Visiting the White River Valley Overlook inside Badlands National Park was one of the highlights of our trip. This is one of those places that completely catches you off guard in the best way. You pull over expecting a quick viewpoint, and then suddenly you're looking out over this massive, open valley that just seems to go on forever. The contrast between the rugged Badlands formations and the wide, rolling landscape below is incredible. It honestly feels like two completely different environments meeting in one place. The colors, the textures, and the sheer scale of it all make it feel almost unreal when you're standing there. What makes this stop even better is how easy it is to access. There's no long hike required--just park, walk a short distance, and you're right there taking in one of the best views in the park. It's perfect for all ages and a great place to pause and really appreciate the scenery. If you're visiting the Badlands, this overlook is absolutely worth the stop. It's peaceful, stunning, and unforgettable. Check out our videos on our socials @reessroots read more

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"You spend your life waiting For a moment that just don't come Well don't waste your time waiting Badlands, you gotta live it everyday" (Bruce Springsteen) The last National Park visit of our trip may have been my favorite. The sheer sight of these massive rock formations, cliffs, buttes, pinnacles and spires truly made me feel as if I was a space traveler that had crash landed on the ancient world of a distant planet. Words cannot adequately describe the majesty of what I saw. Badlands also has the largest protected mixed grass prairie in America and is home to bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, and black-footed ferrets. The park is also famous for its abundance of fossils. I read that ancient horses and rhinos once roamed here. We were able to walk out into the rock formations and overlooked the vast multi-colored stone canyons and valleys, marvel at the soaring cliffs and gorges, and just revel in this fantastic natural beauty. Talk about a religious experience, it was simply gorgeous and breathtaking. Badlands Facts Badlands National Park is our 39th National Park and was established on November 10, 1978. Badlands is a mid-sized park with 244,000 acres Badlands draws around 1 million visitors per year. read more

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Having been here once before, as a child with my parents and older brother, I was mostly looking forward to seeing how my husband would react to seeing another National Park. We went to the Grand Canyon last summer and was absolutely flabbergasted by the size as well as its beauty, so this summer I was determined to get us to a few more parks. It only cost us $30 to get into the park and it got us a 7 day pass. He said on our way home he wanted to make another stop since we have a pass, that's how much we both ended up loving the park. The rangers working the entrances were helpful with directions as well because directly after we planned on going to Wall Drug. The entire experience was amazing and I would highly recommend making a stop at this beautiful national park read more

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What an absolutely incredible place. We headed through the Badlands on our way to Custer State Park and loved it so much that we extended our trip on the way home and stayed one more night in the Badlands. This place is unlike anything I've ever seen and it's so fascinating to see a part of prehistoric history. We stayed at the boondocks camping area, which is a free camping spot but there are no amenities what so ever. We got there on Sunday night and it was very busy, we barely found a spot to park our camper van but it cleared out right away in the morning and we were able to enjoy the Boondocks with more privacy. Even though much of the badlands is not dog friendly, the camping area is and they were quite a few dogs enjoying the landscape. Don't sleep on the picnic areas because not many people go down these roads and we were able to have a nice picnic with absolutely no one around, which is hard to come by! We also got extremely lucky on our way in where we were chasing a storm and got some beautiful sunset photos. The weather can really change how you view the badlands so I'm glad we got to see it during different weather elements and different times of the day. A benefit when you stay in the badlands! read more

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Badlands National Park is definitely a must visit if you are visiting South Dakota (along with Mount Rushmore, which is about 100 miles away). It cost $30 per car to come in, or $15 per person if you walk in. But I would highly recommend getting the American Beautiful Pass, which only cost $80 and last for one year. You get to visit all of the national parks and national monuments, which is worth it if you visit 3-4 in one year. My husband, our little girl dog and I visited this beautiful national park on a Tuesday. Please note that most of this national park is not dog friendly (we did have our little girl dog in a dog carrier backpack for short overlooks and walks) and with the weather, as there is hardly any shade, please do not leave your pups in a hot car. The terrain out here in Badlands is definitely different from other national parks that I have visited (and we have visited a lot throughout the US). Many people have described it to be out of this world or worldy... meaning something that looks like it belongs in outer space (look at the many photos on this Yelp page and you may get what I mean). This national park is best known for their rich fossil beds. Badlands is also filled with so much wildlife! I have never been so close to a mountain goat until our visit (of course you should keep your distance). The last time I spotted a mountain goat was when I was in Alaska a few years ago and had visited Denali National Park. The tour guide/ bus driver pointed out the goats but you had to use your binoculars to spot them. These goats were right on the road, right across from our car just hanging out (maybe even doing some people watching too, lol). My favorite part of Badlands, besides taking in all of the different views, was visiting Prairie Dog Town. On Sage Creek Rim Road, you will just see the little tunnels and homes of the prairie dogs and you will definitely spot many of them popping in and out of their little homes and walking/ running to the next hole to run into. We also saw buffalo, bunnies, tiny frogs, different types of birds. Please note that there are also rattle snakes with warning signs. We were lucky not to run into any but you want to be cautious, especially if you are traveling with your pet. The drive throughout the park is an easy one. There are also plenty of hiking trails and overlooks that you can do. There are also some easy boardwalk stops worth getting out of the car for. Overall, we had a wonderful visit and would definitely come back. read more

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When entering the national park, we did several short trails. I was determined to do the Notch Trail. I stopped halfway up the log ladder though, since I'm scared of heights. The Window Trail was a short walk. I enjoyed the Door Trail where we traversed on bedrock and the Cliff Shelf Nature Trail. We then made our way through the Badlands Loop Road (39 miles) and stopped at all the overlooks. I enjoyed viewing the buttes and pinnacles and listening to the sounds of the mixed grass prairie blowing in the wind. We also spotted bison, prairie dogs, and deer. read more

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Beautiful! My wife, daughter and I visited the Badkands last Friday. Such beautiful sites to see! The museum is a definite place to stop and see the fossils and hear about the history of the Badlands. Great park to visit!! read more

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On our trip to Badlands National Park our favorite hiking trail was the Notch Trail. You start in a parking lot that is the trailhead for both this trail and The Wall trail. After a short fairly level hike you come to the ladder - a wooden ladder that takes you up a hillside where the trail continues. You wind your way through sandstone rock features, sometimes a narrow trail with a good drop (that you do not want to experience). The end of the trail (before you loop back) is "the notch", a gap in the Badlands hills where you have views of the White River Valley. It's only a 1.5 mile roundtrip trail but with the somewhat tricky ladder and other uneven terrain it's a trail for someone with good mobility and comfortable with some up and down exertion. read more

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Beautiful park and highly recommend! You can see most of the park by way of car, but highly recommend hopping out and doing a couple trails. Lots of overlooks and bathrooms along the way. If you stick to just car, can be done in about 1-2 hours with stopping at a few overlooks. If you want to do some hikes as well, you can plan a whole day! We spent about 3 hours here and it was plenty of time. We wish we saw more wild life and that there were more trails in the opposite side of the park. But the rocks were beautiful and amazing to see! read more

Badlands National Park - Parks Near Me - Interior, South Dakota

Honestly, it's difficult to find words to accurately describe the beauty and uniqueness of the Badlands! We absolutely loved our visit, we stopped at all of the roadside turnouts and enjoyed the short walks to learn more about our the area. The visitor's center is great - particularly the movie which educates on the region. So glad we were able to visit!! read more

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Another beautiful trip here. The Badlands National Park is 244,000 acres with the strangest the most spectacular landscapes in North America. This morning we came in through Sagebrush and we're leaving through Wall. read more

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Badlands National Park was a high priority stop for us on our grand adventure. So imagine my distress when I felt severely unwell on the day of our visit. Plans for short hikes & on-foot adventures were dashed, since I was confined to the passenger seat of the van with advil & a blanket. To my relief, Badlands is still very much explorable from a vehicle. We did the Badlands Loop Road (SD 240) which took about an hour. We stopped briefly at a few overlooks, but mostly just drove on. It was breathtaking. If I were to rank all of the National Parks I've visited based on how joyful the visit could be with very limited mobility, I would rank Badlands #1. My experience was limited to the passenger seat but it didn't even feel like I was limited. I felt fully immersed in the park, even from the confines of the van. I highly recommend Badlands National Park in every way! We were also able to overnight van camp legally on the BLM land right before the entrance of the park, which was a huge bonus. The national grasslands were gorgeous & serene & we were easily able to find our own little slice of private paradise. L.N.T. - Leave No Trace! read more

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We had just stated our trip to SD and first up was the Badlands. We drove through with our mouths hanging open, we were so amazed by everything we saw. It's nothing like many of the heavily forested national parks we've visited before. We did try a few trails and overlooks throughout the afternoon but the 95+ degree heat kept that to a minimum. The visitors center was awesome and we enjoyed the exhibits, especially the section on fossils. My free national park pass for seniors was well used on our trip, this park included. If you are a national park fan, this is one you don't want to miss! read more

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Definitely one-of-a-kind in composition. Requisite when in the area. Unique and worthwhile. Recommended.

This is an interesting place, do be aware the weather can be extreme. Bring plenty of water in the summer! It is worth going to the night program, very informative and a great place to see the night sky. The Milky Way was awesome! Try looking around at night too. We saw badger, sheep, antelooe and bizon....oh did I mention the prairie dogs??? FUN!! read more

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What an amazing landscape. The visitor areas were nicely maintained and I loved the routes through the entire interior. So much wildlife to see as well. read more

Badlands National Park - Parks Near Me - Interior, South Dakota

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Gorgeous. We were there at sunrise and the NPS Ranger at the gate needed a cup of coffee or somethings. She seemed put out that my husband had a lifetime veterans NP pass and demanded an ID. Even with proof it was his she was surley. Oh well, we are not all morning people. The morning light on the formations is beautiful. An absolute "Oh!" moment. There are lots of hiking areas throughout. Very peaceful at dawn. If you are in a hurry, you can drive the loop road and with a couple of stops be on your way in an hour or less. We took a 'short cut' down a dirt road and saw some elk just hanging out, nibbling on grass. (Are they elk? Medium-smallish quadrupeds, definitely not deer) Absolutely grateful we swung by, especially at dawn. read more

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A true national treasure with the jaw dropping scenery that is best experienced outside your car, but driving thru gives you those it is great to be here vibes. Many trails, many boardwalks and adventures await. Watch for snakes, yes folks they are there and if startled they will strike, your in their home so be aware. There is a fee, but a National Pass works here. This is money well spent. Visitor center can get busy, they need to add or forgot to turn on closed captions on our day. My favorite park experience. read more

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I've been to the Badlands three times now! Unfortunately Notch trail was closed, and it was the trail I had been looking forward to the most. Instead I hiked the Door trail, Window trail, and Fossil trail. Of course, because of the high rate of erosion without a lot of flora, it's also an option to go off trail and explore on your own. I explored a small river gorge until I couldn't climb over a drop off. Fun! Just be careful when you go off on your own since the rocks can crumble easily. Although you get plenty of great views from the scenic viewpoints, I like how the trails I went on had boardwalks for improved accessibility. On the Fossil trail, I noticed that you could see that there was less erosion on the portions of the land under the boardwalk. Very cool. read more

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We spent three days enjoying the incredible scenery of Badlands National Park. We hiked so many trails - and each was different. But one thing they all had was exceptional beauty. Yes, it was a bit crowded on some of the trails, but after just 5 minutes walking, we left the crowds behind. The downside of this park (besides it being really far from everything) are the annoying LOUD helicopter tours overhead, courtesy of BLACK HILLS AERIAL ADVENTURES. Every hike, picnic, and wildlife viewing experience was interrupted by their helicopters; it was like hiking in a war zone. While I understand that helicopter trips can be fun for some, it's anything but fun for the people on the ground - destroying the feeling of wilderness and beauty. Thanks to this experience, I will never take a helicopter sightseeing trip. Oddly, when I first posted this, the owner stated "In the three days that you were able to hike and explore, we were able to provide an experience to many elderly, infirm and/disabled people that may not have been able to see and do the things that you were able to do." FACT: Black Hills Aerial Adventures' helicopters are NOT ADA ACCESSIBLE. None of their reviews are from anyone who mentioned the issue accessibility. However, the park meets ADA requirements, with MANY paved/wheelchair accessible trails. Like all USA National Parks, the facilities, bathrooms, exhibitions, are also all accessible. I know that our national parks are straining under budget cuts. Nevertheless, every one is a gem worth visiting - but please, not by a noisy polluting helicopter. read more

I think the Badlands might be one of the most underrated National Parks in America. It's not talked about as much as Yellowstone, Yosemite, or Rocky Mountain, but honestly, the landscape here is insanely unique and unlike anywhere else I've ever visited. Let's start off with where this is located and why I found myself here. We planned a family trip to Yellowstone this past summer and to get there it's about two days worth of driving from Kansas City. That being said, there are a few different paths to get that far northwest and we chose to go north through Nebraska to South Dakota and then west. The Badlands are located in South Dakota, and while I'd driven once through this area before I'd never stopped or realized exactly how beautiful the Badlands are. We decided that on this trip we'd take a day to explore the Badlands, and take in a few more sights in South Dakota before venturing further west the next day, and I'm really glad we did as it ended up being one of my favorite days of our trip. Badlands National Park is nowhere near as busy as some more flashy parks, and I loved that so much. We arrived in the morning on a warm but not too hot summer day. Myself being pregnant, and having our four year old in tow, we chose some of the easier hikes for our day in the park, and even if you just do some of the more basic hikes and scenic overviews, this is still one of the more otherworldly and gorgeous parks I've been to. Walking through some of these trails it feels like you're on a different planet, and it's tons of fun for kids to run and jump on the rocks. It reminded me of my childhood visiting Garden of the Gods in Colorado with my grandparents before it became the tourist destination it is today, in terms of how hands on the exploring can feel here. I'd recommend spending at least three hours here at a minimum, though I think you could easily do a full day. We did about four hours when it was all said and done, which was about right for a family with a little kid. There is a nice visitors center off the main drive, and it's worth driving the full loop to really see the vastness of this park. Overall I hope to return one day, and if you're in the area it's 100% worth the detour to check this park out. It's also really accessible for folks with limited mobility as there are boardwalks for some of the hikes, and there is tons to see if you can't go too far off the road. read more

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This is $30 well spent for park entry. Roads are well maintained, lots of picnic areas with trash cans and restrooms, and lots of scenic view points. Going early in the morning (like getting there at 7am) meant we saw a ton of animals, but there were some cloud cover that obscured views. This resolved later though and we saw some stunning sights. Bring shoes that can get a little muddy too, just in case things are muddy on walking trails that are available. Don't miss this! read more

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The drive from Wall to Interior was great, lots of great stops and overlooks. Stayed the night at Interior (Badlands Hotel and Cabins) on south entrance to park. Hotel was good but a little overpriced. The worst is lack of any reasonable food choices. I suggest staying in Wall on the north side, exponentially more choices for everything! read more

Badlands National Park has easily won its way to the top of my favorites list when it comes to national parks. Its uniqueness is striking and there are all kinds of cool trails to take here. After driving through a whole lot of nothing through South Dakota, it's interesting how all of a sudden, you are surrounded by the nature of the Badlands. It is only an hour away from Rapid City and an easy drive from the highway if you're coming from there (Make sure to stop by Wall Drug on the way, it makes for a cool pit stop!) This park is so underrated and I think that's why it's become one of my favorites. Very little crowds compared to other parks. Plenty of different trails to do, even one where you can climb a ladder and walk on top of the canyons! Not gonna lie, it was a tad scary but cool as heck at the same time. When I get asked what South Dakota is like, this is one of the first things that I bring up. It is absolutely worth going out of your way to come here. read more

For my trip to South Dakota, Badlands was the highlight among many highlights. It's hard to put into words just how unique and stunning the formations are. On the main scenic drive through the park, there are places to pull off or full overlook areas with accessible boardwalks very frequently and I stopped at each one. I could not get enough. Many of them end up looking very similar in pictures, but when you're there every section feels so unique, so captivating. Taking the drive up, down, around, waiting to see what each next curve will bring was simply amazing. I visited in the fall, and even the grassland areas with the amber and fall coloring is really beautiful in my opinion. Be on the lookout for wildlife as you may see bison, sheep, and deer along with the many prairie dogs. Along with the main drive in the northern section of the park there are a couple of unpaved roads you can take (I didn't), and a number of hiking trails (I did). There are some official trails of varying lengths and levels of accessibility. I didn't have the time to do the longer Castle Trail that runs the the middle of the park, and the famous Notch trail happened to be closed when I visited, but I did some of the shorter trails. Badlands is also an open-hike part, so you can go generally wherever you want if you're so inclined and can safely check out. read more

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Beautiful scenery and lots of short hikes make this park special. We drove the loop and there are plenty of plenty of scenic view turnouts and lots at trailheads. read more

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This national park is HUGE and very interesting. The rock formations and other landscapes are so foreign looking, like what you might expect on another planet. There are many piers to walk out on to get a better view of the rock formations which I appreciated. There are many deep canyons to view, however you cannot get into9 them which is fine by me. Bring water! You will need it in the summer. read more

Beautiful area, well kept, rangers were all helpful and informative. We will be back for sure, I didn't want to leave!!! read more

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We absolutely love the Badlands! This park is well maintained and well marked. The scenery is other wordly and downright amazing. Wildlife seems to be best viewed in the morning. At least for us. The formations show the colors differently depending on the time of day. Don't miss the south unit. Sheep Mountain Overlook is amazing! read more

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Wonderful day driving around seeing great rock formations, lots of bison and prairie dogs, and all kinds of birds. What a peaceful place. Very helpful Park ranger and the woman at the store at the park service office was lovely and helpful (see photo) read more

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In the summer of 2023, I decided to do a big trip that would include visiting friends, but also have a solo leg that would take me through a few of the states I'd never been to. South Dakota was among them, and Rapid City, the Black Hills, Crazy Horse, Mount Rushmore and the Badlands were my goal. (These are all doable in two days; one in theory but would be hard in practice, and you'd be rushed at all of them.) Funny but true: It happened to be the Sturgis Rally, but I didn't know that until 3 days beforehand. The Black Hills were filled with bikers. It ended up being part of my memory of this leg of the trip. There is another funny story not suitable for Yelp Pro tip: if it's not inconvenient, and you're coming from Black Hills or Rapid City, I recommend taking the 44 into the park and the 90 on the return. The 44 is a bit scenic, and the park comes up upon you gradually. The 90 is a major interstate and it's flat and nothing. Photographer pro tip: Different turnouts/overlooks in the park will photograph better in the morning or evening (so if you have a specific shot in mind, figure out whether it will be illuminated or in shadow at the time of day you reach it. General tip: Don't miss Pinnacles Overlook. I spent magic hour / sunset there, but I also think it would be great at sunrise. read more

Badlands National Park - Pinnacles Overlook - Parks Near Me - Interior, South Dakota

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Amazing landscape that cannot be described without seeing it for yourself. Don't be afraid to go on side dirt roads!! read more

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Another first, and the last on this vacation, national park!! Kinda an albino Mini Grand Canyon flipped upside down, haha! What do I mean? Light creams, bone colors (albino); and, more above ground-level hills compared to the constant valleys, crevices, and plummets that make up the muuuuuch higher-elevation GC. At any rate, to each their own, so definitely an "in my opinion" instance. I will add the exception in some of the overlook stops: Areas of rock had bold red, orange, and yellow hues toward the top of the rocks - guessing from mineral deposits - which were fantastic in the rather "bleak oasis" surroundings. Badlands Loop Road was awesome. I'm not much of a hiking in the wilderness kinda gal (more of an urban city trekker), so this was the perfect way to see the best parts of this national park, going at our own pace, observing whatever caught our eye, etc. Can't image how much this wasteland sucked back during the Oregan Trail times. Brings realization and understanding to "roughing it". Ugh. read more

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We loved our stop at Badlands National Park! At points it feels like you're in a whole different planet. We spent an entire day there completing the Loop Road and hitting the quicker yet picturesque trails like Window Trail, Door Trail and Notch Trail. For a longer hike (4.5 miles), we decided to do the Medicine Root Trail. I recommend getting there early! Seeing the sun come up over the rocks was amazing. We also saw a mountain goat run which was serene too! Lots of mountain goats roaming around which was amazing. A National Park not to be missed! read more

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We stayed in Rapid City and went to 1880 Town first then back to Badlands and Wall Drug. I specifically picked this route because I wanted to enter through the Peter Norbeck entrance to begin with the Badlands Overlook and Window and Door trail. Going from east to west. It's a National park so it was free with our America the Beautiful Pass. $30 per car without. We stopped at every overlook. They all look different. We stayed for 2.5 hours. Some of the overlooks are just views and others will allow a path to walk down further. It was extremely hot and no shade so be sure to hydrate. We took the gravel road to Roberts Prairie Dog Town. It was mid noon on a hot day so it took a while for the prairie dogs to come above ground. You just have to stand around and be patient. read more

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Absolutely gorgeous. Go see for yourself, never seen a landscape anywhere else like this one. Beware of the wasps. They're abundant and fearless. They'll go right for you unprovoked. read more

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On my trip out west, my family and I stopped at Badlands National Park not excepting anything over the top like Yellowstone. While it is a half-day park, it surely is one to check out. I've had some time to reflect and I must say, it is truly like something I've never experienced. The ground is made up of what I would call "moon dust," although I don't know what the moon feels like. It's like stepping into another planet with the different colors and textures. You must eat lunch at the picnic table down in one of the "canyons." You might even see a few animals! read more

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No words can truly describe the beauty of this national park. We did the Pinnacles Loop and it was breathtaking. Many different overlooks to enjoy the different scenery. I highly recommend downloading the GuideAlong app and enjoying the commentary as you travel around. Very interesting. We saw a bison as we entered the park and pronghorn antelope and prairie dogs as we were driving along. Amazing! read more

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Went into the Badlands National Park. I didn't know what to expect and didn't do my normal research. First time visiting and so worth it. This park shows the amazing fluctuations of our beautiful landscape and all in one park! Several turn-out spots, and we have seen lots of trailers. We were able to see eagles, buffalos, and lots of sheep. Great place to see part of our amazing USA read more

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Everyone should experience the Badlands, there is nothing like it. Very interesting for the eyes and brain.