We visited Badlands National Park in June 2025, the third stop of our Wild West Loop RV road trip.
After two long travel days that were mostly about getting north, Badlands National Park is where our summer road trip really began. This was the stop we’d been looking forward to since we first sketched out the route, and it did not disappoint. I can’t even count how many times I said “wow” or “this place can’t be real.”
It also taught us a couple of lessons the hard way, mostly about heat, water and timing. Here’s how we spent our time in the Badlands, what we’d do differently, and why the best hours in this park come after most people have headed home.
The Drive From Nebraska: Sandhills, Buttes and One Very Rough Road
Storms had been rolling around Ravenna, Nebraska, the night before, but luckily they missed us, and we were on the road a little before 9:30 a.m. As always with the cats and Claire riding in the truck, we packed our road food and planned to stop only to switch drivers.
The first stretch followed Nebraska Highway 2, the Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway, before we turned north on US-83, the Bridges to Buttes Byway. If you’ve never driven through the Sandhills, picture grass-covered dunes as far as you can see and long highways with hardly anyone on them. I drove the first leg, and it was about as relaxing as towing a fifth wheel gets.
About halfway, we pulled over on the side of the road and switched drivers. Everything went smoothly until our route took us onto BIA Highway 1 on the Rosebud Reservation. That road was rough: broken pavement and lots of bumpy sections that had us creeping along with the RV bouncing behind us. Nothing broke, but with a trailer, it’s not a road we’d choose again.
Somewhere along the way we crossed into Mountain Time, so after about five hours and 330 miles, we pulled into our campground in Interior, South Dakota, around 2:30 in the afternoon.
Our First Evening: Steaks, Sunset and Bison
Our campground was only about a mile from the park entrance, so after setting up, we drove over and bought our National Parks annual pass. If you plan to visit more than a couple of parks in a year, it pays for itself quickly.
Then we headed back to the RV, grilled some steaks, and went out again to see the park at sunset. Absolutely beautiful. The light turns the striped buttes gold and pink, and the whole landscape looks almost unreal.
We even lucked out and came across a few bison grazing right on the side of the road. Not a bad welcome.
Getting to Know Badlands National Park
The Lakota called this place mako sica, “bad lands,” and once you see the steep, crumbly spires up close, you understand why. The whole area was once a shallow sea, and wind and water have been carving its layers into buttes and canyons ever since. Along the way, it became one of the richest fossil beds in the world.
Those fossils come from the era after the dinosaurs: ancient horses, rhino-like creatures and saber-toothed cats. The landscape is still changing, too. The Badlands erode about an inch a year, so no two visits are quite the same.
The Lakota found the bones long before scientists did and called the creatures “water monsters”. The land is still closely tied to the Oglala Lakota, and the park’s southern Stronghold District sits within the Pine Ridge Reservation. Badlands became a national park in 1978 and today covers about 244,000 acres.
The park also protects the largest mixed-grass prairie in the National Park System, which is why the wildlife viewing is so good. Bison, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, mule deer and prairie dogs all live here, along with endangered black-footed ferrets, reintroduced to the park in 1994.
Hiking the Notch Trail (Bring Water. Seriously.)
Mackenzie had a few calls for school the next morning, so as soon as she wrapped up, we headed straight to the park. First stop was the Ben Reifel Visitor Center for passport stamps and stickers, a must for us at every park.
The visitor center is worth more than a quick stamp, though. It’s named for Ben Reifel, also known as Lone Feather, the first congressman of Lakota heritage, who represented South Dakota. Inside, there are museum exhibits on the park’s geology and wildlife, plus a self-serve passport stamping station at the information desk.
The real gem is the Fossil Preparation Lab. It’s a working paleontology lab where you can watch park paleontologists and interns clean, identify and catalog real fossils up close, and ask them questions. We stopped in on our way through, and it’s well worth the time. It’s typically open in summer only, so check before you go.
From there, we drove to the Notch Trail, a short out-and-back hike to one of the park’s most famous overlooks. It was already in the mid-80s, and somehow we underestimated it. We didn’t bring water. Bad idea.
The trail starts easy enough, but it gets rocky quickly, with some steeper sections and rocks to scramble around. Toward the middle is the trail’s well-known log ladder, which climbs up to the next section. After that, some stretches are, let’s say, “cliffy,” with narrow paths right next to a 50-foot drop. At the end, you’re rewarded with a big view out over the valley.
Mack really seemed to like the hike, but she was pretty winded by the end. In fact, we were all sweaty and tired. There’s almost no shade out there, and the pale rock throws the heat right back at you.
If you’re planning to hike the Notch Trail:
- Bring more water than you think you need, even for a short hike.
- Go early or late in the day in summer. Midday heat is no joke.
- Wear shoes with good grip for the ladder and the rocky sections.
- Skip it if heights bother you. The narrow ledge sections are real.
A Midday Break and a Drive to Scenic
We headed back to the RV to cool down and have a snack. This is where staying so close to the entrance really paid off: popping back home in the heat of the day was no big deal.
Mack had another call at 4, and we wanted to do something in between, so we hopped in the truck and took a drive to Scenic, a tiny town on the western edge of the Badlands, about seven miles north of the Pine Ridge Reservation line. The road there is an easy drive through wide-open prairie.
Scenic itself was very quiet and virtually abandoned. The few houses that looked lived in were boarded up, and most of the old buildings along Main Street were closed up tight. It felt desolate in a way that’s hard to shake, especially after the beauty of the park just down the road.
After we got back, I did a little reading. Scenic was a busy railroad and ranching stop in the early 1900s, but it faded after the Great Depression and a highway bypass. Its landmark is the 1906 Longhorn Saloon, still lined with cattle skulls. And in 2011, the whole town was sold to a Philippines-based church for just under $800,000.
If you like ghost towns and odd bits of history, Scenic is worth the short detour. Just remember that people do still live here, so be respectful, and don’t wander onto private property for photos.
Driving the Badlands Loop at Golden Hour
As soon as Mack finished her afternoon call, we headed right back into the park. This time we aimed for the prairie dog town and stopped at every single overlook along the way. We wandered, looked and photographed like the tourists that we are.
The Badlands Loop Road (Highway 240) is the main scenic drive through the park, and you get great views no matter which direction you drive it. The road dips into and climbs out of canyons, with pull-offs, overlooks and short trails all along the way. One overlook is more stunning than the next.
We ended up spending five hours in the park, right until the end of sunset. The best part? After about 6 p.m., the crowds thinned out, the heat backed off, and the wildlife came out. We saw bison, pronghorn, deer, bighorn sheep, all kinds of birds and, of course, the prairie dogs. Seeing bighorn sheep up close was so cool.
Our Favorite Stops in Badlands
- Notch Trail: Short, adventurous and worth it (with water).
- Window Trail: An easy walk to a natural “window” in the Badlands wall.
- Pinnacles Overlook: Huge, sweeping views, and a good spot to look for bighorn sheep.
- Yellow Mounds Overlook: Soft yellow and pink hills that look like nothing else in the park.
- Roberts Prairie Dog Town: Hundreds of prairie dogs popping in and out of their burrows.
Good to Know Before You Drive the Loop
- Pets are allowed in parking lots and along the road, but not on the trails.
- Vault toilets are available at some of the larger pull-offs.
- Heights: There are lots of steep edges. If you’re nervous about heights, some overlooks may be more stressful than fun.
Our Badlands Wish List for Next Time
As much as we packed in, we barely scratched the surface. Here’s what’s on our list for a return visit:
- Door Trail: A short trail near the Notch Trail that leads through an opening in the Badlands wall, with signs explaining the park’s geology along the way.
- Fossil Exhibit Trail: A short, accessible boardwalk with fossil replicas and exhibits about the animals that once lived here. It’s a favorite with families.
- Sunrise on the Loop: We loved sunset so much that we want to see the buttes light up in the morning, too.
- The Stronghold District: The quieter southern part of the park, with a long history tied to the Oglala Lakota. It’s a bigger trip, but one we’d love to make.
Where We Stayed: Badlands Hotel & Campground
We stayed at Badlands Hotel & Campground in Interior, South Dakota, and the location is hard to beat. The park entrance is only a mile or so away, and you get great views of the Badlands right from the campground.
It’s a mixed crowd: tents, trailers, vans, SUV tents, pop-ups and smaller motorhomes (some of them rentals), plus a small hotel on site. Our site had full hookups on gravel, with some ruts on one side, but it was level enough. Sites are tightly spaced with no real privacy, and there’s very little shade anywhere. The pool was out of order while we were there, but there’s a camp store that serves breakfast and a field for dog walks.
The camp store saved us, too. The sewer hookup was quite a distance from our connection, and they sold the extra sewer hose we needed. Otherwise, we would have been driving an hour and a half to find one.
That’s the other thing to know: this area is remote. There’s gas nearby at reasonable prices, but groceries and bigger stores are an hour or more away. Stock up before you arrive.
Would we stay again? Yes. The amenities are limited, but the views and the easy park access make up for it.
Lessons Learned on This Leg
- Carry water: Even a short hike can wear you out in Badlands summer heat. Ours was a mile or so, and we still regretted going without.
- Time your visits: Mornings and evenings are the sweet spot. After 6 p.m., we had fewer people, cooler air, golden light and the most wildlife.
- Base yourself close: Staying a mile from the entrance let us take a midday break in the RV and go back out for sunset without a long drive.
- Stock up before you arrive: Groceries are about 1.5 hours away. Arrive with a full pantry and fridge.
- Pack an extra sewer hose: Hookups aren’t always where you expect. An extension can save you a long drive.
- Check your towing route: Look closely at back roads before you commit with a trailer. Not every shortcut is worth the bumps.
- Plan for pets: Dogs are limited to parking lots and roads in the park, so plan your hikes around that.
Final Thoughts
What an amazing first “real” stop on this road trip! Badlands National Park is so beautiful, and it’s one of those places photos can’t fully capture. Between the bison by the road, the bighorn sheep at sunset and that ladder on the Notch Trail, it gave us exactly the kind of adventure we’d been waiting for.
More than anything, this stop reminded us to work with the park instead of against it. Hike early, carry water, rest in the heat of the day, and save the evenings for the overlooks. By the time the sun went down, we were all pooped and completely happy.
Follow the whole Wild West Loop here.
Free printable: The Simpler Way RV Trip Planner
The same 10-page planner we use for every trip in our fifth wheel: our planning rules, a hub planner, a campground scouting checklist, a budget sheet, a packing list and a travel day checklist.
Have you been to Badlands National Park? Which overlook was your favorite, or is it still on your list? Tell us in the comments below!
