If you only have a couple days to explore Badlands National Park, you are in the right place. Follow this 2 day Badlands National Park Itinerary and you will be able to hike fun trails, drive scenic routes and spot wildlife.
We love road trips. It is a great way to take in a lot of sights and discover hidden gems. This past summer we did a 3 ½ week road trip in our converted SUV. (Watch our video about how we turned our SUV into a camper here).
We visited 5 states, boondocked in different areas, explored National Parks and monuments, kayaked, cycled, and hiked our first 12 footer mountain. Yay!
Our first stop was the state of South Dakota, and we fell in love! South Dakota ended up becoming our favorite state out of all the ones we visited. It has a little bit of everything, charming little towns, big cities, caves, waterfalls, state and national parks, historical monuments, and the list goes on and on.
We arrived with high expectations to Badlands NP. We had seen the pictures, the videos, the posts about how amazing this place is, but let me tell you, being there, in person, is another story. While driving the winding roads of the park you will feel like you have left our beloved planet and landed somewhere else in space. The geographic formations and colors are breathtaking.
We spent a total of 2 days in the park and boondocked on the best site of our whole trip. Watch our video of our visit here:
Badlands National Park Itinerary
Here is our 2-day Badlands National Park Itinerary, I feel it covers the major attractions and in two days you can get a real feel of the area.
Day 1:
Badlands Loop Drive
We arrived there in the afternoon, so we decided to drive the popular scenic route before heading to our boondocking site for the night. There are many pullovers for you to stop and take in the views and spot the wildlife. Here is a link to the official site from the NPS.
Day 2:
Window Trail, Notch Trail Hike and Roberts Prairie Dog Town
The second day is the day to hike and explore the area. We woke up early to avoid the crowds and heat. (We visited in July, one of the hottest months). Our first hike of the day was Window Trail and Notch Hike Trail.
Stop 1: Window Trail
The Window Trail is a relatively short trail at only 0.3 miles and is accessible to everyone. This trail is perfect if you can’t walk or don’t want to walk long distances but still want to enjoy the amazing landscape the Badlands has to offer.
Stop 2: Notch Trail
Notch Trail is quite different than the other trails since it has a wooden ladder to climb, which has made this trail very popular. Even though we arrived early in the morning there was a line to go up the ladder, so we decided to climb up the side, which turned out to be a little challenging but very fun. We ended taking the ladder on our way back down. This trail has some amazing views and at the end, you get a glimpse of how magnificent the Badlands are. We highly recommend it. Plus the ladder part is fun!
Stop 3: Roberts Prairie Dog Town
We couldn’t leave the Badlands without spotting some wildlife, so we headed in search of bisons and prairie dogs. We took the scenic route again to Roberts Prairie Dog Town. The route there is a rough dirt road so be prepared for lots of dust but is completely worth it when you get to see the majestic bison and the adorable prairie dogs. Be sure to park and get out of the car to see the prairie dogs up close. But please, don’t feed any of the wildlife (including prairie dogs).
Boondocking
We really enjoyed our time at our Boondocking site, which ended up being our favorite site of our trip. We woke up to the sunrise over the Badlands and it was a-mazing! Check out our Boondocking essentials: Best Gear for SUV-Camping & Boondocking: Must-Haves for car camping
Our site was at Badlands Overlook-Buffalo Gap National Grasslands. Is very important if you wish to camp or boondock here to try to arrive early since it is fairly popular and the spots with the best views get taken early.
Find our boondocking site here: https://freecampsites.net/#!20573&query=sitedetails
Other Info:
Entrance fee: $30.00
Alternatively, you can get the America the Beautiful Pass if you plan to visit various parks. The pass is valid for 1 year from issue. The pass costs $80.00 and you get access to all National Parks as well as many other federal recreation sites. You can get the America the Beautiful Pass here.
Badlands National Park is truly a unique experience in the sense that is so different than other NP and worth the visit.
Have you ever been to the Badlands? If yes, comment below on your experience.
