Badlands National Park
Banded rock and mixed-grass prairie to the east
Badlands National Park protects about 244,000 acres, including mixed-grass prairie and one of the world's richest fossil beds. The park charges an entrance fee, $30 per private vehicle for 7 days, by card only with no cash accepted. This route reaches the Pinnacles Entrance south of Wall (I-90 Exit 110); the Ben Reifel Visitor Center lies farther east on the Badlands Loop Road and adds more time. Drive time and distance are routing estimates from OSRM; allow extra for season, traffic and road work.
Highlights
- Badlands Loop Road: Highway 240 is the paved two-lane road through the North Unit.
- Fossil beds and wildlife: Bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs and black-footed ferrets live on the park's prairie.
Stops along the way
- Wall: I-90 Exit 110, about seven miles north of the entrance.
- Pinnacles Overlook: Just inside the entrance.
- Ben Reifel Visitor Center: Continue east on the Loop Road.