| Badlands National Park (Badlands National Park) | |
 | |
| Badlands rock formations | |
| Information | |
| Country |  United States |
|---|---|
| Region | Badlands and Black Hills |
| IUCN Category | II (National Park) |
| Administration | National Park Service |
| Location | |
 43 ° 51 ′ 20 ″ N 102 ° 11 ′ 25 ″ W | |
| Official site | |
the Badlands National Park is a National Park from South Dakota to United States.
Understand
The French trappers who discovered this place called it the bad lands to cross, which gave the name of this park, already known to the Lakota Indians.
Nowadays the scenic route, in very good condition, follows a portion of a geological fault called the Badlands Wall, longer than 100 km, which separates the park into two grassland areas: the low area and the high area. Between these two zones, the fault reveals a succession of much more arid peaks and mounds.
The climate of the park varies from one extreme to another: very hot or even scorching in summer, with violent storms, it can be very cold in winter, with freezing winds.
To go
Entrance fee
As with any national park, an access fee is charged at the entrance. He wakes up at 20 $ per vehicle for a period of 7 consecutive days. It is also possible to acquire and use the card America the Beautiful at the price of 80 $ which gives access to all United States National Parks for a period of one year.
By car
Access to the park is from the Interstate-90 highway. Exits 110 (West) and 131 (East) lead directly to one of the Park entrances.
Circulate
- 1 Badlands Loop Road – This road connects the two main entrances to the park accessible from the Interstate-90 freeway. Numerous parking and picnic areas have been set up there, in order to have access to viewpoints and trails allowing to discover the park.
- 2 Sage Creek Road – This track in good condition (to be avoided however in rainy weather) connects the western end of Badlands Loop Road to the city of Scenic. It crosses a wild part of the park and allows you to see many animals.
To see
- 1 Big Badlands Overlook – This viewpoint located at the northeast entrance to the park offers an impressive first panorama of the rock formations that make up the Park.
- 2 Ben Reifel Information Center (Ben Reifel Visitor Center) ,
1 605 433-5361 
8 h 00-16 h 00 (winter), 8 h 00-17 h 00 (from mid-April to mid-May and in September and October), 8 h 00-19 h 00 (summer). – The information center is located at the northeast entrance to the park. One can discover there permanent exhibitions of the peculiarities of the park and a film in an air-conditioned room of 95 places. The rangers are available for any information. The information center also has a bookstore, toilets and water points. - 3 White River Valley Overlook – This location offers a striking view of the white rock formations typical of the park.
- 4 Bigfoot Pass Overlook – This point of view is located in the immediate vicinity of the pass bearing the same name. It allows you to see the Wall of the Badlands with a very clear stall between the meadow and the rock formations. A picnic area is set up there.
- 5 Panorama Point – Near the pass Bigfoot, this stop offers a panoramic view of the meadows and rock formations of the Badlands.
- 6 Prairie Wind Overlook – This location offers a view of the surrounding meadow.
- 7 Burns Basin Overlook – This location offers a view illustrating the contrast between the grassland areas and the rock formations.
- 8 Homestead Overlook
- 9 Conata Basin Overlook
- 10 Yellow Mounds Overlook
- 11 Ancient Hunters Overlook
- 12 Pinnacles Overlook – This point of view is one of the most impressive in the park. It is possible to get very close to the rock formations while having a grandiose glimpse of them.
- 13 Hay Butte Overlook – This viewpoint is the most easterly on the runway Sage Creek Rim Road. It offers an unobstructed view of the Badlands.
- 14 Badlands Wilderness Overlook – This point of view allows to have a glimpse of the wild fauna evolving within the park. It is common to observe bison there.
- 15 Roberts prairie dog town – This location is ideal for observing prairie dogs, animals resembling marmots.
- 16 Sage Creek Basin Overlook
Do
Walks and hikes
- 1 Door Trail –
This very easy trail (1,8 km round trip) is covered with a wooded terrace with a length of 100 m on the start of the route. It allows you to enjoy panoramic views of the typical rock formations of the park as well as explanatory panels. The trail then continues through the rock formations for a length of 800 m. - 2 Window Trail –
This short trail (300 m round trip) leads to an opening in the rock caused by erosion from where it is possible to have a glimpse of the rocky expanse of the park. - 3 Notch Trail – This medium difficulty trail (1,5 km round trip) leads to the top of a cliff overlooking the White River Valley (Vallée de la Rivière Blanche) from where you can see the expanses of white rocks below. This trail has an easy to climb ladder and a few exposed areas.
- 4 Fossil Exhibit Trail – This very short trail (loop of 400 m) amid the rock formations offers several stops at fossil display panels. The history of each fossil provides explanations for the formation of the park.
- 5 Castle Trail – This trail is the longest in the park (16 km round trip). It crosses the rock formations of the park to connect the parking lots to the trails Door Trail and Fossil Exhibit Trail.
- 6 Saddle Pass Trail – This trail runs (400 m length) allows you to climb up to a view of the White River Valley. It is then connected to the trail Castle Trail.
- 7 Medicine Root Trail – This trail with a length of 6,4 km is a variant of Castle Trail and can be borrowed on the outward or return journey of the latter. It offers the possibility of exploring the meadow while having a view of the rock formations of the park. Watch out for the cacti along the trail!
This short trail (Visit of the paleontology laboratory
- 8 Paleontology laboratory (Fossil Preparation Lab) 9 h 00 - 16 h 30.
free. – Open to the public, this laboratory located in the Ben Reifel information center allows the observation of paleontologists at work and an overview of the discoveries made.
freeSky observation
- 9 Cedar Pass campsite amphitheater (Cedar Pass Campground Amphitheater) – During the summer, rangers offer an observation of the starry sky every night, using telescopes provided on site. The various constellations, stars and planets can be observed in this exceptional setting devoid of any light pollution. Note that an astronomy festival takes place in July in the park.
To buy
- 1 Ben Reifel Information Center (Ben Reifel Visitor Center) , 1 605 433-5361 8 h 00-16 h 00 (winter), 8 h 00-17 h 00 (from mid-April to mid-May and in September and October), 8 h 00-19 h 00 (summer). – The information center has a bookstore run by the Badlands Natural History Association where you can buy postcards, books, videos, posters and other educational material about the park.
Eat
- 1 Cedar Pass Restaurant 20681 S Dakota 240 Interior, SD 57750, 1 605 433-5460 8 h 00 - 19 h 00 (17 h 00 from October 1 to 15). – This restaurant offers local and regional products from breakfast to dinner, as well as vegetarian and gluten-free options.
Have a drink / Go out
- 1 Cedar Pass Restaurant 20681 S Dakota 240 Interior, SD 57750, 1 605 433-5460 8 h 00 - 19 h 00 (17 h 00 from October 1 to 15). – It is possible to have a drink in this restaurant which, in addition to the dishes, offers Dakota wines and beers, as well as ice cream.
Housing
- 1 Cedar Pass Lodge 20681 South Dakota Highway 240, Interior, SD 57750, 1 605-433-5460 – This hotel is located within the grounds of the park. It is made up of several independent cabins resembling the original cabins from 1928. Each cabin is air conditioned and equipped with a flat screen TV with satellite reception, a fridge-freezer, a microwave oven, a coffee machine, a dryer. -hair.
- 2 Badlands Inn 20615 SD-377, Interior, SD 57750, 1 605-433-5401 – This 20-room hotel is located less than 2 km from the Ben Reifel information center and offers an unobstructed view of the park. Each room is air conditioned and is equipped with a refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker. Breakfast is included in the price and pets are accepted.
- 3 Cedar Pass Campground 20681 SD-240, Interior, SD 57750, 1 605 433-5460 20 $ the tent site, 35 $ the location for motorhome, 3 $ per additional person, free up to 15 years. – This campsite, open from April 15 to October 15, is located within the grounds of the park, near the Ben Reifel information center. It has toilets and showers (for a fee) and offers pitches for tents, equipped with picnic tables, as well as pitches for motor homes equipped with picnic tables and electrical outlets.
- 4 Sage Creek Campground free. – This primitive campsite (no water or electricity available) is only accessible from the track Sage Creek Rim Road. It is not uncommon to see bison in the wild. A portion is fitted out to receive horses.
Around
- 1 Wall – Small town famous for its drugstore whose advertising cannot escape you as you approach the park.
- 2 Mount Rushmore National Memorial – Four portraits of presidents carved in stone on top of a mountain.
- 3 Custer State Park – This park, located in the heart of the Black Hills, offers sumptuous landscapes of forests and rock formations.
