Last Updated on: 14th July 2025, 10:27 am
Despite its remoteness, Badlands National Park attracts around 1 million visitors each year, who are drawn by the park’s rugged terrain, unique formations and wildlife. And for most visitors, the sights and hikes along Badlands Loop Road will be their first introduction to the park. In the following guide, we’ll be going into detail on just about everything the scenic road has to offer.
Both ends of the Badlands Loop Road are connected to Highway 90, and it can be driven from either direction, either starting with the Big Badlands Overlook or the Pinnacles Overlook.
The main advantage of starting from the Big Badlands Overlook, which is the order featured below, is that nearby is a large parking that’s home to multiple trailheads. It can already fill up by late morning, so it’s helpful to get there early to beat the crowds.
On the other hand, by starting at the Pinnacles Overlook, you can enjoy the Pinnacles in the morning when the lighting is best. And by finishing at the Big Badlands Overlook, you can proceed right to the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site further north.
For more information on where to stay near Badlands National Park and park entry fees, be sure to check the end of the article.
Big Badlands Overlook
As mentioned above, if you decide to start with Big Badlands Overlook, it’s best to arrive early. The large parking lot to the south, which features trailheads for four different hikes, can fill up by late morning.
The Big Badlands Overlook is about a 25-minute drive from the nearest town of Wall. And in my case, I got there especially early to see the sunrise.
At the time of my visit, the sun was scheduled to rise at around 6:20, so I got there roughly thirty minutes in advance.
More and more these days, I find most sunrise and sunset spots that are raved about online to be disappointing – at least from a photography perspective.
But considering how I’d already paid a bit extra to stay so close to the park, I felt obligated to see if the sunrise would live up to the hype.
Frankly speaking, it did not, as it was still too dark to make out the colors and stripes of the formations. But the golden hour period just after sunrise is indeed one the best times to admire and photograph Badlands National Park.
The Door Trail
As mentioned, there’s a large parking a short drive south of the Big Badlands Overlook that’s also the starting point for multiple hikes.
The hikes beginning here are the Door Trail, the Window Trail, the Notch Trail and the Castle Trail. We’ll be covering each hike separately, beginning with the Door Trail.
Looking back, I realize that my handling of the Door Trail was my major blunder of my tour around Badlands Loop Road. It’s a rather unique trail that begins with a short boardwalk section before taking you deep into the rugged badlands.
Due to waking up extra early for sunrise, I was rather sleep-deprived and missed important details explained by the on-site signage. While I thought that this was just an area that visitors can freely explore, there actually is a trail across the badlands marked by wooden posts, and it should take around an hour to complete.
Without realizing this, and thinking of all the other hikes I wanted to do that day, I ended up turning around fairly quickly. But I can confirm that you’d have plenty of time to fit in the full Door Trail with all the other hikes and activities featured below.
The Window Trail
Back in the large parking lot, the trailhead for the Window Trail is a short walk away. The boardwalk trail itself is also very short, lasting for only 0.20 miles roundtrip.
The trail culminates at an overhead view of distant badlands, while this is one of the only trails at Badlands National Park that’s fully wheelchair accessible.
The Notch Trail
Though only 1.5-miles roundtrip, the Notch Trail is one of the Badlands Loop Road’s most exciting hikes. Despite its popularity, the trailhead can be tricky to find, but it’s located near the far southern end of the parking lot.
The Notch Trail is past the trailhead for the Castle Trail, though you might want to save the Castle Trail for last (more below).
After a flat portion, the trail eventually leads you to a ladder taking you up a hill. It’s only wide enough for one person, so you might need to wait a while for people to come down.
It’s a relatively easy climb for experienced hikers, though I did see some visitors struggling with this section.
The next portion of the hike is the most exciting, as it allows you to overlook the small canyon below. Just be sure to pay attention to any signs pointing where to go, as certain sections of the original trail are no longer stable.
Eventually, you’ll reach an excellent overlook of the White River Valley, at which point it’s time to turn around and return the way you came.
For those with limited time at Badlands National Park, be sure to include the Notch Trail as part of your itinerary.
The Castle Trail
The Castle Trail is easily one of the top hikes at Badlands National Park, and there are multiple ways to go about it. It’s best to consider the different options in advance before planning your route along Badlands Loop Road.
One option is to do the Castle Trail as a point-to-point hike (5 miles), finishing at the Fossil Exhibit Trailhead. But this only works if you have someone to pick you up at the other end (there’s no shuttle system at this park).
With nobody to pick you up, you’d have to hike all the way back. But branching off the middle of the trail is the Medicine Root Trail, essentially forming a loop in the middle of the longer hike. So you’d at least be able to switch things up.
On that note, instead of hiking all the way to the Fossil Exhibit Trailhead, you could finish at the overlook above the Saddle Pass Trail, and then return via the Medicine Root Trail.
This all makes a lot more sense when looking at a map, so be sure to check out Earthtrekkers’ helpful map and overall guide to this particular hike.
In my case, I happened to be traveling with someone who decided to sit this hike out and was able to pick me up at the other end, so I did the Castle Trail as a point-to-point hike. It would take me about two hours in total.
With that said, since most people will likely be doing some variation of the out-and-back hike, our Badlands Loop Road guide will continue below as if you’ve returned to the same big parking lot.
The lighting in the early morning is perfect, and I’d only encounter a handful of other hikers along the trail. All in all, whichever way you do it, it’s quite an easy and flat hike and you’re not going to break too much of a sweat.
While many people advise hiking in long pants due to the tall prairie grass, I happened to be in shorts on this day and didn’t experience any issues as long as I stayed on trail.
Fairly early on, you’ll reach the point where the Medicine Root Loop trail branches off from the main Castle Trail. I ended up sticking to the Castle Trail the entire way. But as mentioned, those doing this as an out-and-back hike should try out both.
Badlands National Park consists of an upper and lower layer, with the upper ‘Badlands Wall’ extending out to fifty miles in total. What’s interesting about the Castle Trail is that while seemingly beginning at the lower level, you’ll ultimately find yourself at the top of the Badlands Wall.
Eventually, you’ll encounter a sign pointing to Saddle Pass. The Saddle Pass Trail is a separate trail that begins from another point of the Badlands Loop Road. It’s easily the steepest trail in the entire area, taking hikers from road level directly to the top of the Badlands Wall.
But if you’re hiking the Castle Trail, you can simply take a quick and easy detour to enjoy the same views that the Saddle Pass Trail hikers must work so hard to see!
The view from above the Badlands Wall is probably the highlight of the entire hike. After that, I returned to the main Castle Trail, walking all the way to the Fossil Exhibit Trailhead.
As mentioned, if you’re doing this as an out-and-back hike, then it might be a good idea to turn around at the Saddle Pass overlook.
Fascinatingly, the deepest layers of Badlands National Park were laid down by things like volcanic ash and sands from an ancient sea. And as you hike along trails like this one, you’ll be able to see formations ranging from 30 million to 70 million years old.
The Cliff Shelf Trail
The Cliff Shelf Trail is located in between the large parking from which various trails begin and the Fossil Trail. So those doing the Castle Trail as an out-and-back hike will actually do this hike next.
If you’re doing the Castle Trail as a point-to-point hike, it’s well worth backtracking here at some point to do the Cliff Shelf Trail.
This trail is unique for being one of the greenest sections of Badlands National Park. Here you’ll find dense trees and bushes as opposed to the usual prairie grass.
Thousands of years ago, a large hunk of stone collapsed from the top of the nearby cliff, compacting the area and creating a bowl-like impression. Despite how arid this part of South Dakota is, water has long gathered in this particular area, allowing various plants to grow.
The Cliff Shelf Trail is a loop trail, consisting of both boardwalk and dirt trail sections. While not very strenuous, you will have to walk up a series of steps.
Fortunately, you’ll occasionally encounter benches on which to rest your legs, while parts of the loop hike are even shaded.
The Visitor Center
You’ll also find Badlands National Park’s main Visitor Center along the Badlands Loop Road which is worth a quick visit. And just next to the Ben Reifel Visitor Center is a restaurant, making this a good place to break up the journey.
The Ben Reifel Visitor Center is also home to a small museum detailing the geological and natural history of these badlands. You’ll also learn how, since the 19th century, the area has played a crucial role in the developing field of paleontology.
In between the Visitor Center and the Fossil Exhibit Trail is the trailhead for the Saddle Pass Trail. But that hike won’t be covered here because, as mentioned above, you can simply walk to the summit of that hike from the Castle Trail.
The Fossil Exhibit Trail
The Fossil Exhibit Trail is a short and easy boardwalk loop trail. It’s dedicated to the ancient animals that once inhabited these lands. But you won’t find any actual fossils – just various informational signs placed at different points of the boardwalk.
The sedimentary layers on which the Fossil Trail is located were deposited around 30 million years ago, making this one of the park’s ‘younger’ sections.
Animals that once thrived in this area include nimravids, an ancient type of big cat, oreodonts, an extinct herbivorous mammal species, and alligators, who eventually moved away to wetter and warmer climates.
And in the oldest rock layers of Badlands, meanwhile, paleontologists have even dug up marine fossils.
Various Overlooks
Past the Fossil Exhibit Trail, you won’t find any more hikes along the Badlands Loop Road. But you will find plenty of overlooks to enjoy, many of which we’ll be showcasing here.
White River Valley Overlook
The White River Valley Overlook is a beautiful overlook, but one that’s associated with a tragic historical event. In December 1890, Miniconjou Chief Big Foot would pass through here just days before being killed in the Wounded Knee Massacre.
Burns Basin Overlook
The Burns Basin Overlook is easily one of the most stunning overlooks at Badlands National Park. In contrast to the monochrome tan color of much of the park’s formations, the badlands here consist of beautiful red stripes.
Homestead Overlook
The Homestead Overlook is dedicated to the homesteaders who started coming to the Badlands in the early 20th century. But given the harshness of the terrain, homesteading here was never easy.
Conata Basin Overlook
The Conata Basin Overlook is another gorgeous overlook, while it also provides overhead views of the Yellow Mounds. From here on, Badlands Loop Road will gradually descend.
Yellow Mounds Overlook
The Yellow Mounds Overlook provides a rare glimpse of color, featuring mounds that are largely yellow but even have shades of red and pink. But why does this one small section look so different from everything else?
About 65 million years ago, after an ancient sea drained away, a jungle sprang up at this spot. And over time, the chemicals left by decaying plants added a yellow hue to the soil.
Millions of years later, new sediment washed over the jungle, which eventually turned red after the jungle made a comeback. Obviously, the jungle is no more, and both the red and yellow sedimentary layers remain exposed.
Pinnacles Overlook
The Pinnacles Overlook will either be the last or first thing you encounter along the Badlands Loop Road, depending on the route you decided to take.
It’s easily one of the park’s most impressive overlooks and it’s also especially popular around sunset. But the formations themselves are best seen in the morning light.
I actually saw the sunset here the previous evening before my long tour around Badlands Loop Road. As with the sunrise mentioned above, I found it a bit overwhelming, as the colors were largely dulled due to the diminished light.
For those with two full days to enjoy Badlands National Park, and who also followed the route outlined above, I’d recommend making a brief stop at the Pinnacles the following morning.
After that, you can drive around Sage Creek Rim Road – yet another of the park’s scenic drives – which starts right next to it. Learn more in our guide to exploring Badlands’ backcountry.
Additional Info
The closest town to Badlands National Park is Wall, South Dakota, which is just 15-25 minutes from the park (depending on which entrance you start at).
Wall is also known for Wall Drug, a huge shopping complex that contains multiple souvenir shops, cafes and yes, a drug store. You’ll even find signs along the highway promoting it all over the state.
Wall is where I stayed, but unfortunately, I must warn people against choosing America’s Best Value Inn Wall. It’s a two-story motel, and the rooms themselves appear fine. But the building is so poorly made that if you’re on the ground floor, not only will you hear every footstep of the guests above you, but the entire building seems to shake!
On the first night, I had upstairs neighbors who started stomping around from 3 am. And on the second night, I was kept up late by a raucous biker gang which hailed from a certain Central European country.
The staff were not accommodating to my request to switch rooms, and this was easily the worst hotel experience of this (or any) US road trip.
Just next door to America’s Best Value Inn is a Travelodge by Wyndham, which I regret not having stayed at. While nothing fancy, Travelodge is usually pretty consistent when it comes to quality.
Staying in Wall is generally pricier than other options. The next best option would be Rapid City, which is just about an hour from the Pinnacles Entrance Station.
Popular options there include Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Best Western Plus Rapid City Rushmore, and Staybridge Suites Rapid City.
I think most visitors will be fine staying in Rapid City, especially considering how the sunrises and sunset at Badlands aren’t all that spectacular.
At the time of writing, Badlands National Park costs $30 to enter (learn more here).
If you’re visiting from abroad, note that in contrast to many other countries, US parks typically charge per vehicle rather than per person. However, if you’re traveling by bicycle instead, they’ll charge you for an individual pass which costs $15, while those on motorcycles will be charged $25.
Considering how many National Parks and National Monuments there are to see in the Southwest alone, the best option for most will be to buy an ‘America the Beautiful’ Annual National Parks Pass.
These cost $80 for the year. In most cases, you’re already saving money by just visiting four National Parks/Monuments anywhere in the country within a full year.
What’s more, is that only one person in your vehicle needs to have the pass. Additionally, seniors can buy the pass for just $20. So if you have someone over 62 in your party, just have them get the annual pass and everyone else will be set.
As for where to get the pass, you can purchase it in person at most National Parks or Monuments. But you can also order it in advance online.