Badlands National Park

South Dakota

Badlands National Park in southwestern South Dakota protects a dramatic landscape of sharply eroded buttes, spires, and pinnacles. The park is rich in fossil beds and sits at the edge of the Great Plains.

The Badlands are an easy stop on the great northern routes between the Black Hills and the Great Plains. The Loop Road's overlooks, the fossil-rich trails, and the prairie sunsets make this a memorable break on any cross-country drive.

Add Badlands National Park to a national parks road trip, plan a wider US road trip, or read the virtual road trip guide before you hit the road.

Start your trip here

What to see at Badlands National Park

• The Badlands Loop Road and its many overlooks.
• Fossil beds of ancient mammals, visible along the trails.
• Prairie wildlife: bison, bighorn sheep, and prairie dogs.
• Nearby Wall, South Dakota, and Wall Drug.

Start your trip at Badlands National Park

Click the button above to open the America road trip simulator with your journey starting at Badlands National Park. You will appear on the map near this place and can drive from there in any direction, or let the road lead you across the region. The simulator shows the local radio, encyclopedia articles, news, and weather as you travel, and progress is saved in your browser between visits.