Want to see Badlands National Park but short on time? Then this post is for you! While traveling back to Montana from the Midwest via Interstate 90, I only had a couple of hours to spare for a stop in this otherworldly National Park. Because of that, I chose to take a quick detour by driving the Badlands Loop Road and making some worthy stops along the way.
Driving the Badlands Loop Road in South Dakota
Whether you’re traveling on I-90 from the west or the east, the quickest route to see Badlands National Park is via Route 240. Enter the park from the Northeast Entrance Station from the east or the Pinnacles Entrance Station from the west (exit 131), which is the route we’ll be following for this post. By driving the Badlands Loop on this route, we’ll hit the best stops in the park within a couple of hours.
Check the current road conditions for the Badlands Loop here
Stops to Make While Driving the Badlands Loop
Starting from the Northeast Entrance Station, we’ll make a number of stops while driving the Badlands Loop, allowing us to see the best portions of the park all within a couple of hours.
Big Badlands Overlook
The Big Badlands Overlook will be your first glimpse at the otherworldly Badlands National Park. Take the 0.2 mile walkway to the overlook to see the vast landscape before you.
A Variety of Trails
Just over 2 miles down the road we’ll meet a large parking lot home to a variety of worthy trails. This was where I spent the majority of my time while driving the Badlands Loop. The first route is the Door Trail, a 0.9 mile easy family-friendly walk. Beginning on a walkway, it ends with incredible sweeping views of the Badlands. By following the yellow markers, you can continue on a bit further to dive deeper into the landscape.
The next extremely short hike to check out from here is the Window Trail. A quick 0.3 miles along a walkway will bring you to rock formations that form a window to the Badlands. There are a couple benches here to sit and relax while soaking in the view.
While it’s the longest of the 3 trailheads here, the Notch trail is another worthy hike to check out in this area. At around 1.5 miles roundtrip, you’ll experience climbing up and down a ladder to dive deeper into the Badlands. This trail does get narrow and steep near the edges so use cautious while hiking it.
Old Northeast Road
Continuing south on 240, we reach a split in the road. If you take a right on the dirt road we meet Old Northeast Road where the Castle Trail and the Medicine Root Trail can be found. This area sends us north to the prairie grasslands away from the Badlands so we’ll continue on Route 240, aka the Badlands Loop Road.
Cliff Shelf Nature Trail
As we loop our way more south, we reach the very small parking lot for the Cliff Shelf Nature trail, another worthy spot to make a stop on the Badlands Loop Road. At just around 0.5 miles but with a bit of a climb, we can see miles and miles over the vast landscape, witnessing where the Badlands begin and end. There are multiple markers along the way to learn more about the area. The best part of the Cliff Shelf Nature trail is at the end where we climb some stairs to get an even higher view.
Cedar Pass Area
Upon leaving the Cliff Shelf Nature Trail, we enter the Cedar Pass area. Take some time to stop at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center which is open year-round and offers information, exhibits and a store for souvenirs. The Cedar Pass Lodge and Campground also exist here, open from spring to fall. If you have more time to explore the Badlands, Route 377 heads south from here, bringing visitors deeper into the National Park, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and the Buffalo Gap National Grassland.
Continuing Our Drive of the Badlands Loop Road
A winding road heading north will bring us to the heart of the majority of trails within the Badlands. From here, we witness the grasslands combining with the rocky spires once again by making a stop at the Saddle Pass Trail. This quick 0.7 mile trail will supply you with a short walk at the base of the Badlands’ mounds before merging with the western portion of the Castle Trail and the Medicine Root Trail.
Fossil Exhibit Trail
Another 3 miles up the road we arrive to the Fossil Exhibit Trail. This family-friendly 0.4 mile boardwalk trek winds you around exhibits displaying information on the various fossils found here. One of the more interesting facts is the discovery of Ammonite fossils. This is evidence proving this entire area was under water 75 million years ago.
Scenic Overlooks
While we head north over the next 13 miles, we run parallel with the edge of the Badlands and the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands. Driving through Norbeck Pass and looping around The Castle at over 2500 feet, we arrive at the White River Valley Overlook, the Big Foot Pass Overlook and Panorama Point. The views from here are outstanding as we experience an aerial view of the Badlands. Walking on the boardwalks at the overlooks and looking out over the landscape, we see hundreds of cracks beneath us leading to numerous canyons.
The contrasting topography is especially evident at the Prairie Wind Overlook, the Burns Basin Overlook and the Homestead Overlook. From here, we witness pristine grasslands to our north and the rugged Badlands to the south.
Conata Basin
Where the Conata Basin Overlook begins, we enter my favorite part of driving the Badlands Loop. The road now peels away from those grasslands through Dillon Pass and the Badlands take hold of our view once again. The first worthy stop is the Yellow Mounds. Reminiscent of the otherworldly Painted Hills in Oregon, the stark yellow and reds catch our eye against the pale backdrop.
If you have extra time to explore, the Conata Basin Road heads south just after the Yellow Mounds Overlook. It eventually connects to Route 44, running horizontally through the Buffalo Gap National Grassland. This also connects us to the southwest portion of Badlands National Park.
Finishing Our Exploration of the Badlands Loop Road
As we continue north on Route 240 through the rocky spires, we meet two final overlooks: Ancient Hunters and Pinnacles. Keep your eyes peeled here for bison, bighorn sheep and pronghorns as they graze in the golden light before the sun disappears for the day.
Upon exiting Badlands National Park through the Pinnacles Station, consider stopping at the famous Wall Drug Store!
While exploring the Badlands, please be mindful of the “Leave No Trace” principles.
Read More: Leave No Trace: The 7 Rules of the Backcountry
Learn more about Leave No Trace on their website here.
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