When we were coming from Hot Springs in South Dakota, we somehow came upon a road that was not…read morepaved and had many potholes in. It felt like we were in the middle of nowhere when we got to the Badlands. I cannot tell you how happy I was to see the sign of the bad lands, just because my husband and I were both confused as to where we were headed. Even in July, it felt like there was nobody coming or going. We were scared something was going to happen to our car and we were going to be in the middle of nowhere. With no cell reception nonetheless. The biggest tip I can tell you is to make sure you have a tank full of gas and snacks and things in your vehicle. The badlands themselves are beautiful. We were able to see some bison, even though it was not that close. It was an incredibly hot when we visited in July, so definitely go very early if you plan on hiking. We were not able to get our entire party out from having breakfast early, and we missed our day of hiking because of it. Even just driving around the badlands is beautiful... but be sure to have water if you plan on hiking. I did not expect it to be as hot as it was.

We visited Badlands National Park during our cross-country road trip with our 4- and 5-year-old…read moreboys, and it was one of the most breathtaking landscapes we saw. The scenery is absolutely stunning, with dramatic rock formations that were created from layers of ancient sediment deposited when this region was covered by water millions of years ago. The visitor center is excellent and well worth visiting before exploring the park. The exhibits are very informative, and we especially enjoyed the fossil preparation lab, where you can learn about the incredible fossils that continue to be discovered in the Badlands. Since much of the park is open for off-trail exploration, it's important to stop at the visitor center first to learn the rules regarding fossil collecting and what to do if you happen to find one. The views throughout the park are simply remarkable, and there are countless opportunities to stop, hike, and take in the unique landscape. Whether you're interested in geology, paleontology, wildlife, or just spectacular scenery, Badlands National Park is an unforgettable destination and one of the highlights of our trip.

We are here for two nights. I need to raise the bar. This place is fine…read more We are 500 yards from the Badlands Park gate. The view out my window is the edge of the Badlands hills. The hotel does need a paint job but the bones are great. Checks all the boxes. Previous reviews show food. There is none. Nearest food is the park lodge inside the park entrance. We ate there. Simple but good. The hostess is a delightful lady.

Listen folks, lower your expectations. You are not in a 4-5 star resort area, you are in the…read morebadlands! The hotel has national lampoon vacation vibes all over it, and serves quaint rooms with a heavy side of kitsch . I happen to think it's charming. The rooms are perfectly serviceable, clean and quiet. I have personally had a trashier bedroom on a recent Marriot stay. The lady on the phone gave great customer service, and we got to do what they call a "late check-in"- mailbox with envelopes and keys. Fun at 11 PM in the Badlands. Dooo-do-do-doooo.....These hills have eyes. 5:30 AM? The most beautiful sunrise over an amazing landscape: right outside our window.

Helpful convenience store with a gas station on the way to the badlands! Restrooms are available…read moreand some cool merchandise like real (dead obviously) rattle snake heads and tails to take home.

Gas is about 30 cents more expensive than you'd find in Rapid and there was no changing table in…read morethe restroom.

We stayed here in early May and overall had a pretty good experience. We booked several months in…read moreadvance so we didn't have any problems getting in. We reserved four nights, realizing that we probably weren't going to come in until late the next morning, technically. We let the campground know ahead of time, hoping that would make our arrival go smoothly. They let us know that they'd put that information in our reservation. Something that is irritating is that you don't know your campsite assignment until you get there. We got in at about 5:30AM and while they had a box with the info for late arrivals, ours was somehow not there. We were exhausted, so we picked an open site and set up camp. Once the "office" opened at about 9AM, we asked if we could stay at that site and they said that we had to move to a different one. This could have been avoided if we were allowed to know our site beforehand or if they had actually had put our info in the after hours arrival box. This wasn't a huge deal, but it would have sucked if the campsite was busier and the had to wait to set up camp even though we paid for the night before. As many people have said, there is no privacy. This was fine for us, the campsites are decently spaced out so you aren't on top of other people. There is a nice little roof on top of the picnic table that blocks some of the sun when it's quite bright. There are no trees, so it gets very windy. Campfires aren't allowed, so you need to bring a camping stove if you want warm food. There is a nice spot designated for washing dishes and there is warm water. For whatever reason, the drinking fountains were not working, so we had to pull from the dish washing water. There are bathrooms with running water but one of the female stalls was out of order during our stay and the ground was flooded. We made it work, but you had to be careful to not get your feet wet. There are also coin operated showers and that building is nicely heated. It cost about $1.25 for a ten minute shower, which is very reasonable. The water was more on the lukewarm side, but nevertheless nice after a long day of hiking. We didn't go inside, but there was also a café and gift shop very close. The campground is in the heart of the Badlands and all of the amazing trails are very close driving distance. You are also about 30 minutes away from Wall if you need to hide from the weather. Custer State Park and Rapid City are a couple hours away, but we took a day to visit. If I wanted to set up shop in the Badlands again, I'd stay here again.

These campgrounds had nice views and great amenities and convenience to all the hiking trails, but…read morevery different than camping in Minnesota where I'm from! PROS: - Bathrooms were a huge plus. Had 3 stalls, running water, flush toilets, multiple sinks, lights, & plugins. - Had multiple drinking water pumps throughout the camp to refill all your containers. - Each campsite had a picnic bench w/ built-in shade covering. - You can see the Badlands so great views from the site. CONS: - There are no trees & you're out in the open, so you can see everyone's campsite around you...and they can see you - They allow RVs in the same campsite as us regular tent-ers so they ruined some of the views. - No campfires were allowed so can't have a classic camping experience here. TIPS: - Bring a tarp to give you more shade & protection from the rain & wind. The picnic table covering wouldn't of been enough for my group. - Book site early for the best spots on the edge facining the Badlands. - Bring a gas grill to cook on since no campfires are allowed. - Weather changes constantly. Dont leave tent flaps open even if it's sunny, since it could rain while you're out hiking...not speaking from experience or anything. This campsite was overall a good option for my group here to do all the Badlands hiking trails, which we did but you'll have to see my review of Badlands National Park for more tips on that!

I had a pretty good experience here! We were staying near the Badlands for one night, and didn't…read morewant to setup and tear down a tent for such a short stay. Due to that we chose the 6 person Yurt, not because we needed the space, but because it was listed at the same price as the 4 person, so why not have more room for our toddler to run around! With the yurt being priced at $9/night more than the camper cabin with much fewer amenities I felt like it was an incredible value. The campground staff were also very friendly and informative. Here are my minor gripes that bring this down to a 4 star. Near our part of the campground there were only 2 Bathrooms, they were quite nice, and were completely separate 3/4 baths. But there were often lines, especially if one of them was being used for a shower. In addition to that the hinge style on the interior of the door was quite unfortunate. I'm tall enough where I hit my head on it multiple times. Secondly, when checking in the front desk workers hyped me up on ordering a pizza that they would deliver to my campsite. Unfortunately when I called in they said it would be over an hour and a half wait, that was a bit disappointing and I had to come up with other plans. Overall, a worthwhile stay. I've been quite impressed with KOA and look forward to continuing to explore their list of properties.

Our first time staying at KOA -- my SO heard great things about the brand and we gave it a try…read more We booked a same- day reservation at the Badlands KOA for a Deluxe Tent site on gravel which includes electrical outlet and sink. We checked in and were escorted by a staff member in a golf cart to our site. We rolled up and saw a whole family sitting on the picnic bench in our site. Turns out they were taking advantage of the shade in our spot to play cards... Anywho, our tent site was VERY dirty. There was M&Ms on the ground, a used straw, and dirt on the concrete slab and under our picnic bench. Dust was caked on the sink counter. The lockable storage area underneath the sink was also very dirty too - would not recommend using. Tip: pack a multiport block! Came in very handy to charge all the electronics and fridge. The gravel area where we pitched our tent was level. There are a TON of mosquitoes here. A pack of firewood is $9. Interestingly, you can charge your purchases around the campground to your room and settle the costs upon checkout. The dog run is good sized but seemed to have even more mosquitoes hanging there. The pool water was murky. Bathrooms can use more cleaning and updates. The showers and toilets are all in stalls, gender separated. The air vents were very dirty. We didn't get any free vouchers for breakfast pancakes that we saw other reviewers mentioning- maybe it's discontinued? Free ice and water inside the main KOA shop. The staff and service was good. We just wished our tent site wasn't already occupied upon checking in and was cleaner than how we found it. The KOA experience turned out to be a bit underwhelming.

First class operation. Will bend over backwards to help! Will do business with them again!read more

Decided to stop for the night at the rest stop outside of the badlands. Overnight my battery died…read moreand I needed a jump. Long story short Olson Towing was responsive and got to me in a half hour. Scott was a friendly man and I recommend calling them in the future!!