Badlands National Park

The rugged beauty of the Badlands draws visitors from around the world. These striking geologic deposits contain one of the world’s richest fossil beds. Ancient horses and rhinos once roamed here. The park’s 244,000 acres protect an expanse of mixed-grass prairie where bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, and black-footed ferrets live today.

Directions

Badlands National Park is located 75 miles east of Rapid City, South Dakota. Physical Addresses for GPS* Park Headquarters: 25216 Ben Reifel Road, Interior, SD 57750. Northeast Entrance (I-90, Exit 131): 21020 SD Hwy 240, Interior, SD 57750. Pinnacles Entrance (I-90, Exit 110): 24240 Hwy 240, Wall, SD 57790. Interior Entrance: 20640 SD Hwy 377, Interior, SD 57750.

Reviews

Cedar Pass Campground in Badlands National Park continues to impress with its clean, well-kept grounds, helpful staff, and excellent location near the visitor center, on-site store, trails, and ranger programs. While sites remain closely spaced and exposed with limited shade, picnic tables now generally feature overhead covers providing some relief from the sun. Visitors appreciate the convenient amenities, including easily accessible bathrooms, coin-operated showers, and electrical hookups for RVs, but some wish for stricter enforcement of generator use and better online check-in usability. Despite occasional challenges with full reservations and site delineation, the campground serves as a comfortable and scenic base for exploring the park.

Clean, well-maintained campground and facilities
Convenient location near visitor center, trails, and ranger programs
Picnic tables with shelters provide some shade
Electrical hookups available for RVs, helpful in hot weather
Friendly and helpful campground hosts and rangers
Sites closely spaced with limited natural shade and privacy
Open layout exposes sites to wind and traffic noise
Generator use enforcement is inconsistent
Some frustration with online check-in process
Full reservations mean many no-shows, limiting availability
659 reviews
5 stars
379
4 stars
171
3 stars
66
2 stars
27
1 stars
16
Garrett P
Loop:Agate
Site:
Reviewed 17 days ago
The campsites are fine but not sure if the contractor ever gets around to cleaning the bathrooms. The Park Service might want to consider hiring a different company to run the campground.
mark w
Loop:Agate
Site:
Reviewed 17 days ago
Nice place, restroom and showers were clean, had water and dump station available. Great views!
Arlene L
Loop:Butte
Site:
Reviewed 18 days ago
Great view from our campsite! Grateful for the large camp sink to wash our dishes and pans!
Steve H
Loop:Butte
Site:
Reviewed 20 days ago
Odd Layout but it works well, maybe not for younger kids as you exit the RV to the roadway in the campsite.
Carolyn T
Loop:Butte
Site:
Reviewed 20 days ago
Didn’t have quarters for the showers and the dollar machine wasn’t working.
Patrick W
Loop:Group
Site:
Reviewed 20 days ago
The group camp loop now allows RVs…with generators, outdoor lights, etc. That was an unwelcome change from previous visits. The amenities are still great - just not terribly interested in sharing the area with RVs…especially when they take the largest open area that groups really could use.

Keep your options open

Watch for a matching campsite across monitored campgrounds in Badlands National Park.

Campgrounds

Badlands National Park has 2 campgrounds, 83 campsites in total.

2 of 2 campgrounds match