Badlands National Park

How to spend a day in the Badlands

The park rewards a loose plan: drive the Loop Road, stop often, and choose one or two trails that match the heat and your footing. You do not need to hike every trail to have a good visit.

Updated: October 22, 2026 | Notch Trail status updated; check the National Park Service for current alerts

Badlands tours and day trips

Guided drives, sunset outings, and private trips for travelers who would rather not plan the route themselves.

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Private Tour of the Badlands with Local Experts

Private tour · 9h

Viator snapshot: 5.0/5 (25 reviews)

Route and experience details

The Badlands have many secrets and requires a seasoned guide to explain and reveal them. GeoFunTrek Tours' guides are local experts with decades of experience. We have no seasonal-guides, part-time guides or trainee-guides. This is a family-owned business and all tours are conducted by family members: Cindy, Christopher and John Esposti. We have the knowledge and skills to make your day one to remember. You will always get the A-Team when you tour with GeoFunTrek Tours! All tours are PRIVATE TOURS, exclusive to the group booking the tour, and no additional guests will be included. Children must be accompanied by one adult. Children 3 years and younger are free and will have their own seat. Children's car seats must be supplied by family members when required. Our vehicles are SUV's and a van may be rented for larger groups. Please enquire about vehicles if you have any questions. This tour is great for 3-generation families with Children, multiple couples and groups of friends.

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From USD 425

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Shared Badlands and Wall Drug Store Experience

Shared tour · 8h

Viator snapshot: 5.0/5 (8 reviews)

Route and experience details

What makes this Badlands and Wall Drug Store tour unique is the depth of knowledge and storytelling it offers. It's not just a scenic drive, but a fully narrated experience that brings the Badlands and prairie areas to life with abundant information and captivating stories. This ensures a richer and more engaging experience compared to self-guided tours or those with less historical and cultural context, especially since it spans a substantial 7-8 hours.

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From USD 312

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Badlands Premium Hard Top Van Tour

Confirm group format · 7h

Viator snapshot: 4.8/5 (52 reviews)

Route and experience details

This tour includes all of the Badlands North Park and Wall Drug with option for Minuteman Missile Historic Site and Delta 9.

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From USD 449

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Wildlife Biologist’s Field Expedition: The Badlands Uncovered

Confirm group format · 7h

Viator snapshot: 4.8/5 (28 reviews)

Route and experience details

My XO Adventures believes The Badlands can be a wonderful experience for your senses, and there are a lot of stories to be told about the park. It's also abundant with wildlife, but you've got to know where to go. We have walked, crawled, climbed, and taken the back roads through the park to find places we know you'll love. This is not a strenuous journey and is suited for all ages. We encourage you to check out our Google Reviews for My XO Adventures online to see what kind of experience you'll enjoy by coming along with us. We take care of the details and may even have some surprises for you along the way. Every day is different, and we love what we do. We explore the Badlands, not just tour them. Learn about the history, wildlife, fossils, geological shapes, and sacred places. Commonly missed and extraordinary places are where we go. We do what we want, when we want, where we want!

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From USD 795

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Best first stop

The Ben Reifel Visitor Center helps orient you to the geology, wildlife, and current conditions before you commit to a longer walk.

Best drive

Badlands Loop Road is the backbone of a first visit. Leave time for overlooks; the map distance understates how often you will want to stop.

Best light

Early morning and late afternoon bring softer light and cooler trail conditions. Midday is better for the visitor center and shorter stops.

Pick a trail, not a checklist

Door Trail

A short, uneven route through a break in the wall. Go slowly and keep track of the route once you leave the maintained section.

Window Trail

A short walk to a view into a sharply eroded canyon. It is an easy add-on near Door Trail.

Notch Trail

NPS closed it on August 31, 2026 to repair the ladder. By October 22 the closure alert was no longer posted, but NPS had not announced a reopening, so call 605-433-5361 before you plan around it. When open, it is the adventurous pick, with a ladder and exposure.

Fossil Exhibit Trail

A level, accessible boardwalk with fossil information. It is a good reset between longer scenic-road stops.

A practical half-day plan

Enter with water, sun protection, and a full tank of gas. Services inside the park are limited.
Stop at the visitor center, then drive the scenic road in one direction rather than bouncing between overlooks.
Choose Door, Window, or Fossil Exhibit based on the weather and your comfort with uneven ground. Notch Trail is closed for repairs.
Finish at a viewpoint for changing light. Keep distance from bison and do not climb unstable formations.

Where should you stay?

Interior is closest to the park’s main visitor area. Wall is convenient for the west side and roadside services. Rapid City gives you the most hotel choice but adds driving time. See Badlands-area lodging before choosing, or where to stay for Mount Rushmore and the Badlands if you are seeing both. Not sure the Badlands fits your trip? Read Black Hills vs Badlands.

Going in October or later? Cedar Pass Lodge, the only lodging inside the park, runs its cabins and restaurant from April 15 to October 15, per the park concessioner. Cedar Pass Campground takes reservations on Recreation.gov and is open late March through mid-October. Sage Creek Campground is free and first-come, first-served, with no RVs or trailers over 18 feet. The Ben Reifel Visitor Center keeps shorter hours off season: 8am to 5pm in fall and spring and 8am to 4pm in winter, per the National Park Service.

What surprises visitors?

The wind, heat, and lack of shade matter more than the mileage. A short trail can feel demanding in full sun, and cell service is not a reason to skip a paper or offline route plan. Heat is also why timing matters. Our guide to the best time to visit South Dakota's Black Hills compares months for the whole trip.

Pair the park with the Black Hills

Badlands fits naturally with Wind Cave, Custer State Park, or a Mount Rushmore day. The Black Hills activity guide helps you connect the routes. The Badlands run hotter in summer and colder in winter than the Hills; our statewide timing guide shows the trade-off by month.