The views that can be observed in the United States always reserve some surprises; some seem almost to come from another planet by how peculiar they are compared to the surrounding environment. This is the case of Badlands National Park, that, even though it is outside the classic USA road trips, can certainly provide an interesting starting point for planning your trip.
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How to get to the Badlands National Park
Badlands National Park is located in South Dakota. The nearest town of some importance is Rapid City which is about an hour’s drive away. To enter the park you need to pay an entrance fee of $30 per car unless you have the America the Beautiful pass.
There are two ways to get to the park from Rapid City: take Interstate 90, which will take you to Badlands Loop Road (more on that later), or take Highway 44, which, although longer, offers more spectacular views along the way and will take you south to the park from Interior. 
The park has three entrances that are also marked on our interactive map:
- Northeast Entrance (I-90, Exit 131)
- Pinnacles Entrance (I-90, Exit 110)
- Interior Entrance (20640 SD Hwy 377, Interior)
The park is open 24 hours a day every day of the week. In contrast, the Ben Reifel Visitor Center (25216 Ben Reifel Road, Interior, SD 57750) has opening hours that vary depending on the time of year.
- 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (winter)
- 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (April and May)
- 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (summer)
- 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (September and October)
Things to do at Badlands National Park
The main reason for visiting Badlands National Park is to photograph the particular rock formations, in technical terms called gullies, which have taken on particular, fascinating shapes and colors thanks to a particular erosion process. The images that immediately show off the beauty of this park make words almost pointless.
North Unit – Badlands Wilderness Area
This is the part of the park that records the highest number of visitors, since it is the one where you can admire the jagged, colorful mountain ranges from close up, which are the main reason why it is worth visiting this area.
When planning a road trip to the United States, you have to organize your time as best as possible. For this reason it is not always possible to explore natural attractions in full, but in the States, most of the national parks can be visited comfortably by car, stopping from time to time along the scenic spots.
Fortunately, Badlands National Park is one of these. In this case, you can drive along Highway 240, better known as Badlands Loop Road, which has the advantage of offering some of the best views of the park and which theoretically can be driven in its entirety in just one hour (excluding photo stops, of course).
Stronghold Unit – Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
The southern part of the park is the least frequented, both because of the inhospitable nature of the area and because the best things to see in Badlands National Park are in the northern part. If you want to venture south, however, the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation may be worth a visit, especially the Wounded Knee Massacre Site, a place sadly linked to the history of Native Americans.
Here, in fact, more than 250 Indians were massacred by troops of the U.S. Army’s 7th Cavalry. Here today, a bit abandoned and desolate, there is still the mass grave where the bodies of the natives were buried, a church, some tombstones and some informative signs that tell of the historical events that occurred here.
Badlands National Park Tours
If you want to leave your car (or rental car) parked for a day and stay in Rapid City, you can consider an organized tour that, in addition to the park, will take you to discover the curious Minuteman Missile National Historic Site (described below) by clicking on the link below.
Badlands National Park Day Tour
Badlands National Park Hiking Trails
As in all American national parks, there are many excursions that you can undertake. In this case I would like to point out the most important and interesting hikes in Badlands National Park (in terms of landscape). If you decide to take a walk along the trails, be sure to have a supply of water with you, as well as suitable clothing depending on the time of year.
- Door Trail (0.75 miles round trip): this trail leads to an opening in the Badlands mountains known as “the Door”. This is also the point where the trail officially ends and it is not recommended to continue further.
- Notch Trail (1.5 miles round trip): this is a challenging trail that is not recommended for those who suffer from vertigo, as after passing through a canyon, you’ll climb a wooden staircase to reach a ridge overlooking the White River Valley.
- Cliff Shelf (2600 feet round trip): a very short trail suitable for everyone. Thanks to its elevated position, it allows you to admire the whole surrounding area from above
- Fossil Exhibit Trail (1300 feet round trip): in addition to the views, this short trail is recommended for those who want to discover something more about fossils and geological history of this area. Along the trail you will find information panels and some replicas of the same fossils.
Best Time to Visit Badlands National Park
The climate in this area of South Dakota is very unpredictable and there is considerable variation in temperature over the course of the seasons. Summers are hot and dry with the likelihood of severe thunderstorms. Winters are cold with frequent snowfall. Throughout the year, however, the weather is very volatile and a beautiful day can turn into bad weather in a matter of hours. For this reason, it is advisable to plan your clothing taking into account all possible contingencies, and to consult the local weather forecast. The minimum and maximum temperatures in the main months of the year are as follows:
- June: 55°/82°
- July: 60°/91°
- August: 60°/89°
- December: 17°/37°
- January: 12°/33°
Where to Stay Near Badlands Park
The city that offers most accommodation solutions is Rapid City, that can be considered as a support point for an excursion to Badlands National Park. By clicking on the link below you can discover the best hotels in the city.
If you want to find a hotel that is as close as possible to the park, a good solution is the Best Western Plains Motel (712 Glenn Street, Wall, SD 57790) 7.5 miles from the Pinnacles Entrance.
In the southern part of the park, you can choose from the Badlands Budget Host (900 sd Hwy 377, Interior, SD 57750), which is a little more spartan solution but with the undoubted advantage of being a little more than 1.2 miles from the south entrance of the park. If you prefer accommodation with a little more to offer, you can go to the Cedar Pass Lodge (20681 South Dakota Highway 240, Interior, South Dakota), literally a stone’s throw from the Ben Reifel Visitor Center.
Things to Do Near Badlands National Park
Since South Dakota can be a bit off the beaten path compared to classic USA road trip itineraries, it may be useful to know that near Badlands National Park there are two very interesting attractions that are definitely worth a visit.
- Mount Rushmore National Memorial: Badlands National Park is the famous mountain on which the faces of four of America’s most famous presidents have been carved: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt (the latter also gave his name to a park in North Dakota, Theodore Roosevelt National Park).
- Minuteman Missile National Historic Site: This National Park Service-operated site near Interstate 90 was built and opened to the public in 1999 to remind everyone of the dangers of the nuclear arms race during the Cold War years. From the Visitor Center you can book a visit to the historic Delta-09 missile site or to the base where the Delta-01 launching cabin was located. For the latter, however, you’ll need to book a tour in advance.
