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.

This is a must-do if you’re visiting the area or driving through. Lots of reviews to which I won’t add. Suffice to say that you will not be disappointed. Take the loop road and see bison, prairie dogs and bighorn sheep. I would suggest entering from highway 44 from Rapid City mainly because it’s less busy and the scenery just gets better and better as you head to the other end.

Badlands National Park is very different to other National Parks, It has spectacular views and canyons however the rock formations are very different to those of Bryce, Zion and the Grand Canyon. Badlands buttes, pinnacles and spires are eroding much more quickly than in other National Parks which means the views are ever changing There are rolling grass prairies and we think this National Park is a hidden gem which is well worth a visit. If you get chance stop at the famous Wall Drug establishment which first became famous for offering free iced water to thirsty travelers in the 1930's The place is an eclectic mix of all kinds of goods for sale and also has a good self order cafeteria restaurant in which the food is good and the service quick and you can still get free iced water or a 5c cup of coffee if you want one.

This is an absolute must go when in South Dakota. It's way bigger and way more impressive than I expected. I thought it would be similar to Painted Desert in AZ, but this was so much better. It's like driving through a city of castles with layer upon layer of color. Every turn in the road, every viewpoint, and every trail has something awesome to see. We took Sage Creek Road out to the prairie dog town. Got stuck in a traffic jam of Bighorn Sheep and Bison. Just amazing. Bring water. It's hot. Stay for sunset. Stars are unbelievable.

This park has interesting geological formations. It does not have a wide variety of hiking trails. Probably worth a half day visit. The “fossil lab” in the visitor center is definitely worth a visit!

Vistas everywhere like nothing we had ever seen before. The eastern part of the loop road is more scenic than the western section. Cafe at the welcome center had pretty good hamburgers.

Stopped off at the Badlands National Park on our way to Mount Rushmore. It was well worth the time as the views were amazing. From the craggy crevices to the striped hills, the views from the overlooks were incredible. Well worth a few hours to drive through and stop at the overlooks

I loved my visit to the Badlands National Park. I was greeted by some buffalo wandering along the road near the entrance. The staff member at the entrance was friendly and made some small talk with me. The scenic drive offers some wonderful scenic vistas. There were some hiking trails, but it was raining on the day of my visit and they were impassable. The restrooms were pretty rustic. I only drove one direction along the scenic trail, but I would definitely recommend going around twice so you can see the views from multiple angles. There were some buffalo, prairie dogs, and long-horned sheep wandering around the park as well.

We went on a beautiful fall day, and enjoyed it very much. With noon selections at Wall not being exception, we had a great picnic lunch at one of the picnic areas. We went east from Wall, and it was a gorgeous drive. We did not do any hiking this time since we have been here numerous times, but we couldn't head home and not see the Badlands!

This is a beautiful and fascinating park. Approaching from the north, the flat grasslands give no indication of the colorful layers and formations you see as you arrive at the rim. We spent much of two days exploring various sights in the park and there was still more to see. We drove the road along the rim as well as down through the formations and enjoyed the colorful landscape. We saw plenty of wildlife in the park such as bison, prairie dogs, sheep, and even a rattlesnake. The visitor center was quite busy and offered information on hikes and sights. It’s a beautiful park to visit.