Planning a trip to Badlands National Park and need some help planning your trip?
Here is the National Park Obsessed guide for visiting Badlands National Park, South Dakota.
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The Quick Guide to Visiting Badlands National Park
Badlands National Park Basics
Region: Midwest / Central Plains
Park Size: 242,756 acres (379.31 sq miles) (982.4 sq km)
Location: Pennington, Jackson and Shannon counties and Oglala Lakota Nation (Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
Closest Cities: Rapid City, South Dakota
Busy Season: June to September
Visitation: 970,998 (in 2019)
How much does Badlands National Park Cost?
Badlands National Park costs the following:
- 7-day Passenger Vehicle Pass – $30
- 7-day Motorcycle Pass – $25
- 7-day Individual Pass – $7
An annual Badlands National Park Pass costs $50 but it is not recommended you buy this pass. For an extra $30 you can get an American the Beautiful Pass. This $80 pass offers free admission to all 116 fee-charging National Park Units.
When is Badlands National Park Open?
Badlands National Park is open year-round.
Are dogs allowed in Badlands National Park?
Yes, pets are welcome in Badlands National Park but are limited to developed areas such as roads, parking areas, picnic areas, and campgrounds. Pets are not allowed on trails or overlooks. Please review the Badlands Pet Policy before bringing your dog to Arches.
Where are Badlands National Park’s visitor centers?
Ben Reifel Visitor Center – Open Year Around
White River Visitor Center – Summer Only
Land Acknowledgment
The park now known as Badlands National Parks is on Cheyenne, Mnicoujou, Očhéthi Šakówiŋ, and Oohenumpa land.
Thank you to the Native Land Digital for making the Indigenous territories accessible to all. They have mapped the known territories to the best of the current knowledge and is a work in progress. If you have additional information on the Indigenous nations boundaries, please let them know.
Native Land Digital is a registered Canadian not-for-profit organization with the goal to creates spaces where non-Indigenous people can be invited and challenged to learn more about the lands they inhabit, the history of those lands, and how to actively be part of a better future going forward together.
When was Badlands National Park Created?
Badlands National Park was created on January 29, 1939, as Badlands National Monument. Badlands was elevated to a National Park on November 10, 1978.
Fun Facts about Badlands National Park
- The highest point in Badlands National Park is Red Shirt Table which is 3,340 feet (1,020 m) above sea level.
- The lowest point in Badlands National Park is a runoff channel near Ben Reifel Visitor Center which is 2,365 feet (721 m) above sea level.
- Badlands National Park is about the size of the small African Island Nation of São Tomé and Príncipe.
When to Visit Badlands National Park
Badlands National Park Weather


Badlands National Park Activity Guides
Road Trips that Include Badlands National Park
National Parks Near Badlands National Park
National Park Service units within a 4 hours drive
- Agate Fossil Beds National Monument
- Devils Tower National Monument
- Fort Laramie National Historic Site
- Jewel Cave National Monument
- Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
- Missouri National Recreational River
- Mount Rushmore National Memorial
- Niobrara National Scenic River
- Scotts Bluff National Monument
- Wind Cave National Park
National Park Service units within an 8 hours drive
- Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site
- Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
- Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
- Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site
- Grand Teton National Park
- Homestead National Monument of America
- Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site
- Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
- Nicodemus National Historic Site
- Pipestone National Monument
- Rocky Mountain National Park
- Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway
- Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site
- Theodore Roosevelt National Park
- Yellowstone National Park