The Perfect Badlands National Park One Day Itinerary (2024)
Want to know the best Badlands National Park one day itinerary? We’ve got you covered with everything we did on our trip!
Whether you’re visiting Badlands National Park as part of a larger trip to the Black Hills or you’re just road tripping around to various National Parks, this Badlands National Park one day itinerary is perfect for you.
You can check out our experience here in this video on our YouTube Channel.
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The Perfect Badlands National Park One Day Itinerary
You’ll want to approach Badlands National Park from Sage Creek Road to have a more scenic driving experience.
We started our day at about 8:30 am coming from the KOA outside of Mt. Rushmore.
We didn’t arrive at Badlands National Park until about 10:15 am since it is a bit of a drive from that area.
A portion of our drive as we arrived was a dirt road and we saw almost nobody else the entire way.
Sage Creek Road begins just off of State Road 44, which you would already be driving if you’re coming from Rapid City, Mt. Rushmore, or Crazy Horse.
If you’re coming from other areas of the Black Hills like Wind Cave National Park, it may be faster or easier to take more back roads as you make your way to Sage Creek Road.
Scenic Drives And Overlooks
A great way to begin your day at Badlands National Park is taking a scenic drive into the park.
There are a couple different roads that are connected, making it easy to navigate.
✅ Sage Creek Road
If you keep going straight on Sage Creek Road, it’ll eventually become Rim Road and then become Sage Creek Rim Road.
It’s all the same road so you shouldn’t get lost or confused or anything.
The Sage Creek Road portion of the drive is about 18 miles and takes about 30 minutes or so.
Rim Road is only about 5 miles and takes about 10 minutes to drive through.
During this portion of the drive there are several overlooks where you can pull over and enjoy the scenic views.
These include the Sage Creek Basin Overlook, Roberts Prairie Dog Town, and Badlands Wilderness Overlook.
Sage Creek Rim Road is then only about the last mile and a half.
During this portion of the drive you’ll pass by Hay Butte Overlook.
Sage Creek Rim Road will then dead end into Badlands Loop Road where you’ll turn right to continue into the park.
We saw lots of prairie dogs again and they were super active! We got lots of pictures and videos of them playing around.
✅ Badlands Loop Road
There was a little bit of traffic toward the end of the scenic drive because of construction, but it didn’t really slow us down too much.
Driving Badlands Loop Road to the visitor center takes about 40 minutes on a 22 mile road.
During this portion of the drive there are also a variety of overlooks where you can pull over and take in the views.
The overlooks on this portion of the drive include Pinnacles Overlook, Ancient Hunters Overlook, Yellow Mounds Overlook, Conata Basin Overlook, Homestead Overlook, Burns Basin Overlook, Prairie Wind Overlook, Panorama Point, Bigfoot Pass Overlook, and White River Valley Overlook.
Ranger Programs And Activities
Once you’ve made your way to a central location within Badlands National Park there are a variety of activities you can enjoy.
✅ Ben Reifel Visitor Center
Since it’s a long drive into the park, I recommend stopping at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center for a bathroom break, a park map, and any souvenir shopping you might want to do.
While you’re here you can also check out the Fossil Preparation Lab.
✅ Fossil Preparation Lab
From the second week in June through the third week in September the lab is open from 9 am – 4:30 pm.
You can watch paleontologists work and even ask them all your questions.
✅ GPS Adventure Scavenger Hunt
When you visit the Ben Reifel Visitor Center you can pick up your GPS Adventure Activity Book.
Completing these activities will require a GPS and most people just use their smartphones.
This is a family friendly adventure where you follow your GPS to a variety of trails and points of interest throughout Badlands National Park.
Once you’ve complete a minimum of 3 activities you can take your activity book back to the visitor center and receive your “I Walked The Badlands” patch.
Completing 3 activities should take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours or more depending on if you’re doing other things in-between.
Hiking Trails
Below are the most popular hiking trails you can enjoy while you’re visiting Badlands National Park.
✅ Notch Trail
Notch Trail is a 1.5 mile round trip loop trail with a ladder that climbs up to an overlook where you can see views of White River Valley.
When we did this itinerary, we didn’t make it to Notch Trail until about noon.
By then there were a good amount of people there, but the parking lot still had plenty of space.
Going out to the trail we didn’t really come across too many people and the ladder was empty, but when we headed back down there was a bit of a wait, which was fine with us because it felt good to get out of the car for a bit and walk around.
A note about this ladder – it is much easier going up the ladder than going down.
The notches on the ladder are pretty spaced out, so anyone short like me (5′ 1″) will have a little bit of a harder time getting up and down the ladder, just because you’ll have to reach pretty far sometimes.
Kids were able to do it though, so it’s not impossible.
To get to this part of the trail does not take long at all.
It’s less than 5 minutes each way and we spent about 5-10 minutes up at the top, but it’ll be longer if you walk the full trail loop.
So this can be a quick stop if you’d like or you can spend upwards of an hour here.
We left Notch Trail at around 12:30 pm, so we only spent about 30 minutes here.
✅ Window Trail
Directly next to the Notch Trail is Window Trail.
This is a quarter mile round trip trail that leads to a natural window with canyon views.
You can access Window Trail from the same parking lot as Notch Trail.
✅ Door Trail
In the same parking lot, but on the complete opposite end, you can access Door Trail.
Door Trail is 0.75 miles round trip.
There is a quarter mile boardwalk along this trail that leads to a break known as “The Door”.
You can travel beyond this point at your own risk, but I recommend moving onto the next trail so you can see more areas of the park on your one day visit.
✅ Castle Trail + Connecting Trails
Last but not least, Castle Trail is also accessed from the same parking lot as the other trails listed above.
However, this is a 10 mile out and back trail, so I don’t recommend doing this one if you’re just here for one day unless it’s how you want to spend your entire day.
This trail intersects with several other trails, so you’ll definitely get to see a lot of the park if you choose to do this one.
It’s also the longest designated hiking trail in the park.
If you take the trail one way (5 miles), you’ll meet up with the Fossil Exhibit Trail, which is a 0.25 mile boardwalk loop.
Another trail that intersects Castle Trail is Medicine Root Loop Trail, which is 4 miles roundtrip.
These trails also intersect Saddle Pass Trail, which is a short 0.25 mile roundtrip trail.
Though it’s short, this trail is strenuous because you have to climb up the Badlands Wall to view the White River Valley below.
✅ Cliff Shelf Trail
So the first few trails I shared are short trails that are all accessed at the same parking lot and then I shared an option for a longer trail that intersects several other trails.
This last trail option is about a mile and a half back toward the Visitor Center when you leave the parking lot that all of the above trails start at.
Cliff Shelf Trail is a 0.5 mile roundtrip with boardwalks and stairs that lead you through a juniper forest.
Sometimes after a rain there is a small pond where you may see some wild life like deer or bighorn sheep.
Wall Drug
After spending a long day exploring Badlands National Park, just up the street is a historic place called Wall Drug.
It’s only about a 30 minute drive along I-90.
When you’re out here you’ll probably see billboards all over the place and it’s definitely worth visiting.
Wall Drug rose to fame back in the day for offering free ice cold water to travelers before it was commonly available.
Then they also became known for their 5 cent coffee and eventually grew into a full main street shopping and dining center.
Wall Drug is a great place for dinner after spending a day hiking in Badlands National Park.
I loved their roast beef sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy.
Where To Stay When Visiting Badlands National Park
When visiting Badlands National Park there are a variety of accommodations in the park and nearby.
☑️ Cedar Pass Lodge
The only lodging inside Badlands National Park is at Cedar Pass Lodge where you can stay in a cabin.
👉🏼 Click Here To Book Your Stay At Cedar Pass Lodge Today!
☑️ Cedar Pass Campground
Camping at Cedar Pass Campground is another option for tent camping and RV camping.
They have electric hook ups for RVs and a total of 96 camping spots that are all paid.
Another campground, Sage Creek Campground is free, but it’s also first come first serve with only 22 sites.
Vehicles that are longer than 18 feet cannot camp at Sage Creek Campground though.
☑️ Badlands Frontier Cabins
If you go to Wall Drug you may not want to drive all the way back into Badlands National Park, so another lodging option closer to that area is the Badlands Frontier Cabins.
These furnished cabins include free parking, free wifi, and free breakfast.
They consistently hold a 9+ rating out of 10 by their visitors, so you know you’re staying at a quality place.
👉🏼 Click Here To Book Your Badlands Frontier Cabins Stay Near Wall Drug Today!
Tips For Spending One Day At Badlands National Park
Here are 10 tips for visiting Badlands National Park on your one day itinerary.
1. Arrive Early
Since you only have one day to visit Badlands National Park, you’ll want to start your day as early as possible.
This way you’ll have more time to enjoy all areas of the park and you’ll beat the traffic getting into the park.
Additionally, you’ll be able to do some of the busier trails like Notch Trail before it gets too busy.
2. Fill Up Your Gas Tank Before You Arrive
On your way to Badlands National Park make sure you top off your gas tank before you get out here.
You’ll do a bit of driving throughout the park along the scenic drives and from trailhead to trailhead.
You don’t want to risk running out of gas when you’re far from a gas station and when you only have a short amount of time to visit the park.
3. Bring Plenty Of Water + Stay Hydrated
Two quarts per person per two hour hike is recommended as the appropriate amount of water to bring with you.
Additionally, consider drinks that have electrolytes as those will be even better for you than just plain water when you’re hiking, especially in the heat.
If you have a cooler filled with ice to keep your drinks chilled in-between hikes that’s even better.
4. Bring Protection From Weather Conditions
If it’s hot and sunny, you’ll want sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses.
If there’s a chance for rain, be sure to bring rain gear like umbrellas, rain jackets, and rain boots.
5. Wear Sturdy Shoes
You’ll want to wear hiking boots or at least sturdy gym shoes when you’re hiking in Badlands National Park.
This will help keep your feet protected from potential encounters with cacti, snakes, or other wildlife.
6. Do Not Approach Wildlife
You should maintain a distance of at least 100 feet away from any wildlife you may see during your visit.
The rule of thumb is that if any animal is reacting to your presence, you are probably too close it.
7. It Is Illegal To Remove Anything From National Park Lands
If you come across any cool rocks, fossils, artifacts, plants, or animals, you must leave them where they are.
It is illegal to remove any of these items from National Parks.
8. Badlands National Park Has An Open Hike Policy
This means that you are allowed to hike off-trail, which is pretty rare in National Parks.
Popular open hike places in Badlands includes Deer Haven and Sage Creek Wilderness Area.
Be careful when you’re doing this though because there are many areas throughout the park that don’t have great cell service.
Another tip is that the formations throughout Badlands National Park are usually easier to climb up than climb down.
9. Plan Ahead
Be sure to plan your visit before you go so you’re not spending your limited time roaming around aimlessly.
You might miss some of the park highlights!
Additionally you want to plan ahead for the weather conditions.
Depending on the time of year you’re visiting, the weather here can be drastically different.
10. Tell Someone Your Plans
Just in case you get lost or can’t get in contact with others for some reason, be sure to tell somebody you trust what your itinerary is and what all you plan to do.
This can make a big difference in rangers being able to find if you end up lost without phone service.
Frequently Asked Questions About Badlands National Park
These are the most frequently asked questions we get about visiting Badlands National Park on a one day itinerary.
☑️ Is One Day Enough In Badlands National Park?
Absolutely!
You can take the scenic drive and Notch Trail, which are two of the main attractions at Badlands National Park in just a matter of hours.
This leaves plenty of time for other trails, visiting the Fossil Lab, or enjoying a sunrise or sunset in the park.
☑️ How Much Time Do You Need At Badlands National Park?
Half a day or a full day is perfect for visiting Badlands National Park.
If you’re doing the above itinerary, it can be done in as little as half a day.
But if you’re wanting to see a sunrise, a sunset, or enjoy stargazing at the night sky, then you’ll want to spend a full day in the park.
☑️ What Should You Not Miss In Badlands National Park?
You can’t miss Notch Trail.
This is the biggest highlight of Badlands National Park.
Additionally, if you can enjoy the scenic drives like Sage Creek Road and Badlands Loop Road, you’ll get to see the landscape that Badlands National Park is known for.
☑️ Can You Do Mt Rushmore And Badlands In One Day?
You can definitely do Mt. Rushmore and Badlands National Park in one day.
You can start or finish your day at either one.
What you’ll want to be conscientious of is the sunrise and sunset time.
You’ll want to see both during day time hours, so the Winter Solstice time is probably not the best time of year to try to visit both in the same day.
It’s also about an hour and a half drive between the two, so it’s not too long of a drive if you’re trying to do both in the same day.
☑️ When Is The Best Time To Visit Badlands National Park?
The best time of year to visit Badlands National Park is typically during the late spring to early fall, particularly from May to September.
During this period, the weather is relatively mild, with warm daytime temperatures and cool evenings, making it ideal for hiking and outdoor exploration.
Wildflowers bloom in the spring, and the lush greenery contrasts beautifully with the park’s iconic rugged terrain.
Summer offers longer daylight hours for extended adventures, but be prepared for hotter temperatures.
Fall brings cooler weather, smaller crowds, and the stunning changing colors of the park’s foliage.
Winter can be harsh and less accessible due to snow and cold temperatures, making the warmer months the most enjoyable for visitors.
More Fun Things To Do Near Badlands National Park
Badlands National Park is a pretty remote destination, but there are plenty of tourist attractions nearby in the Black Hills.
Here are some other activities you can do in addition to your Badlands National Park one day itinerary.
✓ Best Things To Do In The Black Hills Of South Dakota
The Black Hills of South Dakota are home to a variety of attractions including Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Wind Cave National Park, Custer State Park, Needles Highway, Iron Mountain Road, and more.
✓ Devils Tower National Monument
About 2 hours West of Badlands National Park is Devils Tower.
This is a significant site for the natives that first inhabited this land and today you can hike the loop trail around the base or climb to the top.
Conclusion: Badlands National Park One Day Itinerary
This Badlands National Park one day itinerary is perfect for first time visitors and those that aren’t too big on hiking long distances.
Almost anybody can do this itinerary.
