Snapshot Planning Your VisitI remember seeing the Badlands when I was a kid, and the other-worldly feeling I got looking over the landscape. I couldn't wait to see my kids' first impressions when they saw this place for the first time. We only spent a day in the park before moving on to Custer State Park, but there is more to do here than we made time for. When we visited the park We visited the park the last week of October, and it was perfect! The weather was cool, but not cold - Perfect for hiking! There were far less crowds during our visit, and we were able to easily see everything we had on our list. We wore layers, because when we were hiking and the sun came out, we did get hot.  weather.com Things to Consider 1. The first thing to know is, some parts of the park are not always open. When we went the White RIver (Southern Unit) was closed. Check the NPS app or the National Parks website to check current conditions. 2. It is hot in the summer hiking some of these landscapes. Bring water and a hat! 3. Some of the trails are marked clearly, some you have to pay closer attention to. The landscape can look the same after awhile, so pay attention on the trails. 4. Step carefully when climbing over some of the rocks (specifically the Doors and Windows Trails). These are great hikes for kids, but not an even walking path. 5. There is wildlife to be seen here! Go slowly and you will definitely see prairie dogs, birds, and pronghorns. You may even get a chance to see big horn sheep, buffalo, and coyotes pouncing through prairie dog towns. 6. If you plan on visiting multiple parks in a year, consider buying a year park pass called America the Beautiful. It is $80 for a full year, starting from when you purchase. If you plan to go to more than 3 parks in a year, it more than pays for itself!  How to Get There You can get to the park from Hwy 90 from Rapid City, Wall, or the North Entrance by Interior. If you are coming from the East, exit onto 240 and head to the entrance of the park. This is the scenic Badlands Loop Road that takes you through most of the Northern Unit of the park and to the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. If you miss the first 240 exit, you can get on it at Wall, SD and complete the loop the other way. If you are coming from Rapid City (about 1 hour) you can drive from the end of the Badlands Loop along Interstate 90 or from Interior take Hwy 44. We stayed in Custer State Park, which is another 30 minutes from Rapid City. Where to Stay Inside the Park There are two campgrounds in the park; Cedar Pass Campground and Sage Creek Campground. Cedar Pass Campground Cedar Pass Campground is located near the Ben Reifel Visitor Center and does take reservations. There are 96 sites, some with RV and electrical hook-ups. Sage Creek Campground Sage Creek Campground is a 22 site campground that is first-come, first-serve free campground. There are limited facilities at this campground, and trailers, RVs, or other extended vehicles are prohibited on the dirt road to access it. There are also no campfires permitted in the campground. Cedar Pass Lodging The only lodging inside the park is Cedar Pass Lodge. These are cabins available for rent from April-October. There are limited available and they fill up fast. Book early! Outside the Park Badlands Inn This is the closest lodging to the park, without being in the park. It is about 5 minutes to the Ben Reifel Visitor Center from here. Badlands/White River KOA Another option for camping, RVs, or cabin rentals is the nearby KOA. It is about 10 minutes to the Ben Reifel Visitor Center from here. Circle View Guest Ranch This beautiful ranch has 7 guest rooms, a bunkhouse, and the original 1880s homestead available for rent. We didn't stay here, but it looks like a fantastic experience for families and kids! It is about 12 minutes to the Ben Reifel Visitor Center from here. Custer State Park Cabin There are plenty of hotels to stay about an hour drive from the park, near Rapid City. However, we stayed at Custer State Park in a cabin. I highly recommend this. We were close to lakes, hiking, and surrounded by wildlife. The park has multiple options for lodging. We were there in an off-season time, so had limited options for lodging, but found a cabin 2-bedroom, 1 bath cabin in the state game area of the park. I would love to go back in the summer and stay by Sylvan Lake or Legion Lake.   Big Badlands Overlook What We Did We spent one day at Badlands National Park. The first stop we made was at the Big Badlands Overlook. This short walk along the boardwalk is completely worth it for your first view of this majestic landscape. Make sure you capture yourself with some of those panoramic views. We continued driving down the Badlands Loop Road (Hwy 240) towards Interior and stopped at the Doors and Windows Trailhead. We decided to hike the Doors Trail. This hike starts out with an easy to traverse path, but eventually opens up to a rocky landscape you can scramble over for closer views of the geological formations. Watch the trail markers going out, which seem obvious, but when we turned around we found it all looked the same and had to search for some of the trailmakers. We never felt that we were lost, but just be a mindful hiker if you decide to explore beyond the paved path.  After we made it back to the trailhead, we debated hiking the Notch Trail, which is off the same parking lot. This is a little longer hike, and more challenging with some of the climbing involved. If I was carrying a two-month old, we would have explored this trail as well. We ultimately decided to move on and find something that fit our family's needs better. We headed towards the Cliff Shelf Trail, which was a pleasant surprise. This trail requires a fair amount of steps and incline. Make sure to bring some water on hot days, because there is limited shade and the afternoon sun was strong. However, the views were breathtaking at the top and we were so happy we took the time to explore this trail. At times, it felt like we were flying with the birds. You can look out over the Ben Reifel Visitor Center and beyond from the peak of this trail. We went to the left to begin our hike because we felt like taking the stairs down would be easier than traversing the switchbacks on climb up the trail. There probably isn't a right or wrong way to go, this is just what worked for us. Next we headed to the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. This was the first time that we were picking up our kid's National Parks Passports. We were so excited to start this process with them. We also completed our first Junior Ranger program and got our first badge from Badlands. The parks and rangers do such a great job including and encouraging kids to be responsible and respectful park visitors. We decided to finish up our time in the Badlands by finishing up the Badlands Loop on Hwy 240 and look for wildlife. We stopped at the Fossil Trail, which is a short boardwalk loop off the main road. There are some signs posted with fossils that have been found in the park, but if you are short on time, this is something that can be skipped. We were more excited about seeing a large bighorn sheep sitting just off the path than anything else on the trail. The one thing you won't miss seeing is prairie dogs. They are everywhere! As we headed towards Wall, we realized that there were coyotes along the horizon pouncing on different prairie dog tunnels, looking for a meal. We pulled over and watched this process over and over again. It was quite entertaining. We also saw plenty of pronghorn, buffalo, and bighorn sheep as we drove through the park. Where this fit in our Road Trip This was the first stop in our Dakotas road trip. We had driven most of the previous day, and then got here mid-morning. We only spent one day here, but we were happy with our time and excited to see what Custer State Park had to explore. There is more to see in the park than what we did. NPS App and All Trails Maps I highly recommend using the National Park Service (NPS) App, as well as the All Trails App for hiking. There is limited service in the park, so planning ahead is helpful. These two apps allow you to download sights, maps, and trails so that you can access information anywhere. The NPS app also links to the full National Parks Website, with a plethora of information.
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