Badlands National Park
Badlands National Park (Lakota: Makȟóšiča) is a national park of the United States in southwestern South Dakota. On the map, it sits 2 mi northeast of Interior. Running it is the National Park Service. In 2025, it drew 1.1M visitors.
A national park, 2 mi northeast of Interior
73% of visits come in Jun–Sep
July is the busiest month, with about 235,026 visitors. January sees about 10,527. When to go ↓
Plan where you’ll sleep
The nearest town with many places to stay is Kadoka, 23 miles east. Where to stay ↓
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 12°, with about 38" of snow a year. When to go ↓
One of the most looked-up attractions in the U.S.
About 99K people a year read its Wikipedia article, more than for 97% of the 7,770 attractions we track.
Best months: May, Jun and Sep
May, June and September are the mild months, with highs of 70–81°. When to go ↓
Written from National Park Service visitor counts, NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia. Updated when the Park Service posts a new month.
Visitors and weather through the year
Plan a visit to Badlands around the crowds and weather below.
Badlands National Park
Badlands National Park (Lakota: Makȟóšiča) is a national park of the United States in southwestern South Dakota. The park protects 242,756 acres (379.3 sq mi; 982.4 km2) of sharply eroded buttes and pinnacles, along with the largest undisturbed mixed grass prairie in the United States. The National Park Service manages the park, with the South Unit being co-managed with the Oglala Lakota tribe.
Located within the White River drainage, the Badlands Wilderness protects 64,144 acres (100.2 sq mi; 259.6 km2) of the park's North Unit as a designated wilderness area, and is one site where the black-footed ferret, one of the most endangered mammals in the world, was reintroduced to the wild. The South Unit, or Stronghold District, includes sites of 1890s Ghost Dances, a former United States Air Force bomb and gunnery range, and Red Shirt Table, the park's highest point at 3,340 feet (1,020 m).
- Type
- National Park
- Established
- 1939
- Area
- 379 square miles
- Run by
- National Park Service
- Wikipedia readers
- 99K a year
- Official site
- nps.gov/badl
Before you go
- Private Vehicle$30
- Motorcycle$25
- Per Person$15
- Commercial Entrance - Sedan$25
Overnight near Badlands National Park
You can sleep inside the park (2 places). Hotels, motels or campgrounds are closest in Interior (3) and Wall (13), and Rapid City has the most rooms in the area (76).
Stay in the park
- Cedar Pass Lodge lodge or cabins
- Sage Creek Campground campground
Interior
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
63 people
2 mi southwest of Ben Reifel Visitor Center · at the park edge
Rapid City
The most places to stay in the area, and a base for a longer trip.
80,589 people
67 mi west of Ben Reifel Visitor Center · 33 mi to the park
Compare 9 towns
| Town | From the visitor center | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interior | 2 mi southwest | 5 min | 3 1 motel · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground | 63 | $138K | — |
| Wall | 23 mi northwest | 35 min | 13 5 hotels · 5 motels · 1 lodge or cabins · 2 campgrounds | 668 | $165K | — |
| Kadoka | 23 mi east | 35 min | 10 6 hotels · 2 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 RV park | 518 | — | — |
| Quinn | 19 mi northwest | 30 min | 1 1 campground | 61 | — | — |
| Philip | 24 mi northeast | 35 min | 1 1 motel | 740 | $182K | — |
| Martin | 41 mi south | 1 hr | 2 1 inn or B&B · 1 RV park | 930 | $104K | — |
| Wasta | 34 mi northwest | 50 min | 1 1 hotel | 60 | $109K | — |
| Midland | 45 mi northeast | 1 hr | 2 2 hotels | 105 | $58K | — |
| Rapid City | 67 mi west | 1.5 hr | 76 58 hotels · 8 motels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 5 campgrounds | 80,589 | $299K | D− |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service, from the visitor center
Pair Badlands with these
Also within 67 miles are these.
Big draw149 mi National MemorialMount Rushmore National Memorial1.9M visitors a year
Big draw56 mi LandmarkCrazy Horse Memorial
221 mi National Historic SiteMinuteman Missile National Historic Site102K visitors a year
352 mi MountainBlack Elk Peak
446 mi State parkCuster State Park
551 mi National ParkWind Cave National Park606K visitors a year66 mi National MonumentJewel Cave National Monument111K visitors a year
54 mi MuseumMammoth Site, Hot SpringsPhoto credits
Mount Rushmore National Memorial: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Crazy Horse Memorial: Jeffreylcooke, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Minuteman Missile National Historic Site: Spencer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Black Elk Peak: BHrock at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Custer State Park: Guimir, Public domain · Wind Cave National Park: USGS/USGov, Public domain · Mammoth Site, Hot Springs: Jeff the quiet, CC0
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Visits reached 1,139,361 in 2025
These are the visits counted between 2016 and 2025.
Good to know about Badlands
What town is Badlands National Park near?
Interior, SD, about 2 miles southwest.
When is the best time to visit Badlands National Park?
May, June and September, with highs of 70–81°. July is the busiest month (about 235,026 visitors).
How many people visit Badlands National Park each year?
1,139,361 in 2025, according to the National Park Service. The record is 1,224,226, set in 2021.
What is the closest airport to Badlands National Park?
Rapid City Regional (RAP), about 59 miles away.
Where should I stay near Badlands National Park?
Inside the park: Cedar Pass Lodge and Sage Creek Campground. Nearby: Interior (2 mi, 3 places to stay), Wall (23 mi, 13 places to stay) and Kadoka (23 mi, 10 places to stay).
From people who live in Interior
Nobody has posted a tip yet; ask or answer in Interior’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · National Park Service visitor use statistics · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.