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Badlands National Park

»Contact Information
»Getting There
»Weather
»Activities
»Historic Photos

Located in southwestern South Dakota, Badlands National Park consists of acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires blended with the largest, protected mixed grass prairie in the United States. The Badlands Wilderness Area
covers 64,000 acres and is the site of the reintroduction of the black-footed ferret, the most endangered land mammal in North America. The Stronghold Unit is co-managed with the Oglala Sioux Tribe and includes sites of 1890s Ghost Dances.
Established as Badlands National Monument in 1939, the area was redesignated "National
Park" in 1978. Over 11,000 years of human history pale to the ages old paleontological
resources. Badlands National Park contains the world's richest Oligocene epoch
fossil beds, dating 23 to 35 million years old. The evolution of mammal species
such as the horse, sheep, rhinoceros and pig can be studied in the Badlands formations.

Contact Information

Badlands National Park
P.O. Box 6
Interior, SD 57750
(605) 433-5361 - Visitor Information

Getting There

By Plane
Rapid City and Sioux Falls have airports

By Car
I-90 to Hwy 240 "Badlands Loop Road" or Hwy 44 from Rapid City.

By Plane
No public transportation is available to the park.

Getting Around
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.

Weather

The Badlands experiences hot, dry summers with occasional violent thunderstorms. Winters are typically very cold with 12 to 24 inches of snowfall. Extremely high winds are common year-round. Sudden and dramatic weather changes are common, so it's good to dress in layers. Hats and sunglasses are recommended.

Activities

Here are some of the activities that are offered at Mount Rainier National Park.

If you want more information about backpacking and hiking, give thebackpacker.com a try. From backpacking gear reviews, hiking trail reviews and much more, it covers all aspects of wilderness travel.

Auto Touring
Biking
Camping
Educational Programs
Hiking
Horseback Riding
Wilderness Area
Wildlife Viewing
Backpacking
Bird Watching
Nature Walks
Stargazing
Cross Country Skiing

Recommended Activities
Explore Cliff Shelf Nature Trail (.5 mile) or Fossil Exhibit Trail (.25mile).

From the Loop Road take a ten mile round trip drive on an unpaved road to Roberts Prairie Dog Town, the largest easily accessed prairie dog
town in the park.

Historic Photos

Click on image to enlarge.

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Find Hiking and Biking Trails

If you like to go hiking or biking, then don't forget to get a map and guidebook. Trails.com offers a great service that allows unlimited downloads of trail guides for a small monthly fee. They even have a 14 day free trial. Whether you are looking for day hikes, backpacking trails, mountain bike routes or just short nature stroll, they cover it all. So let Trails.com help plan your next outing.

RV Information

Are you planning on traveling with your RV? If you are, you should check out the Good Sam Club. The Good Sam Club offers discounts on camping, a free magazine subscription and great tips on traveling with your RV. You can also get a free no-obligation RV Insurance quote . Give them a look and enjoy your trip.

Gear Up For Your Trip