Tips for Visiting Badlands National Park with Kids

One of the reasons we explored the Black Hills of South Dakota, besides seeing Mount Rushmore, was to visit Badlands National Park. Over the years, I have heard wonderful things about this park and it didn’t disappoint. We spent a few hours at this unique park and sharing some tips for visiting Badlands National Park with kids (or without too).

History of Badlands National Park

Humans have inhabited this area for over 11,000 years. The first identified residents were mammoth hunters followed by nomadic tribes.

Both the Native American tribes and early French trappers called this area “bad lands” in their respective languages upon spending some time here mainly due to its rugged terrain, extreme weather and lack of water supply.

It’s a bit ironic since this area had once been under water millions of years ago. Wind, water and erosion largely played a part in the current landscape of this park and its fascinating formations. The park is a treasure trove of fossils and geologic history.

The Scenic Drive

Like many national parks around the country, there was also a scenic highway that cuts through the park and really the only option to see it. The Badlands Loop State Scenic Byway was about 31 miles one way with about 10 overlooks.

Visitors can customize their trips with how long they want to spend at each overlook or pair it with short hikes along the way.

The park has three entrances. We entered through the Pinnacles Entrance which was by the city of Wall and the popular Wall Drug (the world’s largest drugstore).

On a side note, don’t miss stopping by the drugstore especially if you have kids to keep them entertained. It’s also a great stop for some provisions (water, snacks) or to eat before entering the park.

The park ranger at the gate told us that the best area to spot wildlife was on Sage Creek Rim Road first which was an unpaved road off to the right from the main byway. We had a small passenger rental car and it was fine to drive it here with no issues. But, it would have even been better if we had a 4×4 vehicle.

This was our first glimpse of the unique formations of Badlands National Park when we stopped at Hay Butte Overlook. Many articles I’ve read described this park as “otherworldly”. It was such a fitting description of what appeared before us with a rugged landscape filled with various eroded rock formations.

Somehow, we expected to see a bison herd grazing at many of the fields here like at Yellowstone National Park. But, since it was summer and in the middle of the day, we only found this lone bison grazing at a distance at the Badlands Wilderness Overlook. We wondered where its family or other bison were hiding.

Roberts Prairie Dog Town

My kids probably enjoyed this stop the most. We found several mounds and burrows in a dirt area.

It was a delight to find so many prairie dogs coming out of these burrows they had dug for protection from weather and predators to check the tourists out. A collection of these burrows in an area is called a prairie dog town.

We had never seen these adorable creatures until the day before at Custer State Park. They looked like a cross between a squirrel and a chipmunk.

It wasn’t surprising to find out they’re related. These rodents are a major food source for many of the other mammals living in the park.

We spent quite a bit of time here, along with other visitors, just watching these critters go in and out of their burrows or even posing for photos. It was so interesting to watch them run surprisingly fast, listen to their high pitch squeals as if to warn the others of approaching humans. Please don’t feed them.

Sage Creek Basin Overlook

This was our turnaround point since it was the last overlook on this route. There was also a campground further down the road. I loved the contrast of this overlook compared to the others.

This area was much more verdant with the rolling prairies and quite a bit of vegetation compared to its desolate neighbors of eroded rock formations.

We made our way back to the Badlands Loop Road/Scenic Byway after our off-roading adventure at the Sage Creek area. If you have time, please make it a point to stop by this out of the way area.

There were less people here. If timed right in the early morning or around dusk, you may just spot more wildlife than the loop road.

Pinnacles Overlook

Our first stop on the loop road was the Pinnacles Overlook. This was the first of the 10 observation points along the scenic road.

The views from here were stunning and it was a popular stop. This really seemed to showcase the buttes, spires, eroded cliffs and other rock formations found throughout the park. Sunset is the ideal time to visit.

Yellow Mound

While Badlands National Park included some unique rock formations, the yellow mounds were the most unforgettable for me. It was also the most colorful overlook. The various colors on the rock layers were even more amazing in person.

This picturesque area almost looked like a watercolor painting as we drove through here. We loved how this area was such a stark contrast to the rest of the landscape and rock formations in the park.

It was interesting to learn how millions of years of erosion and sediments from this once seabed floor area could create this colorful landscape.

The next several miles along the Badlands Loop Road was made up of various overlooks. We managed to stop at most of them and marvel at the amazing natural attractions. There were plenty of informational signs and parking at each overlook.

There were no particular viewpoints that stood out along this stretch of road. But, each overlook offered something a bit different that they were all worthy stopping points. The landscape was an incredible showcase of erosion that was millions of years in the making.

The visibility was quite poor at some of the lookouts due to the smoke from wildfires in neighboring states. But, you can still somewhat make out the beauty of these rock formations and landscape.

Hiking in Badlands National Park

The park doesn’t have an extensive network of hiking trails. But, there were a few worth a stop and a stroll especially when traveling with kids. Here are four family-friendly ones where visitors can get up close to the formations:

1. Door Trail

The first quarter of a mile of this trail is on a boardwalk which helps on this .75 miles/1.2 km roundtrip trail. This was the first trail visitors will see by the northeast entrance. The trail opens into some rocky areas and mounds for kids to climb. It leads to an overlook towards an expansive view of the some of the canyons and rock formations.

2. Window Trail

The nearby and easy .25 miles /.4 km round trip trail is entirely on a wooden boardwalk. This led to an overlook looking out into a ‘window” to the badlands and a canyon. It’s a great trail to combine with the Door Trail which shares the same parking lot near the entrance.

3. Cliff Shelf Nature Trail

This short 0.5-mile trail on a boardwalk takes visitors to views of Eagle Butte and White River Valley. There are varied plants and maybe even wildlife sightings along the way in this easy and kid friendly trail near the visitor center.

4. Fossil Exhibit Trail

The Fossil Exhibit Trail was a short 0.25 miles/0.4 km (round trip) but worth a stop. It was along a wooden boardwalk with exhibits. The exhibits were informative including some fossil replicas and photos of extinct animals that once lived in this area. It was interesting to see such creatures like a three-toed horse.

There were plenty of parking spaces and restrooms. It was a great stop along the loop road to stretch your legs.

If you’re traveling during the summer, there is no shade and could get extremely hot in the afternoon. There were also some hills for families to climb up and explore. We were disappointed to have missed the ranger talk here on fossils. Check the information center for times when the rangers are here.

Most visitors make their entrance through the Northeast gate and head straight to the Ben Reifel Visitor’s Center which was the park’s headquarters. This was a surprisingly large center buzzing with activities.

Rangers were outside with interactive activities for kids. The scenery surrounding the visitor’s center was also one of the best in the park.

Overall, the Badlands Loop State Scenic Byway lived up to its name with the unique scenery and landscapes we found along our route. Badlands National Park was definitely worth the day trip for us from Rapid City, South Dakota.

If you’re in the Black Hills area, do not miss spending some time in this park for wildlife viewing and some memorable vistas.

Tips for Visiting Badlands National Park

• Entrance fee to the park is $30 per vehicle and valid for seven days. It’s free for America the Beautiful Annual Pass and Lifetime Senior pass holders.
• Allocate at least two hours if you’re doing the one-way drive along the scenic byway with some stops at some of the overlooks.
• If possible, go on the Northeast Entrance (Exit 131 on the I-90). This will lead you to the visitor’s center to get a great orientation of the park before you really get to the scenic byway. In hindsight, this would have given us a whole lot more insight to many of the overlooks and trails along the highway. This route would also make you exit to Wall, South Dakota for some lunch or snacks at Wall drugs.
• Bring plenty of water, snacks. There were no provisions along the highway except at the Visitor’s Center.
• If you’re visiting during the summer, be prepared for crowds, humidity and heat. Wear plenty of sunscreen and a hat.
• Don’t forget to let the kids participate in the Junior Ranger program. The whole family can learn a lot about the wildlife and the park’s unique rock formations while earning their badges.
• Visit their Badlands National Park website for road conditions and events.

*Any recommendations for visiting Badlands National Park?

See our Black Hills itinerary and other nearby attractions in the area.

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