South Dakota Vacation Guide - 2026 South Dakota Vacation Guide
Badlands National Park
2025-12-18 16:52:26
Ready to enter a different world? Badlands National Park stuns with its maze of buttes, canyons, pinnacles and spires—otherworldly formations carved by wind and water over millions of years. Called Mako Sica (“bad lands”) by the Lakota, these eroded landscapes reveal colorful rock layers and fossilized remains of three-toed horses, saber-toothed cats and other extinct species. Camp under a canopy of stars and wake to spectacular sunrises in Cedar Pass or Sage Creek campgrounds. In the summer, take in extraordinary stargazing during a ranger-led Night Sky Viewing beneath one of America’s darkest skies.
BADLANDS LOOP STATE SCENIC BYWAY
Between the towns of Wall and Cactus Flat, drive the 39-mile Badlands Loop (SD Highway 240) to spot soaring eagles, coyotes, pronghorn, bison and other wildlife. Along the way, take in jagged ridgelines and sweeping grasslands from 15 designated overlooks.
Insider tip: Daybreak and dusk are best for observing the signature color striations of this lunar-like landscape.
EAT & DRINK
After a day on the trails, scoot over to Wagon Wheel Bar & Grill in Interior for rib-eye sandwiches, scratch-made pizzas and a rousing game of billiards. In Wall, Red Rock Restaurant serves up steak, burgers and a full salad bar. Cap off your adventure with local spirits at Badlands Distillery in Kadoka.
Nearby Towns: Interior (2 miles); Wall (7.5 miles); Kadoka (23 miles)
©South-Dakota. View All Articles.