Badlands National Park has diverse wildlife and stunning vistas—here’s how to plan a trip.
Key Points
- Spanning 244,000 acres in South Dakota, Badlands National Park offers stunning geologic deposits, mixed-grass prairie landscapes, and incredible wildlife.
- Visit the park in June for lush landscapes and spring wildlife, or choose September for fewer crowds.
- Popular activities include hiking and camping, with scenic byway drives and an annual astronomy festival also available.
Badlands National Park’s striking geologic deposits and mixed-grass prairie lands are spread across 244,000 acres of western South Dakota. The park contains one of the world’s most abundant fossil beds, filled with the remains of ancient mammals—including nimravids, similar to saber-toothed cats. Today, visitors can spot wildlife like bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, and black-footed ferrets among the sharply eroded buttes.