Last updated on March 3rd, 2026
In this one day in Badlands National Park itinerary we’re including every detail for one full day in the park, plus top tips for visiting. We’ve included where to stay, when to visit, and other things to do in Badlands National Park!
Despite being just under 2 hours from the Black Hills, Badlands National Park feels like a whole other planet. Here you’ll find an extremely dry and desert-like landscape, a striking contrast to Custer State Park’s green trees and lakes. And if you find yourself road tripping through South Dakota and want to see as much diverse scenery as possible, Badlands National Park must be on your list!
And the best part? It can easily be explored in one day! We spent a jam-packed day in Badlands National Park’s North Unit and were able to see so much of what the park has to offer. Including tackling several hikes, seeing tons of wildlife, going on scenic drives, stopping at overlooks, and eating a delicious local treat. It was the best day and we want to share how YOU can do it too in our one day in Badlands National Park itinerary!
- About Badlands National Park
- One Day in Badlands National Park Map
- One Day in Badlands National Park Itinerary
- Watch the sunrise from Big Badlands Overlook
- Hike the Notch Trail, Window, and Door Trails
- Drive the Badlands Loop Road
- Grab a coffee and donut at Wall Drug
- Drive Sage Creek Rim Road
- See the prairie dogs at Robert’s Prairie Dog Town!
- End the day with sunset at Pinnacles Overlook
- Do some night photography or join the Night Sky Viewing program
- Top Tips for One Day in Badlands National Park
- Want to get FREE flights and hotel stays?
- Looking for more things to do in South Dakota?
- Save this guide with the best hikes in Badlands National Park
- About the Author
About Badlands National Park
Badlands gets its name from the Lakota Native American tribe, who called it “Mako Sica,” which translates to “bad lands,” since it is difficult to travel through in all seasons. This type of dry terrain is made up of soft sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils that have been extensively eroded by wind and water over lots of time. Rain turns the ground slick and sticky, while winters are frigid and the summers get scorching hot. It’s not a very forgiving landscape!
Note: It costs $30 per vehicle ($25 for motorcycles) to enter Badlands National Park, which covers 7 days. However, we highly recommend getting the America the Beautiful pass. This pass is $80 per year and will get you into any National Park, monument, or forest for free.
Visiting multiple National Parks? We highly recommend getting the America the Beautiful pass, which costs about $80 per year and gives you free access to over 2,000 federal recreation sites, including ALL National Parks.
Want to Learn More as you explore?
We highly suggest downloading the Guide Along – Black Hills, Mount Rushmore & Badlands (totally worth the cost!!) audio tours to navigate you on the road. Even when you don’t have service it knows where you are and provides commentary and history about the area. As well as alerts you when to stop for specific sights. These guides are fun to listen to and the narrator feels like a fun friend in the car with you!
One Day in Badlands National Park Map
One Day in Badlands National Park Itinerary
Watch the sunrise from Big Badlands Overlook
What better way to start off your one day in Badlands National Park than with a breathtaking sunrise over the badlands? Plus, getting up bright and early will allow you to fit in as much as possible into your one day in the park, as well as beat the crowds.
The Big Badlands Overlook is located right when you enter the park on the east side of the Badlands Loop Road, so it is a super convenient start to your day. Be sure to get there with plenty of time to get settled and see the sun start to rise.
It is amazing to see the Badlands illuminate with the super soft, morning light. It really makes their colors pop! We watched the sunrise from here, and while we unfortunately had some smoke off in the distance the day we were there, it was still super beautiful and a great way to start off our one day in Badlands National Park itinerary!
Hike the Notch Trail, Window, and Door Trails
These three hikes are some of the absolute best in the whole park and are super easy to complete all together since they start from the same parking lot!
Low on time? The Notch Trail is the best hike in Badlands National Park. So make sure to prioritize that one and complete it in the early morning, when fewer people will be sharing the trail (and its ladders) with you.
Start off your trifecta of hikes with the Notch trail. This hike is 1.3 miles with only 131 feet of elevation gain, making it super easy and quick. But don’t let that fool you, it’s an adventurous and unique trail!
This trail gets you up close and personal with the Badlands. Along the way you’ll walk right between them, next to them, and on them. But the best part of the hike is the trail’s claim to fame: a log ladder!
It’s easy to climb, but can be a bit wobbly, so be sure to use all of your limbs to stabilize yourself if need be. Climbing up this ladder was the highlight of our time at Badlands. We have never experienced anything like it!
After the ladder, keep continuing on the trail to a gorgeous viewpoint with views of the Badlands that are sure to take your breath away!
Next you’ll hike the Window Trail and the Door Trail. Both are super quick and easy, but give you great views into the Badlands. The Window trail is 0.3 miles and the Door Trail is 0.8 miles. Both trails walk along a boardwalk, but the Door offers access to walk off the boardwalk into the badlands at the end if you wish.
Since the badlands can get pretty muddy and slick when it rains, these boardwalk trails are great options if you’re visiting on a day when the ground is wet.
The views from these trails are insane and we felt we were transported to a movie set or Mars. While we suggest doing both, the Door Trail is definitely our favorite of the two!
Drive the Badlands Loop Road
One thing that we really enjoyed about our one day in Badlands National Park was that you can see so much of the park from the car. It made a one day itinerary super doable, while still feeling like we got to see so much that the park had to offer. So be sure to drive the Badlands Loop Road (SD 240)!
It’s the main road in the park running east and west and it is where you will find almost all of the most popular attractions, including access to hikes, the visitor center, and 12 overlooks.
Some of our favorite stops include: Big Badlands Overlook, Ben Reifel Visitor Center, Fossil Exhibit, White River Valley Overlook, Panorama Point, Yellow Mounds Overlook and Pinnacles Overlook. We include a ton of information about each stop in our things to do in Badlands National Park guide, so be sure to read up on all of them before your visit!
Grab a coffee and donut at Wall Drug
Leave the park for a bit as the crowds start to get larger, and fuel up at a super famous spot in town just 10 minutes away…Wall Drug!
By the time you get to Badlands National Park, you will have heard of Wall Drug, since they cover every billboard for literally hundreds of miles. And they now attract over 2 million visitors a year!
Yes, it’s super touristy but we LOVED it! And anyone who spends one day in Badlands National Park needs to include this on their itinerary. It’s a shame to come all the way out here and not stop in to see it!
The inside is full of themed shops, reminiscent of something you’d see at Disney. They’re super famous for their famous donuts, free ice water, and 5 cent coffee. Our personal favorite was the maple donut. We honestly expected them to be average donuts, but they were actually incredible! They were so cakey, fluffy, and moist, with incredible flavor.
The famous 5 cent coffee on the other hand is exactly what you’d expect for 5 cents, but it’s worth grabbing for the novelty and a little caffeine boost to get you through the rest of your one day in Badlands National park itinerary. We didn’t try any other food, but they have so much more to select from and we hear their hot beef sandwiches are good!
Drive Sage Creek Rim Road
Another great scenic drive in the park is the Sage Creek Rim Road (SD 590). Head here next to see some other scenic overlooks. Despite being unpaved, almost any vehicle is able to safely and easily drive on this road.
Stop at as many of the quick roadside pull offs to admire the view from there, or hike down into the badlands a little bit. Just be careful, as sometimes these paths are slick and steep! These overlooks include:
Sage Creek Rim Road is also a place where you’re likely to spot tons of wildlife! We saw quite a few bison and bighorn sheep out here, and even better, we saw tons of prairie dogs. They are SO cute, which is why we’ve included a stop to see them next on your one day in Badlands National Park.
See the prairie dogs at Robert’s Prairie Dog Town!
Head to Roberts Prairie Dog Town! It might sound like some cheesy tourist attraction, but “towns” are the habitats that prairie dogs live in! It’s actually just a big open area that tons of prairie dogs call home. We drove out here right before sunset, unsure if the rough trek would be worth it, but it 100% was!
During our visit, we watched the prairie dogs wrestle and play with each other, pop in and out of holes, and heard their little screams. They are SO CUTE and a must-see!
The prairie dogs are used to visitors and are pretty friendly, but do not feed or pet the prairie dogs! We know it’s tempting, but it’s against National Park rules.
Robert’s Prairie Dog Town was such a highlight of our time in Badlands National Park and we cannot believe we almost skipped it. This is an absolute must do while driving the Sage Rim Road during your one day in Badlands National Park!
End the day with sunset at Pinnacles Overlook
Pinnacles Overlook is gorgeous any time of the day, but we especially recommend this spot for sunset. It’s located at the very end of the Badlands Loop Road, and you can enjoy the view from the parking area or you can go down some stairs to reach a wider viewing area, as well as walk onto the Badlands.
Do some night photography or join the Night Sky Viewing program
Be sure to continue your one day in Badlands National Park after sunset, since you can see so many stars once the sun goes down! You’ll have a good chance of seeing the Milky Way and many constellations from the park.
You can pick a spot and stargaze on your own, but the park also offers Night Sky Viewings on summer nights at the Cedar Pass Campground Amphitheater. Park rangers use lasers to point out constellations, planets, and other objects in the sky. They also provide a telescope for you to use too! It’s a way more immersive and educational experience than you’d get on your own and we highly recommend it to end your perfect one day in Badlands National Park itinerary!
Top Tips for One Day in Badlands National Park
When to Visit
While typically open 365 days a year, Badlands National Park will close for extreme weather. And this area definitely can see extreme weather on occasion! The temperature in the park can range from 116° F to -40° F.
Summers are very hot with a good amount of rain and thunderstorms, and winters are super cold with 12-24” of snowfall. June through August are the busiest time of the year thanks to summer break, so we recommend visiting in the shoulder seasons of April–May and September–October.
Getting To Badlands National Park
Southwestern South Dakota is pretty isolated from any other major cities in the US. But depending on where you’re coming from and going, it can be a great road trip stop! We have a great 7 Day South Dakota Road Trip Guide including Rapid City, Badlands National Park, and the Black Hills!
If you need to fly into South Dakota, we recommend Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP). Major airlines that fly into this airport include Allegiant, American Airlines, Delta, and United. With direct flights from Atlanta, Minneapolis, Las Vegas, Dallas, Chicago, Phoenix, Denver, and Salt Lake City.
Getting Around Badlands National Park
You’ll definitely need a car to explore Badlands National Park, so either plan on driving here or rent a car from the airport. The park is far from any airports, and there are no shuttles or buses to get you from place to place once you’re here.
However, driving around Badlands National Park is part of the fun! One of the best things about this park is how much you can see from the road. There are other National Parks where you have to hike for miles to see some of the best scenery, but not at Badlands!
Where to Stay
Badlands National Park is in a pretty remote area, so there aren’t a ton of places to stay. Inside the park you’ll find two campgrounds, the Cedar Pass Campground and Sage Creek Campground. These are located in two different areas of the park and offer a more traditional camping experience.
But one cool thing about Badlands is that it is open for backcountry camping! You must set up your camp at least a half mile off of a trail or road, and cannot be visible from the road. Make sure to pack out what you pack in, bring your own water, as there are no water sources, and no pets or fires are allowed. And be prepared for and aware of any wildlife you might run into, including bison!
The final lodging option in Badlands National Park is the Cedar Pass Lodge. This lodge, located right by the Cedar Pass Campground, offers cabins to rent with private bathrooms, tv, refrigerator, microwave, and queen beds.
There are also a handful of free and paid campgrounds near the park (including our favorite free campsite ever!), a few hotels and a small selection of vacation rentals to choose from as well. For a full list, check out our Badlands National Park guide.
Want to get FREE flights and hotel stays?
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What to bring to Badlands National Park
You can see all of the products we use and love on our gear page, but here are some items that are especially important to have when enjoying your one day in Badlands National Park!
- Don’t forget the 10 essentials! Even on easier and shorter hikes, mishaps can happen (we know from experience).
- Good hiking shoes are key, as the terrain can be slick. We love our Lowa Renegade GTX boots and ALTRA Lone Peak trail runners! Chacos are another good choice for this park, but keep an eye out for snakes on the ground.
- The weather can be wild here, so make sure to bring layers and a rain jacket
- With very exposed trails, make sure to bring sun protection and plenty of water. We love hiking with our CamelBak.
- The offline AllTrails maps for any hike you want to complete.
- And of course, an AllTrails+ Membership so you can download the trail map to use offline when you have no service!
Want to get 30% off an AllTrails Plus membership? Use our code aplusk30 (you must redeem this code on the website, not the app)!
We use AllTrails Plus on every single hike and it is the most helpful hiking tool out there! Some of the features we love are offline maps (so we can navigate even without cell service), wrong-turn alerts, and its 3D maps feature, so we can get a feel for trails before we hike.
Looking for more things to do in South Dakota?
- 12 Fun Things to do in Badlands National Park + itineraries!
- 8 Best Hikes in Badlands National Park: Easy Walks & Hard Climbs
- 7 Day South Dakota Road Trip Itinerary: Black Hills to Badlands
- 65+ Best Things to do in the Black Hills (Hikes, towns, food, & more!)
- A Complete Guide to Hiking the Castle Trail in Badlands National Park
- The Best Things to Do in Custer State Park (+ where to stay & itineraries!)
Save this guide with the best hikes in Badlands National Park
About the Author
This article was written by Tori, one of our Adventures of A+K team members. Learn a bit about her below!
Hi, I’m Tori! I live in Nashville, TN with my husband and two daughters. We travel as much as possible throughout the year, around a 9-5 schedule and with babies in tow! My travel blog, Tori Pines Travels, aims to help people plan action-packed and culture-rich vacations around their busy jobs, fitting in as much exploring as possible. When I’m not working for Adam and Kathryn or entertaining my little ones, I’m writing, cooking, crafting or exploring Music City!