Badlands National Park, South Dakota
Come discover an unreal landscape full of colorful pinnacles, massive buttes and deep gorges that will leave you feeling as if you have entered into another world. Bands of purple, yellow, red and white paint the landscape for miles upon miles across these wind and water sculpted landforms.
The views are breathtaking! The landscape is completely surreal and hiking through this bizarre wonderland is a blast!
Our family absolutely loved visiting Badlands National Park and I’d love to share with you what we’ve learned!
Badlands Loop State Scenic Byway
Badlands Loop State Scenic Byway (SD 240) is a 32 mile two lane road that traverses through the heart of the Badlands. To get to this scenic byway, enter off of I-90 at Exit 131 or at Exit 110 to begin your journey!
This loop road is the only paved road through the park and it passes the most popular sites, hikes and vistas in Badlands National Park!
Breathtaking Views
(While Driving Badlands Loop State Scenic Byway)
Don’t miss this Fantastic Overlook!
Big Badlands Overlook was our family favorite scenic overlook in Badlands National Park. It is located right past the Northeast entrance to the park.
This is a perfect spot to watch the sunset! Arrive ~1-1.5 hours before sunset to see the spectacular colors emerge across the landscape.
Cliff Shelf
Although we didn’t hike the 0.5 mile round trip trail at Cliff Shelf, we did stop here for a breathtaking sunset view!
White River Valley Overlook
We enjoyed this fantastic view at White River Valley Overlook.
Yellow Mounds Overlook
We loved the picturesque painted hills at Yellow Mounds Overlook!
Pinnacles Overlook
Pinnacles Overlook is incredible but please note that it can be extremely windy here. But make sure you check the cliff sides for Big Horned Sheep!
Best Family Hikes in Badlands National Park
Door Trail
Door Trail gets you out into the heart of the Badlands!
This was our favorite trail in the Badlands!
Door Trail is 0.75 miles round trip.
The trail begins on a well maintained boardwalk for the first 1/4 mile. Then the trail continues out into the heart of the Badlands, only marked by yellow posts to guide your way.
Door Trail was the perfect trail for our family, ages 5, 7 and 9 years old. It wasn’t too long and on the second part of the trail you get to cross rocky terrain which our kids thought was a blast!
Hiking Door Trail allows you to easily immerse yourself into this unearthly environment. It was more fun than any amusement park for our kids and that’s saying something!
Family Tip
Please make sure kids stay with an adult. The second half of the trail is not maintained and there is uneven ground and even some drop-offs near the trail path.
We chose to hike this trail first thing in the morning and we highly recommend this because for the first 30 minutes we were the only ones on the trail!
Hiking Door Trail is an Incredible Adventure!
Window Trail
Window Trail is an easy 0.25 mile round trip trail near Door Trail. This trail leads to a natural window in the Badlands Wall for an incredible view!
Traveler Tip: There is a restroom at the head of this trail.
Fossil Exhibit Trail
Fossil Exhibit Trail is a great trail to learn more about the Badlands!
Along this trail there are educational displays and replicas of fossils to touch that will teach you more about this land’s history and the extinct animals that used to roam this area.
This trail is 0.25 miles round trip.
Traveler Tip: There is also a bathroom at the head of this trail.
Castle Trail
Castle Trail is a 10 mile round trip trail that goes from Door Trail Parking area to Fossil Exhibit Trail. We chose to only walk ~1 mile of this trail with our family.
This trail is a great way to experience the grass prairies of the Badlands.
Animals in Badlands National Park
Here is some of the wildlife we found in the Badlands!
Prairie Dogs!
A Big Horned Sheep at Pinnacles Overlook sitting high up on a ledge!
Look for rabbits! We found many throughout the park. This rabbit was near Window Trail.
Pronghorns!
Other animals that you may find in the Badlands include bison, coyotes and mule and whitetail deer.
Fun with Shadows!
Everyone wants to have a family vacation full of fun and laughs, but sometimes this is hard to accomplish with the stress of getting from one place to the next.
Here’s one way we had some family fun, laughed and created everlasting memories in the Badlands!
Strike a pose and have a dance party! Our family had a great time watching our shadows dance across the canyon walls!
Right before sunset is the perfect opportunity to create this shadow party.
Your shadow dance party might even end up on the wall on the other side of the canyon!
Our car even joined in on our shadow fun too! Watch the canyon wall next to the road as you drive down Badlands Loop Scenic Byway.
Junior Ranger Program
We love the Junior Ranger Program!
Stop by the Ben Reifel Visitor Center and pick up a Junior Ranger booklet. Have your children complete the activities marked for their age so that they can earn their official Badlands National Park Junior Ranger Badge!
The Junior Ranger Program is an amazing way for families to learn all about the Badlands. The activities are designed for children up to 13+. This is a great keepsake for kids and it really gets them thinking about where they are and helps them appreciate their experience in the Badlands.
Badlands National Park Travel Tips
Arrival – We recommend arriving in the evening to watch the sunset over the Badland’s dramatic landscape. Spectacular colors begin to emerge approximately ~1-1.5 hours before the sun sets. You don’t want to miss this sight!
This also allows for evening and morning hikes which avoids the intense midday heat.
Hotel – If you are looking for a hotel, we stayed at Cedar Pass Lodge in Badlands National Park and loved it!
https://www.cedarpasslodge.com/
Lunch – Grab a picnic lunch to bring with you into the park. Food is very limited in the park and it’s a decent drive to leave and come back in.
Duration – This depends on how much you hike, but we would recommend ~1 day. If you enter the park in the evening (at least 1.5 hours before sunset), then you should be able to see everything by the early afternoon of the next day.
Location – The Badlands are located ~1 hour away from Rapid City, SD and ~1.5 hours from Mount Rushmore.
Itinerary Thoughts – Combine an adventure in the Badlands with Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore, Mammoth Site at Hot Springs and Devils Tower to make an incredible 5 day family vacation!
Website: https://www.nps.gov/badl/index.htm
Our Favorite Kid’s Books for Badlands National Park:
Our Favorite Kid’s Gear for Badlands National Park:
24 Colors
7 Colors
Available in 16 Colors
Compact Picnic Blanket
Available in 6 Colors
Collapsible Water Bottle
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Let’s Get Kids Excited To Travel with Books!
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2 comments
Beautiful pictures of a great place to visit! Love all the colors!
I’m glad you enjoyed this post! Visiting at sunset really makes the colors of the Badlands come alive! Thanks for commenting.