A Badlands day trip from Custer

About two hours east of Custer, the green Black Hills give way to the Badlands: a maze of striped pinnacles, ridges and canyons carved into the prairie. It is a long day, but one of the most memorable you can have in South Dakota.

Getting there

Drive north to Rapid City, then east on Interstate 90. Leave early: the light is best in the morning and evening, and summer middays are hot. The park charges an entrance fee per vehicle; check the current price with the National Park Service.

The Badlands Loop Road

Highway 240, the Badlands Loop Road, runs for about 39 miles through the north of the park between Interstate 90 near Cactus Flat and the town of Wall. Drive it in either direction and stop at the overlooks, which each show a different side of the landscape.

• Big Badlands Overlook: the first big view at the eastern end.
• The Ben Reifel Visitor Center: exhibits, a film and rangers at Cedar Pass.
• The Fossil Exhibit Trail: a short boardwalk with fossil replicas.
• The Door, Window and Notch trails: short walks into the formations. The Notch Trail includes a log ladder.
• Yellow Mounds Overlook: soft yellow and red hills.
• Pinnacles Overlook: sweeping views near the western end.

Wildlife

Look for bighorn sheep on the slopes near the Pinnacles, and prairie dogs, bison and pronghorn along the gravel Sage Creek Rim Road in the west of the park.

Wall Drug

Finish in the town of Wall at Wall Drug, a sprawling roadside attraction famous for its free ice water, doughnuts and quirky shops.

Tips

• Bring plenty of water and sun protection. There is little shade.
• Stay on trails and watch for rattlesnakes.
• Fill up with fuel in Rapid City or Wall.
• Not driving? Join a Badlands tour from Rapid City.