Best trails in Badlands National Park
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Visitor info
Fee covers the entry of a motorcycle and its occupants for 7 days
Fee covers the entry of an individual that is hiking, bicycling, etc... for 7 days
Fee covers the entry of a private vehicle and its occupants for 7 days
This pass admits a single, private, non commercial vehicle and its occupants into the park. This pass does not include camping or give any type of discount at stores inside the park. Valid for one year from month of purchase.
Join millions of people who enjoy our National Parks with the "America the Beautiful" National Park & Federal Recreational Lands Pass, otherwise known as the Interagency Annual Pass. The pass is valid for a year's worth of visits from the month of purchase at more than 2,000 federal recreation sites across the country.
No entrance pass required on these days:
Monday, January 20 — Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Saturday, April 19 — First day of National Park Week
Thursday, June 19 — Juneteenth National Independence Day
Monday, August 4 — Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
Saturday, September 27 — National Public Lands Day
Tuesday, November 11 — Veterans Day
The Interagency Access Pass is accepted here.
The Ben Reifel and White River Visitor Centers are accessible to visitors using mobility equipment or strollers and have accessible parking and restrooms. The park's introduction film includes closed captioning, and assisted listening devices are available for loan.
National park brochures are available in text-only, audio-described, and foreign-language formats online or by mail.
Evening ranger-led programs at the Cedar Pass Campground amphitheater are wheelchair accessible via a paved and lit path from the reserved spaces in the parking lot. Programs at the Fossil Exhibit Trail and the Ben Reifel Visitor Center are also wheelchair accessible.
Additional information about accessibility at Badlands National Park can be found on their website: https://www.nps.gov/badl/planyourvisit/accessibility.htm.
The Ben Reifel and White River Visitor Centers are accessible to visitors using mobility equipment or strollers and have accessible parking and restrooms. The park's introduction film includes closed captioning, and assisted listening devices are available for loan.
The Cedar Pass Lodge gift shop and dining room are wheelchair accessible and have accessible parking and restrooms.
The Bigfoot Pass Picnic Area has wheelchair accessible parking, ramps, and an accessible vault toilet.
The Cedar Pass Campground has two individual wheelchair accessible camping sites, one accessible group site, and many other level campsites. The restrooms there are wheelchair accessible.
The Sage Creek Campground has wheelchair accessible vault toilets but is rustic and has uneven terrain.
Service animals must be on-leash throughout the park.
Guides
Trail reviews for Badlands National Park
Beautiful trail through the badlands national park. Medicine loop trail to the castle rock trail. About 4.5 miles. Very nice!!
Great views, the stairs were a bottle neck and it was very HOT when I went but it was great to immerse yourselves in the Badlands.
The hardest part is the drive up. We had a bronco and would not have tried it in anything smaller. The trail itself is not marked but easy to follow for the most part. I downloaded the map and had no issues. Also fun to go off Trail! We saw nobody at all until we got back to our car - this was exactly the Badlands experience I'd hoped to get!
Absolutely love this trail highly highly recommend. It gives both a view from afar then you loop into the badlands. Also has a view point from the saddle pass trail and it’s absolutely beautiful. Easy walk and the perfect distance to view ratio with all the short trails in the badlands.
We went on such a hot day but this is a fun trail as you get to just walk through the rocky badlands. It seems like you’re walking on the moon, such a wildly different landscape.
No words - hundreds of pics and videos to go through. Was the only one there for hours for a reason. The road (mud) from last couple days of rain was so slippery that the car and I could’ve been at the bottom of Badlands easily. Required: high clearance vehicle Recommended: 4x4, off-road driving experience, comfortable to be in remote/ total desolation. This place is like the baby of the north Badlands and Bryce canyons, but 1000% more spiritual. I did not record the entire trip - also added a detour on the prairie. You can hike this trail for sure - something I may do if I am in the area again.
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Frequently asked questions
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Points of interest
- Window
- Pinnacles Overlook
- Big Badlands Overlook
- Door
- Burns Basin Overlook
- Sage Creek Basin Overlook
- Cedar Butte
- South Fork Sage Creek
- Panorama Point
- Yellow Mounds Overlook
- Bigfoot Pass Overlook
- Conata Basin Overlook
- White River Valley Overlook
- Homestead Overlook
- Sheep Mountain Table
- Heck Table
- Galigo Table
- The Castle
- Plenty Star Table
- Blindman Table