Badlands National Park
Badlands National Park
Welcome to Badlands National Park, where the ancient Spirits of the land can still be heard. Since time immemorial, the area that now encompasses Badlands National Park was home to the indigenous residents, the great Sioux Nation. The park contains the world's richest Oligocene epoch fossil beds, dating 37-28 million years old. The evolutionary stories of mammals such as the horse and rhinoceros arise from the 244,000 acres of magnificent buttes, pinnacles, and spires. One of the largest, protected mixed-grass prairies in the U.S., the park is home to bison, bighorn sheep, endangered black-footed ferrets, and swift foxes.
At A Glance
In The Park
Superintendent: Dr. Paige BakerPhone Number: 605-433-5361
Entrance Fees: Vehicle Pass (valid for 7 days): $10; Individual Pass (valid for 7 days): $7; Motorcycle Pass (valid for 7 days): $10; Badlands National Park Annual Pass (valid for one year after date of purchase): $30
Sights: Badlands Loop Road; Sage Creek Basin; Roberts Prairie Dog Town
Endangered Species: Black-footed Ferret
Important Dates
Established as Park: November 10, 1978By The Numbers
Acres: 242,756.00Highest Point: Red Shirt Table (3345 feet)
Annual Visitation: 840,118 (2006)
Location
Latitude / Longitude :43.710880 / -102.477030 (map it)
State: SD
Nearby Big City: Interior, SD
Gateway Communities: Interior, SD; Kadoka, SD; Wall, SD; Scenic, SD; Quinn, SD
Nearby Airports: Rapid City, SC (RAP)
Green Features
Has Recycling? : YesHas Shuttle System? : No
Has Volunteer Program? : Yes
Park Photos
Colored Hills
Jonathan Larsen
Landscape Sunset
Jonathan Larsen
Rock Erosion
Christina Tisi-Kramer
View More Badlands Photos
In Detail
Black Footed Ferret The black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) is considered to be the most endangered land mammal in North America. Thought to be extinct in the 1970s, a small colony of this small member of the weasel ... read more.
Did You Know : The Sioux The Sioux called this harsh terrain mako sica, literally "land bad." French-Canadian trappers, the first white men to see the area, labeled it les mauvaises terres à traverser, or "bad land to tra ... read more.
Frank Wright "Let sculptors come to the Badlands. Let painters come. But first of all the true architect should come. He who could interpret this vast gift of nature in terms of human habi- tation so that America ... read more.
In A Nutshell The stunning panorama of Badlands National Park rests just an hour east of Rapid City on I-90 (exits 110 or 131). This 244,000-acre landscape is both barren and beautiful. Wind and rain erosion have ... read more.
Oh, Ranger! Growing up I spent a considerable amount of time outdoors and it was this experience that gave me a strong appreciation of the natural world. My father and uncle were national park rangers and I had ... read more.
Recent News
- Oglala Sioux could regain Badlands national parkland June 10, 2008, 6:33 pm
- Why national parks, coal-fired power plants may be neighbors April 23, 2008, 2:23 pm
Badlands In Depth
News from the Parks
Snow greets visiting hikers at Mount Rainier
July 25, 2008 - 10:15am
PARADISE, Wash. -- Cool ocean temperatures in the southern Pacific Ocean -- a phenomenon known as La Nina -- chilled sunny expectations this summer for thousands of visitors to Mount Rainier National Park. Those who arrived here in July planning to backpack or hike its famous sub-alpine wildflower meadows found snow instead, six feet in places, though sunny daytime temperatures reach into the 70s. The popular mountain that draws 1.5 million visitors each year received 950 inches of snow last winter, 300 inches more than its 650-inch average. Park officials said a cooler than usual spring also pushed back the thaw.
July 25, 2008 - 10:15am
PARADISE, Wash. -- Cool ocean temperatures in the southern Pacific Ocean -- a phenomenon known as La Nina -- chilled sunny expectations this summer for thousands of visitors to Mount Rainier National Park. Those who arrived here in July planning to backpack or hike its famous sub-alpine wildflower meadows found snow instead, six feet in places, though sunny daytime temperatures reach into the 70s. The popular mountain that draws 1.5 million visitors each year received 950 inches of snow last winter, 300 inches more than its 650-inch average. Park officials said a cooler than usual spring also pushed back the thaw.
CAUSE OF FIRE NEAR STAIRCASE RELEASED
July 25, 2008 - 10:14am
The U.S. Forest Service says the brush fire Monday night off the road to the Staircase area of Olympic National Park was human caused. According to a news release, the fire, dubbed the East Cushman Fire, was contained before it reached one-tenth of an acre in size. An abandoned campfire ring at its origin indicated that the ignition was human caused.
July 25, 2008 - 10:14am
The U.S. Forest Service says the brush fire Monday night off the road to the Staircase area of Olympic National Park was human caused. According to a news release, the fire, dubbed the East Cushman Fire, was contained before it reached one-tenth of an acre in size. An abandoned campfire ring at its origin indicated that the ignition was human caused.
Hikers should expect plenty of snow on higher routes
July 25, 2008 - 10:13am
Hikers should expect lots of snow on mountain trails still, with rangers saying that higher-elevation routes in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and North Cascades National Park are two weeks to one month behind in terms of melting out. Higher than normal snowpack coupled with lower than normal temperatures well into spring means that, in general, those going over routes at the 5,000- to 6,000-foot level need to be comfortable traveling on snow and have poles or ice axes and route-finding skills.
July 25, 2008 - 10:13am
Hikers should expect lots of snow on mountain trails still, with rangers saying that higher-elevation routes in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and North Cascades National Park are two weeks to one month behind in terms of melting out. Higher than normal snowpack coupled with lower than normal temperatures well into spring means that, in general, those going over routes at the 5,000- to 6,000-foot level need to be comfortable traveling on snow and have poles or ice axes and route-finding skills.
Cabin lottery takes a hike
July 25, 2008 - 10:11am
HALEAKALA NATIONAL PARK - Officials at Haleakala National Park announced Thursday the end of the lottery system used for years to select cabin users in the crater. Starting with September, all reservations for the wilderness cabins will be taken over the phone up to three months ahead of the reservation, on a first-come, first-reserved basis. Calls for reservations will only be accepted between 1 and 3 p.m. HST daily at 572-4400. As of midday Thursday, there were no openings in August for any of the three cabins in Haleakala Crater
July 25, 2008 - 10:11am
HALEAKALA NATIONAL PARK - Officials at Haleakala National Park announced Thursday the end of the lottery system used for years to select cabin users in the crater. Starting with September, all reservations for the wilderness cabins will be taken over the phone up to three months ahead of the reservation, on a first-come, first-reserved basis. Calls for reservations will only be accepted between 1 and 3 p.m. HST daily at 572-4400. As of midday Thursday, there were no openings in August for any of the three cabins in Haleakala Crater
Second bear killed in Yellowstone in recent weeks
July 25, 2008 - 10:10am
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) - Rangers in Yellowstone National Park have killed a black bear that became accustomed to eating human food. Park officials say the 130-pound male bear was getting food from hikers' backpacks in northern Yellowstone. Repeated attempts to trap the bear failed. On Wednesday, the bear was caught ripping into the packs of a large group of backcountry hikers. Rangers cleared the area of visitors and shot the bear.
July 25, 2008 - 10:10am
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) - Rangers in Yellowstone National Park have killed a black bear that became accustomed to eating human food. Park officials say the 130-pound male bear was getting food from hikers' backpacks in northern Yellowstone. Repeated attempts to trap the bear failed. On Wednesday, the bear was caught ripping into the packs of a large group of backcountry hikers. Rangers cleared the area of visitors and shot the bear.
