The unique rock formations in the Badlands area of South Dakota offer a wealth of opportunities for hiking, biking and exploring. Several campsites located in Badlands National Park offer both RV and tent campers an opportunity to explore and rejuvenate while enjoying the incredible scenery.
Location
The Badlands are located in the southwestern corner of South Dakota. The Badlands consist of eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires that strike awe in visitors to the area. One of the best ways to explore the rock formations is with a visit to Badlands National Park, located just north of the small town of Interior, South Dakota. The park lies along Highway 240, just nine miles south of Interstate 90.
RV and Tent Camping
Cedar Pass Campground in Badlands National Park has 96 sites with incredible views of the nearby formations. While no hookups are available, the campground offers water and flush toilets as well as a dump station. Each site offers a picnic table, but due to ongoing fire danger, campfires are not permitted. Cedar Pass offers easy access to a variety of nature programs led by rangers, including walks through the formations, identifying wildflowers along a trail and star-gazing. The campground is also located near most of the park’s hiking trails.
Primitive Camping
Sage Creek Campground offers primitive camping with the wildlife often walking right through the campsites. Watch out for the large bison who use the campground as a grazing area. The gravel road to Sage Creek offers limited turnarounds for large RVs, but once you reach the campground, the sites are large enough to accommodate RVs. The campground offers pit toilets and picnic tables, but no water, so make sure to bring enough for your stay. Sage Creek gives you a real feeling of wilderness since few people take the gravel road to the area. Hiking trails are limited in the area.
Activities
A variety of hiking trails ranging from easy to strenuous dot the Badlands. To see some of the fossils uncovered in the area, check out the easy one-quarter-mile Fossil Exhibit trail that starts five miles northwest of the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. For a much longer, but moderately easy trail, try the five-mile Castle Trail that starts at the Fossil Exhibit Trail. Along the way, you’ll walk through a variety of formations while possibly seeing wildlife and few people. For a closer, slower look at the Badlands, you can bike on established roads, although bikes are not allowed on the trails or boardwalks.
Preparation
A National Park Pass is required to visit Badlands National Park. Purchase a pass at the entrance stations to the park. If you plan to spend the night in the primitive campground, bring plenty of water for each member of your party plus enough for hiking. You can refill your water bottles in the Cedar Pass area, the White River Visitor Center or the Pinnacles Ranger Station.
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