Best time to go
The center opens seasonally in summer, not year-round, so check its current schedule before making the drive. It’s about 30 miles south of Scenic, or roughly 60 miles east of Hermosa via Highway 40.
Overview
About White River Visitor Center
Why stop
- Ranger talks and exhibits focus on Lakota heritage and treaties.
- Restrooms, water and picnic tables are useful on the remote South Unit drive.
Map
Where it is
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Full mapPlan your stop
Before you go
Best time to go
Facilities
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
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Badlands Tour Guide
Your drive to White River Visitor Center, 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
White River Visitor Center0:00 / 0:28
“Up ahead is White River Visitor Center, a small summer-season stop on Pine Ridge Reservation. Come in for the Lakota history: the exhibits explore the Badlands' significance to Lakota people and the history of treaties.”
Plays as you drive up to White River Visitor Center in the Parkwolf Badlands Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
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- 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.”
Guide
More about White River Visitor Center
A small South Unit visitor centerWhite River Visitor Center is Badlands National Park’s small, staffed information center for…
White River Visitor Center is Badlands National Park’s small, staffed information center for the South Unit, on Pine Ridge Reservation at the junction of BIA 2 and BIA 27. It’s a useful stop if you’re exploring this side of the park and want local orientation, maps or a ranger conversation; plan on a brief visit rather than a large museum.
Lakota history and interpretationThe exhibits and ranger conversations focus on Badlands’ significance to Lakota people and the…
The exhibits and ranger conversations focus on Badlands’ significance to Lakota people and the history of treaties. Ask staff about an informal talk, which is available by request. The center’s strength is a closer look at the area’s cultural history and a chance to ask questions.
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.
