes, spiders and stinging insects are also found within the park, and proper care should be taken to avoid an unpleasant encounter. Hikers are advised to carry maps, a compass, rain gear, stoves, extra clothing, and lots of water, as there are no sources of potable water in the backcountry. Weather can change rapidly in any season and can turn out quite differently from the forecast posted in the visitor center. The sun's rays are strong here, even in winter, so use sun screen if needed. Badlands rock is soft and rockfalls are common. Admire the formations at a distance, rather than climbing on them; seemingly indestructible, these buttes are actually quite fragile. Enjoy the park--safely!
The Badlands are a place of extremes. Your own travels here may produce conflicting responses. You may visit in summer and curse the heat and the violent lighting storms, yet be excited by the wildlife and wildflowers. You may come in winter, chilled by the cold and the winds that roar unhindered out of the north, and still marvel at the exquisite beauty of moonlight glistening on the snow-dusted buttes. Whatever your feelings about the Badlands, you will not come away unaffected. Stay awhile if you can, and let the Badlands reveal themselves to you. The so-called emptiness of the plains is full of traces of ancient life. You will also see eagles hunt, wings outstretched over grassland that seems to go on forever. And above all, you will experience quiet, the near absence of human noise. As you explore, keep in mind that this is a national park. All fossils, rocks, plants and animals must remain where you find them.
The more you observe, the more accustomed you will become to the Badlands landscape. With this familiarity will come a greater appreciation of the park's biological diversity. There is a rich and varied plant community here, including the largest remaining mixed-grass prairie in North America. Grassland wildlife abounds. Coyotes, butterflies, turtles, vultures, snakes, bluebirds, bison and prairie dogs are a few of the mobile residents of the park's prairie. Approached with curiosity and care, the Badlands will provide you with endless pleasure and fascination.
A typical visit lasts three to five hours and includes the park movie, stops at four overlooks, and two walks. The 30-mile Loop Drive is accessed from Interstate 90 and is a two-lane, paved surface. The 30-mile Sage Creek Rim Road is gravel and impassable after heavy rains or snows. Five trails, varying from one-fourth mile to eight miles in length, explore park features. The remainder of the park is open to exploration using a topographic map and a compass.
For a detailed list of Badlands hiking possibilities, with locations and trails, see the Hiking Page. Hiking trails of varying length and difficulty lead to and through different areas of Badlands National Park. Five trails, varying from one-fourth mile to eight miles in length, explore park features.
Join a National Park Service ranger to explore Badlands's natural and cultural history. Join a ranger on a hike or walk and learn about the forces that once shaped this landscape - and continue to do so, see the Calendar Page. Regularly scheduled walks, guided hikes and evening campfire programs by rangers, mid-June through the beginning of September. Check bulletin boards in the park for details. Also, check at the visitor centers for information on the Junior Ranger program for children ages six through eleven. These are just some of the ways to discover the diversity of the scenic, natural and historic wonders that comprise Badlands National Park.
Located near the park entrance, Ben Reifel Visitor Center houses exhibits, park video, touch room display, park offices, restrooms, water and phones. Information is available and books, maps and other items are sold.
The 30 mile round trip paved road in the park travels through spectacular scenery and leads to major park features. The 30 mile Loop Drive is accessed from Interstate 90, and it is a two lane, paved surface. The 30 mile Sage Creek Road is gravel. The basic road tour with stops at overlooks requires several hours to a half day. Allow more time if you plan to hike or otherwise experience the park.
Take ten mile round trip drive to Roberts Prairie Dog Town (from Loop Road). The road is not paved.
Other South Dakota Sights to See
South Dakota National Park
Wind Cave National Park
South Dakota National Memorial or Monument
Jewel Cave National Monument
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
South Dakota National Recreational Areas
Black Hills National Forest
South Dakota National Historic Site
Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
Wounded Knee
South Dakota National Parks Page
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