Badlands National Park Custom Search Located in southwestern South Dakota, Badlands National Park consists of 244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires blended with the largest, protected mixed grass prairie in the United States. The Badlands Wilderness Area covers 64,000 acres and is the site of the reintroduction of the black-footed ferret, the most endangered land mammal in North America. The Stronghold Unit is co-managed with the Oglala Sioux Tribe and includes sites of 1890s Ghost Dances. Established as Badlands National Monument in 1939, the area was redesignated 'National Park' in 1978. Over 11,000 years of human history pale to the ages old paleontological resources. Badlands National Park contains the world's richest Oligocene epoch fossil beds, dating 23 to 35 million years old. The evolution of mammal species such as the horse, sheep, rhinoceros and pig can be studied in the Badlands formations.    CONTACTS Email - badl_information@nps.gov Fax- (605) 433-5404 Write to Badlands National Park P.O. Box 6 Interior, SD 57750 Phone Visitor Information - (605) 433-5361 TRAVEL BASICS Operating Hours, Seasons The park is open 24 hours a day, seven days per week. Entrance fees are collected year round. Getting There PLANE - Rapid City and Sioux Falls have airports CAR - I-90 to Hwy 240 'Badlands Loop Road' or Hwy 44 from Rapid City. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION - No public transportation is available to the park. Weather & Climate The Badlands experiences hot, dry summers with occasional violent thunderstorms. Winters are typically very cold with 12 to 24 inches of snowfall. Extremely high winds are common year-round. Sudden and dramatic weather changes are common, so it's good to dress in layers. Hats and sunglasses are recommended. Accessibility Fossil Exhibit Trail and Door Trail are one-fourth mile in length and wheelchair accessible. An open-captioned version of the park video 'Buried Fossils, Living Prairie' is available. Accessibility guide to park free upon request. Getting Around A typical visit lasts three to five hours and includes the park movie, stops at four overlooks, and two walks. The 30-mile Loop Drive is accessed from Interstate 90 and is a two-lane, paved surface. The 30-mile Sage Creek Rim Road is gravel and impassable after heavy rains or snows. Five trails, varying from one-fourth mile to eight miles in length, explore park features. The remainder of the park is open to exploration using a topographic map and a compass. CAMPING Cedar Pass Campground Open All Year The campground is operated by the National Park Service on a first-come, first-served basis. There are four group campsites that can be reserved in advance by calling (605) 433-5235. Sage Creek Campground Open All Year Sage Creek Campground is a free, primitive facility with vault toilets and no water. The campground is operated by the National Park Service on a first-come, first-served basis. FACILITIES Visitor Centers BEN REIFEL VISITOR CENTER Phone - (605) 433-5361 Location - Cedar Pass 'Badlands Loop Road' Hwy 240. Closures - The Ben Refiel Visitor Center is CLOSED on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Years Day. Special Programs - Check at the visitor center between June 15 and August 19 for full ranger program schedule. Reduced schedule offered April through May and August 20 through Labor Day. No programs are available from Memorial Day to mid-June to allow summer naturalist staff to complete training and orientation. Exhibits - Fossils, cultural history, prairie ecology. Available Facilities - Cedar Pass Lodge, operated under a concession contract by the Oglala Sioux Tribe, is open from mid-April through mid-October. Call (605) 433-5460 for Lodge reservations.   Map Detailed Map Contact Info Phone, Email, Address, GPS coordinates Campgrounds Nearby List of Nearby Campgrounds Weather Local weather forecast These outdoors activities are available near Badlands National Park.   Campgrounds Near Badlands National Park: Badlands Ranch Resort, Interior, 1 miles away Badlands/White River KOA, Interior, 1 miles away Cedar Pass Campground, Jackson County, 1 miles away Kadoka Kampground, Kadoka, 19 miles away Dillon Campground, Pennington County, 19 miles away   Hotels Near Badlands National Park: Badlands Budget Host, Interior , 0 miles away Budget Host Sundowner Motor In, Kadoka , 19 miles away Days Inn Wall, Wall , 25 miles away Best Western Plains Motel, Wall , 25 miles away Econo Lodge Wall, Wall , 25 miles away Super 8 Wall, Wall , 25 miles away Americas Best Value Inn, Wall , 25 miles away