After our stop at Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, we headed across the road to Badlands National Park. The term “badlands” refers to certain types of geological erosion. Badlands National Park features all kinds of formations, canyons, and gullies. The views are truly unmatched, and it’s absolutely a worthwhile trip to explore.
Address and Location
The Badlands has two main entrances. You’ll find the east entrance at exit 131 (Interior) on I-90 and the west entrance at Exit 110 (Wall) on I-90. If you’re not on the interstate, you can also access the park from SD 44. Since we stopped at Minuteman Missile National Historic Site first, we opted for the east entrance.
Cost
All passes are good for seven days. A private vehicle costs $25, a motorcycle costs $15, and individuals (biking or hiking) cost $12 for those 16 and older. An annual pass for the Badlands will set you back $50, and America The Beautiful pass holders get in free.
What to do
If you have a few hours or one day, drive the main highway through the Badlands. Be sure to get out at some of the many scenic outposts and just take in the incredible view. You can also hike a few of the smaller loops. If you have or are a camper, you can spend days or even weeks exploring everything the Badlands has to offer. Regardless of what you plan to do, make sure you pack plenty of extra water. I would also recommend having sunscreen and bug spray handy.
We opted to drive through the park. You’ll get a map at the park entrance, so you can figure out where you want to stop. We pulled off at most of the marked scenic views and a few others that weren’t official stops. Be sure to watch the roads as a lot of people pull off where they can.
Also keep your eyes peeled for animals. The Visitors’ Center sits a few miles into the park, so you’ll have to drive to get there. The rangers update a map daily with current animal sightings. These are wild animals, so they may not be in the same spots by the time you get there. We saw pronghorn and buffalo.
South Dakota National Park properties:
The Badlands are gorgeous! It’s hard to describe what it’s like. I remember seeing signs that reminded you to keep your bearings because it was easy to get disoriented on the moon like terrain. Crazy! We drove through, too, and stopped to get out. Although it was 100+ degrees there in Summer so we kept our hikes and explorations short 🙂