I'm never going to rank something nature made less than 5 stars!…read more A unique national park...and a hot one! There is very little shade in this park and it is incredibly hot (we visited in July). We visited with two small kids (5 year old, 1.5 year old) so didn't do any major hikes. We did Door Trail which was fun to leave the boardwalk and explore for the whole family. We also did the Window "trail" which I would consider more of an overlook. We did the Cliff Shelf Nature Trail which I highly recommend for anyone! It gets you some different terrain and some shade. The views can be awe inspiring and otherworldly--not every overlook is worth stopping in my opinion but there's some really neat ones. The visitor center is good. Most stops have vault toilets which were all pretty well maintained. Would not recommend the extra drive to the prairie dog town...we saw prairie dogs all over the state so it wasn't really anything special. We saw several bison outside of the Pinnacles entrance and several herds on the way to the Interior entrance from the west. Try to go early in the day and late in the day to keep cool. And make sure your kiddos get their junior ranger badges at the visitor center.

Breathtaking topography. Piques the curiosity. I mean, can you believe much of our land used to be…read moreunderground? Supposedly that's how ancient rapids carved the Badlands we see today. + Thankfully, restrooms and disposal bins at like every stop. + Water refill & A/C at the VC. - Virtually no shade. Desert climate out there. - And yet very crowded! People taking photos everywhere. Crowded museums.

+ Peaceful nothingness for miles. Gosh the plains out here so plain…read more + Except for the cows in the distance. Wonder how close I coulda gotten to them. - But still, felt like whole lotta nothing out there. . But I suppose it's a decent break in between your visits to the more exciting hot spots like Mt Rushmore and Custer SP. . Prob gotta dig deeper to find the few animals you see in the other reviews' photos, but I was omw to too many flagship destinations to slow down here, unfortunately.

Being from the east coast, I was aware of national parks, national monuments, national forests, and…read moreeven national seashores. But, I wasn't aware of national grasslands until traveling through South Dakota. We stumbled upon Buffalo Gap National Grasslands when we visited the nearby Badlands National Park. (Sept, 2024). Buffalo Gap, with almost 600 thousand acres in southwestern South Dakota, is the second largest protected national grassland in the United Stated. (It's second to the Little Missouri National Grasslands in North Dakota, with over one million acres). Managed by the U.S. Forest Service, its highlights are the colors of the prairie and chalk-colored geological formations, as well as old homesteads and the chance to see wildlife. While there are few developed recreational sites, there are plenty of opportunities to get out into nature here -- with nature viewing, mountain biking, hiking, camping (see below), horseback riding, and hunting. There is also a free Visitors Center in Wall, South Dakota with information about all of the national grasslands, and the importance of the prairie ecosystem. With respect to camping, we already had reservations at the campground in Badlands National Park, but while traveling along the Badlands loop road (Hwy 240), we noticed RVs camping on the top of a cliff in the National Grassland. When we checked online reviews, it was reported that the free dispersed camping offered "jaw dropping views" but with a lot of wind. We hope to return someday to report firsthand!

+ Several exciting off-trails you can explore a lil. Just be careful, don't wander too far off…read more+ Lotta room for photo ops without anyone else in the bg. + A couple pit toilets here. + Multi-trash bins here to dump out yo basura. - Moderately crowded. Lotta people here, but a lotta space at this stop, so you're able to find your room still. + Decent amount of parking.

At this overlook we had a view above the Badlands. It was a very smelly tree here and garbage…read morereceptacles. We followed the boardwalk for a view over the Badlands. that's priceless.

An unexpectedly fun trail! The first section of the trail was a boardwalk with some informational…read moresigns, however the trail continued out into the badlands for maybe another half mile. There were large poles indicating where the trail led. Lots of gorgeous views and definitely worth it!

Tryna review the adjacent Notch Trail, but guess this'll do, as they share the same parking lot. To…read moreclarify, Door Trail starts at Q37F+C8 Interior, SD, while Notch Trail starts at the other end of the parking lot: Q36C+2P Interior, SD. Glad I made it. The ladder's a fun gimmick. People seem to struggle on it a lot. But tbh it's easier than it looks. Just walk it. Don't worry about maintaining perfect balance on all fours every step of the way. Just go. Or else before you know it, crowds start lining up as young families hold up all the traffic on that single ladder, then it effectively becomes a bottleneck tourist trap. Try to beat the crowd. And minimize everyone's wait time. The ladder's here: 43°45'21.8"N 101°55'49.0"W which is a 1/2mi (10min) from the trailhead.

This was more than we expected. We came for a map and stayed for a half hour movie on the National…read moreGrasslands. So much wonderful information. We had already crossed the Oglala grassland and didn't understand the importance. If you have time see the free film.

Informative. Several maps and local guides available, potable water and bathrooms. A "patio talk"…read moretwice a day and upon request during this summer season, a film and please-touch gallery

A fully accessible boardwalk trail features fossil replicas and exhibits of now extinct creatures…read morethat once roamed the area. The Badlands has one of the most concentrated mammal fossil beds in the world. The Fossil Exhibit Trail is the best place to learn about these discoveries. The Fossil Exhibit Trail is just .25 miles long. A boardwalk trail takes you past 75million years of history and the animals that once inhabited this land. along the way, there are boards mentioning all the mammals and extinct animals. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 7 min to complete.

The yellow mounds here were colorful & beautiful. The bison were fun to watch & the praire dogs…read more There were a lot of tourist here this week, all languages were heard.. the small lots are filling up very quickly

Conata Basin Overlook is a great location, just before the road drops down into a bizarre valley of…read morecolorful mounds and strange formations. This overlook gives you a view back towards the Yellow Mounds and more multi-colored layers of the Badlands. do not hike there, its sticks to your shoes.

Yellow Mounds section stands out from some of the overlooks and formations around it because of the…read moreshape and coloring. At first glance, I didn't think anything special, but after getting out at the overlook and walking around a little to fully capture the views and how they fit in with the surrounding landscape, I came away appreciating them more than it seemed.

As you approach the YellowMound Overlook (the next overlook on our list), you will drive through…read morevibrantly colored yellow hills. There is a turnout here where you can safely park your car and get out to enjoy the view. The yellow color comes from fossil soils, called paleosols, that have weathered and changed color when exposed to the sun.

You can walk short trails further out into the badlands for an even better view. Just beware! Don't…read moreget near the edge...the ground can be slippery and the cliffs are fragile and can give way under your feet. It's the perfect stop-off to look at the different layers in the rocks, including the red-colored fossil soils. The White River Valley Overlook is located on the south side of the road and there is ample parking. There is even parking for RVs and vehicles pulling campers. There are no restrooms or other amenities at this overlook. The overlook is wheelchair accessible. The spectacular views from the White River Valley Overlook make it a worthy stop for travelers of the Badlands Loop Road.