1 active Badlands alert
- ClosureNotch Trail closed for ladder repairsNotch Trail and all areas within 100 feet of the designated trail are closed; do not enter the closure area.Official details
Parkwolf’s Badlands ranking
Top sights in Badlands
1SightPinnacles OverlookSage Creek's jagged skyline earns a sunset stop.
2SightBig Badlands OverlookRed and gray bands make this a quick stop worth keeping.
3SightYellow Mounds OverlookA quick roadside stop for colors you won't see at most overlooks.
4SightSheep Mountain Table OverlookBroad Badlands views from a remote tableland pullout.
5SightPanorama Point OverlookA wide look across eroded ridges toward the White River Valley.
6SightWhite River Valley OverlookA quick pull-off to see layered badlands fall into the valley.
7SightRed Shirt Table OverlookA west-side overlook for a near-complete run of Badlands layers.
8SightRoberts Prairie Dog TownA prairie-dog neighborhood where the residents don’t always show.
9SightConata Basin OverlookTwo ancient soils turn a quick roadside stop into a geologic lesson.Hiking
Top trails in Badlands
- 4 easy
- 6 moderate
- 1 challenging
ModerateNotch Trail1.3 mi · 1.8 hrA ladder climb earns a big look across the White River Valley.
EasyDoor Trail0.8 mi · 30 minBoardwalk through the Door, then a rough walk among eroded formations.
ModerateCastle Trail5.1 mi · 3 hrTrade quick overlooks for a full east-west walk through rock and prairie.
ChallengingSaddle Pass Trail0.7 mi · 40 minShort, steep climb to a broad White River Valley view.
ModerateCliff Shelf Nature Trail0.5 mi · 30 minA quick loop pairs juniper shade with views across layered formations.
EasyWindow Trail0.3 mi · 20 minA short, accessible boardwalk to a window into an eroded canyon.
EasyFossil Exhibit Trail0.3 mi · 20 minA quick, accessible loop with tactile fossil replicas and layered views.
ModerateMedicine Root Loop Trail4.2 mi · 2.3 hrA rolling prairie loop with distant views of Badlands formations.
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Badlands Tour Guide
Badlands, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Badlands National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Badlands audio tourRecorded for this place
Pinnacles Overlook0:00 / 0:32
“You're approaching Pinnacles Overlook, with a broad view across the jagged ridges and open prairie of Sage Creek Wilderness. If you're choosing only a few overlooks, keep this one.”
Plays as you drive up to Pinnacles Overlook in the Parkwolf Badlands Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Ancient Hunters Overlook
- How Prairie Protects a Hill
- Hay Butte Overlook
- What an Oreodont's Teeth Reveal
- 116 audio storiesacross Badlands’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Bison, Bighorn Sheep, Prairie Dog, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 11 trails, 34 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“We recently toured Badlands, Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore and more! We learned so much from this app as we toured each of these sites. The audio tours are worth the money.”
Map
The whole park, on one map
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Facilities
Wildlife
Wildlife in Badlands
760 sightingsBisonMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
1,061 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
906 sightingsPrairie DogMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
333 sightingsPronghornMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
304 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
87 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Badlands. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.