When approaching the Badlands you are given no foreshadowing of what you are about to see. Without warning, the seemingly endless Dakotan fields and prairies disappear, replaced by a treeless Martian landscape of labyrinthian ravines, jagged ridges, and vividly colored rock spires.
The contrast between the flat, lush fields outside the park and the craggy desolation inside the park can be jarring. Rather than rushing ahead, I recommend pausing to sit with the park’s strangeness when you first arrive. Both the Pinnacles and Northeast entrances have scenic overlooks (Pinnacles and Big Badlands) immediately after you drive in. Whichever way you arrive, pull into one of them, stop, walk to the edge, find a seat, and ask yourself: “What does this place stir up inside me?”
Is it wonder? Excitement? Fear? Boredom? Disquiet? Let yourself be still and observe both the landscape and your emotional reaction to it for 10-15 minutes.
You’ll be surprised how many colors, shapes, and layers you discover (inside and out) the longer you let yourself look.
Orienting Yourself in the Park
The Badlands National Park is in southwestern South Dakota, four hours west of Souix Falls and an hour east of Rapid City along I-90.
While there are three units to this park, the vast majority of visitors only explore the North Unit, and this guide only covers that portion of the park. (Note: the Stronghold and Palmer Creek Units are both within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and are not open whatsover in 2020 due to Covid-19).
National Park map of the Badlands. Image from the official NPS website.
Traversing the North Unit is easy as there is really only one major paved road (called the Badlands Loop Road) which goes the 26 miles between the Northeast and Pinnacles Entrances. It doesn’t matter which way you travel on the road, but I would enter on one side and exit on the other.
Even if you are only planning a day trip, leave a few hours in order to savor this drive and stop at all of the overlooks. The drive is spectacular, cutting through dramatic rock formations and following along cliff edges with big views down to ravines and grasslands far below.
Pro Tip: budget extra time to also drive the dirt Sage Creek Rim Road (really an extension to the Loop Road), which continues past the Pinnacles Entrance. Even if you are planning to end up in Wall, it’s worth it to drive the extra ~25 miles round trip to the western edge of the North Unit and back. I think this section of the park has some amazing vistas and plentiful wildlife (including an ever delightful prairie dog town).
Hiking
There are relatively few established hikes in the park, and most are near the Northeast Entrance.
The 0.7 mile Saddle Pass Trail is good short hike. It’s steep and not suitable for everyone, but if you are looking for a short adventure, it’s fun to climb and leads to a beautiful overlook at the top. The Notch Trail is another great short hike. It’s only 1.5 miles, but is a lot of fun as it requires climbing up (and down) a ladder, travels through a beautiful canyon, and ends at a notch in a cliff wall which looks out over the White River Valley.
If you are looking for a longer day hike, the Castle Trail is the longest established trail in the North Unit (10 miles out and back). It connects the Window and Door with the Fossil Exhibit Trail parking lots. If 10 miles is too much, you can hike a portion of this trail on the 4.5 mile Medicine Root Loop. I thought the trail was interesting, but honestly it didn’t provide views that different from what’s available near many of the pull-outs. So, while I enjoyed it as a hike, I didn’t think it was a “must-do.” If you choose to hike this trail in the summer, be warned it has absolutely no shade.
Lastly, for those looking for a multi-day adventure, consider the 20 miles Sage Creek trail.
Pro Tip: given the lack of established trails, it can be fun to explore off trail near pull-outs along the ridges, but keep in mind a few things. First, if there has recently been rain (or it is about to rain), the ground can get shockingly slippery. Second, the Badlands are in a state of constant erosion, so hiking near edges can be unexpectedly dangerous. Ledges can, and do, give away without warning. Third, the Badlands is full of Prairie Rattlesnakes in the summer. They love to sun themselves on the rocks in the middle of the day.
Can you see the hiker (in white) on one of the ridges in the bottom left corner of this photo? While it was easy for him to get down, his friends had to hoist him back up when he tried to climb back up to them after I took this photo.
Photography
The sun glare can be intense during the days. So, be sure to budget time to shoot during the blue and golden hours. During these times you’ll treated to surprising colors in buttes and beautiful shadows.
My favorite spots to photograph were on buttes near the Big Badlands Overlook, the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, and the Pinnacles Overlook.
There’s no question the desolation and rocks make for the interesting compositions, but don’t forget to capture the life in the park as well. I especially enjoyed photographing the contrast of stone against grasslands, the desert flowers, and the large animals found throughout the park.
Pro tip: Big Horned Sheep are common in the park and make a great addition to any photograph. You can find them on many of the ridges munching away totally indifferent to nearby humans. I saw the most when I was exploring the cliffs along Sage Creek Road.
Where to Stay
Lodge Living: the Cedar Pass Lodge is a stones’ throw from the Ben Riefel visitor center. This site has a handful of (pricey) small cabins for rent seasonally.
Camping: there are two campgrounds in the park: Cedar Pass and Sage Creek. Please note that the Sage Creek campground has no water. Backcountry camping is also available in the park, including along the Castle Trail. Make sure to get a permit from the Visitor Center. Extensive dispersed camping is available throughout the adjacent Buffalo Gap National Grassland.
Pro tip: strong storms with hail and violent winds can blow unexpectedly through the Badlands in the summer. If you are camping frequently check the weather forecasts.
The leading edge of a storm approaching the southern edge of the park in June 2020. I got soaked to the bone seconds after taking this shot.
Motels: If camping isn’t your speed, there are plenty of no frills motels in Kadoka, Wall, and Interior. They are expensive for what they are, but you are paying for proximity. Any of these tiny towns are fine to stay in. I’d pick based on wherever you are coming from and headed toward. The only caveat is that if you like tourist traps, then don’t miss the best advertised souvenir superstore (Wall Drug) in the town of Wall.
Lastly, plenty of additional options exist in Rapid City or the Black Hills if you don’t mind adding an hour + each way to your drive.
A family of big horned sheep resting on the buttes west of the Pinnacles Overlook.
Nearby Places to Explore
If you are headed to the Badlands, budget time to explore the surrounding area as well. There are a lot of treasures in Western South Dakota that make great add-ons to a Badlands trip.
First, don’t miss the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site. The site is off the same highway exit as the Northeast Entrance to the Badlands. During the Cold War 1,000 Minuteman nuclear missiles capable of literally ending the world were hidden throughout the Great Plains, including several at this spot. Here, you can tour one of the silo and control centers. It’s unnerving, on many levels. Note that you must make advanced reservations through the website in order to visit. You can’t simply show-up and sign-up for a tour.
An hour and half west of the Badlands is the town of Spearfish. Hiking up to the Spearfish Falls is a beautiful easy hike. You can extend the hike further, to a more dramatic set of falls if you are feeling up to it.
Further south in the Blacks Hills are a number of parks worth visiting. Custer State Park is a great place to camp, and has a few nice half day mountain hikes including Black Elk Peak and Little Devil’s Tower. If you go, be sure to drive the Pinnacles Highway. The Black Hills also contain two famous cave systems: Wind Cave National Park and Jewell Cave National Monument. Unfortunately, both caves are closed indefinitely in 2020 due to Covid-19, though Wind Cave in particular has some nice above ground hiking. (Click here for my detailed guide on exploring Wind Cave NP).
Lastly, no trip to Black Hills would be complete without a visit to the Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
Looking out over Custer State Park from the top of Little Devil’s Tower.
Personal Reflection
One thing that annoys me about most guides to National Parks is the breathless way they speak about every aspect of every park as if it’s sure to bring the viewer into instant rapture, or how professional glossy pictures can imply every turn holds an effortlessly achieved sublime view. The truth is nature owes us nothing and if we approach it with an entitled attitude we are sure to be disappointed. [This led to a brilliant NPS marketing campaign a few years ago highlighting 1-star park reviews on Yelp].
Yes, beauty sometimes hits you over the head, but with photography (no less than with your naked eye) exploring for its own sake, finding unexpected angles, patience to wait for light to change, and willingness to sit in stillness all have the power to transform something which may seem unremarkable at first sight into an unforgettable miracle.
The Badlands is a case in point of this phenomenon. It would be easy to pass through this park, shrug, and think, “that was boring.” And in fact, that’s exactly what I thought the first time I passed through the park as a 15-year old.
Returning to the park in my 30s, I had a different experience. This time the park again got under my skin, but for different reasons, sometimes for its beauty and sometimes for its desolation. This time, I tried to stop, give myself space to really see what was here beyond my first impressions, and listen whatever this land had to teach me.
I hope you found this guide helpful. Don’t be shy to drop a comment or send me a note via the contact section of my website if you have any ideas or suggestions that could help improve this guide for future readers.