Badlands National Park Travel Guide
Photo: Andrew Mace, Fodors.com member
So stark and forbidding are the chiseled spires, ragged ridgelines, and deep ravines of South Dakota's badlands that Lieutenant Colonel George Custer once described them as "hell with the fires burned out." Although a bit more accessible than the depths of the underworld, the landscape is easily the strangest in the Great Plains. Ruthlessly ravaged over the ages by wind and rain, the 380 square mi of wild terrain continue to erode and evolve, sometimes visibly changing shape in a few days. Prairie creatures thrive on the untamed territory, and animal fossils are in abundance.
Badlands National Park Hotels
Badlands National Park is oft visited by families on a vacation to see the American West, but very few opt to stay overnight here, especially when there's...read more
Badlands National Park Restaurants
Dining on the prairies of South Dakota has always been a casual and family-oriented experience, and in that sense, very little has changed in the past century...read more
Things To Do in Badlands National Park
Explore the best sights, entertainment, and shopping with our top choices and insider tips.
Travel Deals in Badlands National Park
- $69.00 & up : 3-star hotels in Rapid City Hotwire
- Small budget: Stay in Rapid City this May Fr $218+/Nt Expedia
- $24.95 & up : Compact rentals in Rapid City Hotwire
- Visit Rapid City for Less: Hotels Fr $84+/Nt — $84 Travelocity
- $23.95 & up : Full Size rentals in Rapid City — $24 Hotwire
Badlands National Park Experiences
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Fossils: From the mid-1800s, the fossil-rich Badlands area has welcomed paleontologists, research institutions, and fossil hunters who have discovered... Read more
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Much of the credit for setting aside South Dakota's badlands as public lands is owed to Peter Norbeck, a powerful politician who was also largely... Read more
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The park's sharply defined cliffs, canyons, and mesas are near-deserts with little plant growth. Most of the park, however, is made up of mixed-grass... Read more
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In late December 1890 the men of the 7th Cavalry, armed with a federal mandate (and some light artillery), intercepted a group of 350 Lakota... Read more
News & Features
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Trip Ideas
You might not expect to find yourself amongst wine grapes a mere 75 miles outside of New York City.... Read more
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Travel Tips
Summertime is practically synonymous with road trips.... Read more
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Family, Trip Ideas
A family trip to Hawaii's Big Island would be one filled with outdoor thrills, animal adventures, and... Read more
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· Forums Trip Reports
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This is a trip in celebration of my husbands retirement. Read more
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Thanks so much for all the input on this trip! Read more
·Kansas Forum, Nebraska Forum, Oklahoma Forum, South Dakota Forum
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We are taking two of our grandkids (both 10, cousins) to SD in June. Read more
