Best Time in the Badlands
- Katelynn Adams
- May 19, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 7, 2024
Badlands National Park, SD
For those of you who know me (which if you even known this blog exists is likely you) - you know that I love long road trips and I love National Parks. I am trying to hit all 63 and I am only about a third of the way through the list but no matter; I have time yet. It was during my move to Billings, Montana that I decided to make the most of my road trip and hit up the Badlands and Mt. Rushmore. Now Rushmore will not be in this post as I spent wayyyy too much time at the Badlands to let it share a post with any other location.
I actually spent two days exploring this park and to do so meant I had to cut short other exploring plans in South Dakota and frankly - I regret none of it. My first day in the park it was cold and snowy but given my tight timeline, I still went and explored as much of it as I could. I stopped at just about every overlook and even hit a few trails and boardwalks! And still decided to come back the next day when the sun was out!
Day 1: The First Glance
Before you even get to the park entrance you're likely just driving the expressway - if you were like me, you were coming in from the East. To which the scenery is lacking until you see these faint but giant rock formations start out of what appears to be nowhere. You get off in a small little town and you drive South until the road dead ends into the park entrance. Drive a bit further and suddenly you’re exploring what feels otherworldly. Trees don’t grow except for within strange pockets; shrubs and other greenery are sparse as well. For miles all you see are striped jagged rocks that give the appearance of a wall that runs on for miles!
A view from the first overlook (when entering from the east) shows the strangeness of this place. Miles of neutral colored layered stone and wall of rock barely visible beyond.
The Door Trail:
Now this trail of course had no door and no view remotely close to “door like” but whenever the trails have names like “Door” or “Window” I presume they reference the stepping/looking through into something vastly different than before. Which was very much what this was. You walk a small boardwalk and then on the right side there are stairs that lead to nothing. Towards the nothing is where you will find a scattering of numbered yellow poles. You follow the numbers - what way you choose to take to do so being entirely up to you, until you reach the end. The trail is not a trail but simply a direction.
There is just something appealing about wandering off into the unknown with little to no idea where you're headed next. Below is a view from just beyond the last yellow pole.
Yellow Mounds:
Honestly I expected more when I initially read about the yellow mounds of the Badlands. They were interesting solely in the fact that they were the only deposit of that color in the park but it was nothing more than a little overlook. I shall attach a photo because I did stop to take one.
Boardwalks & Overlooks:
The rest of the park is predominantly driving (39miles of it to be exact) and getting out here and there to look around or walk a small board walk or two! I’m sure there were more trails but they were not ones I decided to venture down!
Below is a gallery of various stops I visited on Day 1!
Day 2: Starting at the Other End:
This day was by far one of my favorite days in a long time. It had everything I was hoping to find. It had gorgeous weather, animal encounters, and views that took your breath away! And that is not to say that the views the day prior were not equally as stunning (as I went back and saw them all again) but seeing the sunshine melt away some of the snow that lingered...well it just made them so much better!
First & Last Overlook:
When I started my second day I was coming from Mt. Rushmore so of course I started on the opposite end of the park and worked my way through and back. It took only the first stop at the overlook to convince me I had made the right choice in coming back a second day.
The Road Less Traveled:
Sagecreek Rim Road - to be honest the first day I drove by it as I did not believe it to be actually open. The snow was coming down and the dusting just stuck enough that the dirt road along the rim was barely visible. But the second time I did not hesitate making that turn and driving off towards the rim. It was down this road that I would see my first ever wild Bison; and let me just say: I have been hooked ever since!
Overlook:
Bison, Bison, and More Bison:
This road will spit you out over by Scenic and then you would have to loop back around towards the entrance to get back. I personally just popped a “Uey” (I have never tried to spell that out before haha) and did the whole rim drive back again!
Climbing the Notch:
The Notch Trail is one of the Badlands' more popular hikes. The old rickety wooden ladder staked into the rock wall, that one must ascend and descend likely plays a large part in that. I personally enjoyed it immensely! The view at the end of the Notch Trail though is not nearly as worth it as the view you get if you continue on beyond the trail. You will see where the yellow poles turn you up towards the end...but rather if you go straight beyond the pole you'll notice the rock curves to the left. Follow it! I did!
Everything Else in Between:
The rest of the park is still so stunning and diverse that to drive the rest of it still took me the remainder of the day. I stopped at countless overlooks and heck even in the middle of the road a few times just to get some of the shots that I wanted. Check out three of my favorites below.
The first is a road shot - a personal favorite shot of mine; something about the path forward and not full knowing where it leads gets me in the feels. The second I call The Best Seat in the House - the little guy sitting there was set up too perfectly to not have his photo taken; and he posed the entire time. And the last reminded me of a spaceship for obvious reasons - I had to park in the middle of the road and climb down a ditch for this photo! I passed it from the road and immediately knew exactly how I wanted the shot to look and that I had to have it.
Ending at the Beginning with a Sunset:
Upon driving all the way back to the Westmost Entrance of the park - I once again stopped at what had become my favorite overlook so I could catch the sunset. You cannot pass up golden hour when the day was as amazing as mine was. Sitting on a rock, at the end of a perfect day, watching the sun set beyond the horizon…there truly is no better way to conclude my visit.
Until we meet again Badlands!
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