Badlands National Park is a stunning and unique national park located in South Dakota full of eroded buttes, pinnacles, spires, and deep canyons. Established as a national monument in 1939 and later designated as a national park in 1978, Badlands National Park covers an area of approximately 244,000 acres.

How Much Time Do You Need In Badlands National Park?

Badlands National Park is a relatively small national park with a very limited number of trails and activities. I spent one full day in Badlands and had plenty of time to do and see the main sights. You can always spend more time in a national park and get to some of the less popular places. But for Badlands, I would recommend planning to spend either a half or full day in the park!

Pinnacles Overlook

Watching the sunset at Pinnacles Overlook was certainly a highlight of my trip. We arrived around 7pm to settle in at a perfect spot before the 8pm sunset. As the minutes passed by, the sky continued to transform. This is definitely an experience that you cannot miss.

The Notch Trail

Badlands is not known for its hiking trails. But if you decide to trek any of them, you should select the Notch Trail. It’s an out and back trail, that is 1.5 miles long, with 127 feet of elevation.

It offers amazing views of the park’s landscape and even includes a ladder to add a bit of spice to the relatively easy hike. Like most of the park, you will be in direct sunlight for the duration of the hike, so sunscreen up!

Badlands Loop Road

Badlands Loop Road is a scenic drive that takes you on a breathtaking tour of the park’s iconic landscape. Through your drive you are bound to spot an abundance of wildlife and numerous scenic overlooks.

It took us about two hours to drive the road and loop around, between all of the stops we took. This drive has plenty of views to offer, and I highly recommend it if you are looking for a fun way to explore Badlands!

Boondocking

To top of an incredible day in Badlands, we went boondocking outside the boarder of the park. Boondocking entails camping on public land at designated sites, first come first served, free of charge. And the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands surrounding Badlands is the perfect place to do it.

The coordinates of the area we camped are 43.8898, -102.227 and there are plenty of spots along the ridge to choose from. While we considered opting for a campground site inside the park, the sunrise view we got in the morning for free of charge made the experience more than worth it!

Especially if you only have a day or two to explore Badlands National Park like I did, I would absolutely recommend doing these few things. It offers the perfect mix of wild life, relaxation, and beautiful views. I would definitely consider Badlands to be an overlooked park so do not miss it on your trip!