The best camping near Badlands National Park

On the edge of South Dakota’s Black Hills region, Badlands National Park’s unique terrain is otherworldly. While many visitors opt to drive through the park on the Badlands Loop Road, this gives you a mere taste of the park. If you opt for a camping experience instead, you’ll enjoy round-the-clock views of the badlands as the appearance of the craggy eroded buttes changes with the sunlight. Watch for roadside bighorn sheep and prairie dogs. After dark, the view changes to the dark skies above, as the park is perfect for stargazing. Combine your adventures in the region with visits to Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore, and the kitschy Wall Drug for an ultimate road trip.

• Best for RVs: Cedar Pass Campground offers 96 tent camping and RV sites with electric hookups. Flush toilets and covered picnic areas are available.
• Best for off-grid adventures: Sage Creek Campground offers 22 free, first-come-first-serve campsites along Sage Creek Rim Road, an unpaved road with limited accessibility. Pit toilets are offered here.
• Best for wilderness camping: Backcountry camping is allowed in the park with no permit required.

• Badlands National Park camping is especially popular on weekends and holidays and during the summer peak season.
• A concessionaire operates Cedar Pass Campground. Reservations may be made through the Cedar Pass Lodge website or by phone.
• Sage Creek Campground only allows RV camping for pull-behind trailers shorter than 18 feet.
• Campsites with hookups are not available in the off season, typically running from late October to early April. Dry camping is offered.

The Badlands experience changes with the seasons. Spring and fall offer pleasant conditions, though spring may get a slow start and winter snows arrive early due to the northern latitude. Summer brings warm temperatures and sunny skies, and shade is limited in the barren park. Bring sun protection, especially if you will be biking or hiking. Shaded picnic tables may be found near camping spots. During the winter, park visits slow down, giving you some solitude, but campers need to be prepared for freezing temperatures and frequent snow.

• In Sage Creek Campground, generators and campfires are not allowed.
• Sage Creek Campground does not have hookups or restrooms with running water. Potable water is available at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. 
• Cedar Pass Lodge also offers cabin rentals and rooms in the Badlands Inn.
• While many hiking trails are available, open exploration is also allowed.