Badlands National Park

The Badlands rise from the South Dakota grassland as a surreal maze of eroded spires, ridges and buttes banded in reds, golds and greys, sculpted from ancient sediments rich in fossils. Stark and colourful, roamed by bison, bighorn sheep and prairie dogs, it is one of the most otherworldly landscapes in the country.

Background

Known in Lakota as Makȟóšiča, the park protects 242,756 acres of eroded buttes and pinnacles along with the biggest stretch of undisturbed mixed grass prairie in the country. In the North Unit, 64,144 acres form the Badlands Wilderness, one of the places where the black-footed ferret was returned to the wild. The South Unit is co-managed with the Oglala Lakota tribe and contains Red Shirt Table, the highest point at 3,340 feet. The area was authorized as a national monument on March 4, 1929, established only on January 25, 1939, and made a national park on November 10, 1978. Native Americans have used it as hunting grounds for 11,000 years, and the park counted 1,006,809 visits in 2022.

Source: Wikipedia, "Badlands National Park"

Highlights

• The Badlands Loop Road - the scenic drive with overlooks over the striped formations.
• Sunrise and sunset - the banded rock glowing in the low light.
• Wildlife - bison, bighorn sheep, pronghorn and prairie dog towns.
• Fossils - the ancient mammal fossils the badlands are famous for.

When to go

Late spring and early autumn for mild weather; summer is very hot and exposed, winter cold and windy. Sunrise and sunset light the formations most dramatically.

Practical notes

It is stark and exposed with little shade, so summer heat and sudden storms are a real factor. It is remote on the northern plains, best combined with the wider Black Hills region. The formations are seen mostly from the drive and short trails.

Nearby

Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills are to the west near Rapid City; the Wall Drug roadside stop is on the way.

Key facts