Badlands National Park Camping

There are 2 Campgrounds at Badlands National Park; Cedar Pass Campground and Sage Creek Campground.

Cedar Pass Campground is centrally located in the main part of the park while the Sage Creek Campground is a little more remote.

Badlands National Park Camping

Camping in Badlands National Park is a great way to experience this incredible destination.

Overnight stays enable you to go to the park's amphitheater for an evening program about the night sky from one of the Badlands Park Rangers,

You can get up early to see the sunrise, look for wildlife like Bighorn Sheep, bison, black-footed ferrets, turkeys, and prairie dogs and end the day with a great sunset.

One thing to remember is South Dakota is known for warm days and cool nights. Be prepared for the weather to change often.

Cedar Pass Campground is the closest location to the Ben Reifel Visitor Center and has RV sites, tent camping, picnic area, and is close to Cedar Pass Restaurant.

You can now make advance reservations for Cedar Pass Campground.

Sage Creek Campground is a primitive campground off of a dirt road with no amenities close by.

Staying in Sage Creek is definitely more of a wilderness area with Bison roaming by and Prairie Dogs near the pit toilet.

Badlands National Park Entrance fee

Private Vehicle: $30

Motorcycle: $25

Per Person: $15

There is an entrance fee to enter Badlands National Park. Fees are listed below or you can choose to purchase your pass in advance through the link below.

The park pass covers everyone in the car for per-vehicle sites and for up to 4 adults for per-person sites.

Buy on REI.com and REI will donate 10% of pass proceeds to the National Forest Foundation, National Park Foundation, and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities.

Planning a National Park vacation? America the Beautiful/National Park Pass covers entrance fees for an entire year to all US National Park Sites and over 2,000 Federal Recreation Fee Sites.

Free Entrance Days -Mark your calendars with the five free entrance days the National Park Service offers annually.

Cedar Pass Campground

Location: Cedar Pass Campground is located on the park's east side near the Cedar Pass Lodge, restaurant, and the Ben Reifel Visitor Center.

This puts you close to numerous activities and the ability to go to the park's amphitheater for an evening ranger program and perhaps even a program on the night sky. The campground offers amazing views of the Badlands.

Open: The campground is not open year-round. The campground is open seasonally typically from around Early April to mid-October.

2024 Reservation Dates include: April 13, 2024, through October 21, 2024

Number of sites: There are 96 camp sites: 23 electrical hookup sites, and 73 sites for tent campers. There are also an additional 4 Group Sites available

Campground Fees/ Cost per night

Individual sites - $28 a night for two people, $29.60 with tax and fees, and $4 a night for each additional person.

RV sites - $42 a night for two people, $44.39 with taxes and fees, and $4 a night for each additional person.

Senior/Access Pass Accepted? Yes, Check the reservation line for current rates

Campsite Reservations: Reserve your campsites online or call (855) 765-0737 for more information and reservations.

Campground Address:
20681 SD Highway 240
Interior, SD.57750

RVs allowed?: Yes, there are 23 sites in the campground with RV hookups. There are no full hookups in Badlands National Park, there are only electric hookups with 30-amp and 50-amp service.

GPS: 43.7478N,101.9452W

Elevation: 2400'

Campground amenities:

Dump Station: There is an RV Dump Station that is $1.00 per use

Bear Boxes: No

Flush Toilets: Yes

Shower: Yes, pay showers are available

Payphone: No

Is Wi-Fi available? No, WIFI is available at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center and the Cedar Pass Restaurant

Is Cellular Phone Service Available? Spotty in areas around the Ben Reifel Visitor Center

Is the camp host available on-site? Yes. located at site #11 of the Agate Loop

Is firewood available for purchase? No

Amenities at each campsite:

Fire rings in the site? No. Camp stoves or contained charcoal grills can be used in campgrounds and picnic areas. When using charcoal grills, ensure the charcoal is cool prior to disposal to prevent a trash fire.

Picnic Table in the site? Yes, the sites has covered picnic tables

Potable Water? Yes Cedar Pass Campground Amphitheater

There is very little shade available and it gets very hot. Be prepared for the sun and heat.

There are three campground loops; Group Loop, Agate Loop, and Butte Loop

Amenities include a covered picnic table, drinking water available, and flush toilets.

Fires are not permitted in either of the campgrounds in Badlands National Park but you can use camp stoves and charcoal grills.

Campground Rules:

There is a 14-day maximum stay limit.

There is also an RV Dump Station that is $1.00

Quiet Hours are 10 pm-6 am

Generators are allowed except during quiet hours

Pets must be on a leash at all times

Maximum of 6 people, 2 vehicles, and 2 tents per campsite

Make sure to check out my full article on Cedar Pass Campground for full details and to see more photos from the campground!

Sage Creek Campground

The Sage Creek Campground is a primitive camping experience.

To get to Sage Creek Campground you must take a 10-mile dirt road (Sage Creek Rim Road) which is typically wash boarded and rough.

Spring rains and winter snows can close the road temporarily. The great news is that the campground is free of charge.

We saw lots of prairie dogs in the campground and saw Bison just outside the campground.

This campground is becoming incredibly popular so the National Park Service is looking at how to best manage the campground.

Number of Sites: 22

Location: Located off of a 10-mile dirt road (Sage Creek Rim Road)

Cost per night: Free Camping at Sage Creek Campground

Reservations?: No, Sage Creek Campground is a first-served campground and does not require reservations.

Campground amenities: You will not find much for amenities except for a picnic table and a vault/ pit toilets. Don't expect WIFI, cell phone reception, there is no water

RVs allowed?: Yes, RV campers are allowed, however, RVs greater than 18 feet in length are prohibited

GPS: 43.8940N,102.4140W

Campground Regulations

The maximum number of people in a campsite: 6

The number of cars per campsite: 2 cars are allowed per site and trailers count as one vehicle. The parking lots are large with plenty of room.

Checkout time: 12 noon

Quiet Hours: 10 pm-6 am

The campground limit is 10 consecutive days.

Generators are allowed except during quiet hours

Pets must be on a leash at all times

See more photos and information on the Sage Creek Campground

For a fun adventure, check out Escape Campervans. These campervans have built-in beds, kitchen area with refrigerators, and more. You can have them fully set up with kitchen supplies, bedding, and other fun extras. They are painted with epic designs you can't miss!

Escape Campervans has offices in Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Denver, Chicago, New York, and Orlando

Backcountry Camping in Badlands National Park

Great News! Back-country camping is permitted anywhere in the park as long as it is at least a half mile from a road or trail and is not visible from a trail or roadway.

You are not required to have a permit to camp in the backcountry, however, contact a staff member at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center or Pinnacles Entrance Station for more information.

Backcountry registers are located at the Medicine/Castle Trail Loop, Saddle Pass Trailhead, Conata Picnic Area, Sage Creek Basin Overlook, and the Sage Creek Campground.

Carry at least 1 gallon of water per person per day. Don't plan on finding water in the park as there is little and water found here is not drinkable or filterable due to the high sediment content.

For your personal safety, always carry the 10 essentials including a detailed park map, and know how to use them.