Amphitheater

• The amphitheater is used during periods of high visitation for evening programs, night sky viewing, and other special events.

Ancient Hunters Overlook

• One of multiple overlooks in the park that provide expansive views of the Badlands. This overlook has a wayside exhibit sharing the history of paleo-Indians in the region.

Badlands Bison Corral

• The Badlands bison corrals are off-limits to the public but can be seen along the road.

Badlands Gunnery Range

• This location provides an expansive view of the historic gunnery range.

Badlands Tunnels

• Badlands Tunnels is an area that used to have passageways through the badlands formations rather than the present-day passage around them.

Badlands Wall

• The Badlands Wall is a feature that extends a wide swath of the park.

Badlands Wilderness Overlook

• One of multiple overlooks throughout the park that provide an opportunity to take in the expansive wilderness area of the park.

Big Badlands Overlook

• Big Badlands Overlook provides the opportunity to view the eastern portion of the Badlands wall.

Bigfoot Pass Overlook

• This overlook provides an opportunity to see stunning badlands vistas as well as a historically significant route.

Burns Basin Overlook

• One of multiple overlooks throughout the park that provides accessible experiences for all visitors to enjoy the park. This one features a boardwalk and a bench overlooking a vast badlands landscape.

Castle Trailhead

• Moderate. The longest trail in the park begins at the Door and Window parking area and travels five miles one way to the Fossil Exhibit Trail. Relatively level, the path passes along some badlands formations. 10 miles/16 km (round trip)

Cedar Butte

• Cedar Butte is a feature located in the South Unit of the park and is accessible by foot through a barbed wire fence.

Cedar Pass Lodge

• Cedar Pass Lodge is the only concessionaire operated facility in the park. Food, bathrooms, and water are available.

Cliff Shelf Trailhead

• Cliff Shelf Nature Trail is one of several short, accessible hikes near the Ben Reifel Visitor Center of Badlands National Park.

Conata Basin Overlook

• One of multiple overlooks throughout the park that provides accessible experiences and interpretive exhibits. This overlook has a boardwalk with a bench, and a wayside exhibit discussing climate change and how it affects the landscape.

Conata Picnic Area

• One of several picnic areas available for use in the park along the scenic loop road.

Deer Haven Trailhead

• Badlands National Park has an Open Hike Policy, meaning that you are allowed to hike off-trail. As a visitor to the Badlands, you are free to explore social trails like Deer Haven, the Sage Creek Wilderness Area, or any other part of the park you can visit safely. Deer Haven is either a short round-trip (6 mile) hike or a more extensive 23 mile loop. The trail is not marked, so navigation will rely on map/compass or GPS routing.

Door Trailhead

• One of the park's most popular trails providing an accessible view of badlands buttes and formations.

Erosion Markers

• This is slightly off the road but provides an opportunity to see how erosion has affected old geologic survey markers.

Fossil Exhibit Trailhead

• Fossil Exhibit Trail is one of several features in the park that provide accessible enjoyment of the park's resources.

Hay Butte Overlook

• This overlook provides the opportunity to see Badlands formations and the grassy ecosystems that cling to them.

Homestead Overlook

• This overlooks provides a combination of scenic viewpoints and exhibits discussing the homesteading history of the area.

Interior Entrance Station

• One of three entrances for Badlands National Park.

Medicine Root Trailhead

• On the Castle Trail portion of the Medicine Root loop, the trail is almost entirely within the upper part of the Brule Formation (Poleslide Member; Oligocene Epoch, 32.0-30.0 million years ago).

Norbeck Pass

• Norbeck Pass is a geologically and ecologically significant transition between upper and lower prairie environments.

Northeast Entrance Station

• One of three entrances for Badlands National Park.

Notch Ladder

• A memorable ladder along Notch Trail.

Notch Trailhead

• This is the park's most popular trail. It features badlands buttes, views, and a wooden ladder!

Palmer Creek

• Palmer Creek is one of two districts in the South Unit of the park. Contact park staff prior to attempting access.

Panorama Point Overlook

• Panorama Point offers a wide view of the Badlands landscape, downward towards the White River Valley. The view is similar to what is seen in the Big Foot Pass area.

Pinnacles Entrance Station

• One of three entrance stations to Badlands National Park.

Pinnacles Overlook

• One of the most popular overlooks in the park, it provides an opportunity to see unparalleled views of the park's unique geology and dramatic sunsets.

Prairie Wind Overlook

• This overlook provides an opportunity to experience the vast prairie landscape.

Quinn Road Prairie Dog Town

• Quinn Road prairie dog town is one of several prairie dog towns in Badlands National Park.

Red Shirt Table Overlook

• Red Shirt Table overlook is one of several significant geologic and scenic features in the South Unit of the park.

Roberts Prairie Dog Town

• One of the largest prairie dog towns in the park, accessible via a main road.

Saddle Pass Trailhead

• Saddle Pass is one of several short accessible hikes near by the Ben Reifel Visitor Center of Badlands National Park.

Sage Creek Basin Overlook

• This overlook provides an expansive view of the mixed-grass prairie environment and the sage creek wilderness area.

Sage Creek Wilderness

• The wilderness area has a primitive campground and no official trails. Any trip to the area needs to be planned ahead of time.

Sheep Mountain Table Overlook

• Sheep Mountain Table is one of the overlooks of Badlands National Park. It provides views of the park's South Unit and the Black Hills. The road to the overlook is not maintained in the winter, and beyond the overlook the road deteriorates and requires high clearance/4WD vehicles.

Stronghold Table

• Stronghold Table is one of five large tables located in the South Unit of the park.

The Pig Dig

• The Pig Dig is a site of a recent paleontological survey that yielded many significant fossil finds, including: Archaeotherium, Subhyracodon, Mesohippus, Leptomeryx.

The Saber Site

• The Saber Site is the location of a significant find: a rare nimravid skull, and it was found by a 7-year-old child.

Toadstool Rock

• Toadstool Rock is one of the more visible examples of Badlands unique erosion processes.

Wayside: Alligator

• This is a stop along the Fossil Exhibit Trail of Badlands National Park. This exhibit features a replica bronze alligator fossil and information about how alligators moved to survive a changing climate.

Wayside: Ammonite

• This is a stop along the Fossil Exhibit Trail of Badlands National Park. This exhibit features a replica bronze Ammonite fossil and information about how Ammonites died in response to a changing climate.

Wayside: Dog

• This is a stop along the Fossil Exhibit Trail of Badlands National Park. This exhibit features a replica bronze Dog fossil and information about how dogs evolved to survive a changing climate.

Wayside: Horse

• This is a stop along the Fossil Exhibit Trail of Badlands National Park. This exhibit features a replica bronze Mesohippus fossil and information about Mesohippus evolved to adapt to changing climates.

Wayside: Nimravid

• This is a stop along the Fossil Exhibit Trail of Badlands National Park. This exhibit features a replica bronze nimravid fossil and information about how nimravid died in the face of a changing climate.

Wayside: Oreodont

• This is a stop along the Fossil Exhibit Trail of Badlands National Park. This exhibit features a replica bronze oreodont fossil and information about how the fossilization process occurs.

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