Hi there!
So, are there national parks in South Dakota?
YES!
There are 2 national parks in South Dakota.
Here’s what’s below!
First, a bit about the 2 national parks in South Dakota.
After that, a bit about the cost to go to South Dakota national parks.
And then, some further reading so you can plan a national parks road trip to South Dakota… and beyond!
National parks in the U.S.
As of 2023, there are a total of 63 national parks in the United States operated by the National Park Service (NPS).
In addition to the 63 U.S. national parks, there are many more national memorials, national monuments, national historical parks, national historic sites, national preserves, national lakeshores, and more nationally designated sites also operated by the National Park Service.
For reference, here is the list of ALL national park sites in the United States. This includes the National Park Service’s “related areas” as well.
The South Dakota national parks list below only includes the “official” national parks. 2 out of the 63 national parks are located in South Dakota.
So the focus below is on those 2 national parks.
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So…
Where are the national parks in South Dakota?
There are 2 official national parks in South Dakota.
The 2 national parks in South Dakota are Badlands National Park and Wind Cave National Park.
If you are on a quest to visit all 63 national parks in the US, these are the national parks in South Dakota that you need to go to.
Both of these national parks are located in western South Dakota.
It is about a 2 to 2.5 hour drive to get from Badlands National Park to Wind Cave National Park. It will depend on where you’re coming from in Badlands National Park.
There are also other places to visit in South Dakota that are nearby, so it can make it convenient to plan a South Dakota national parks road trip.
It’s a thing to make it a “Badlands and Black Hills” type of South Dakota road trip itinerary.
Badlands National Park is the “Badlands” part of that. Obvi. 😜
And Wind Cave National Park is around the “Black Hills” part of that.
Custer State Park is one of the major icons of the Black Hills, and Wind Cave National Park and Custer State Park are directly connected.
If you are making it a South Dakota road trip, then the South Dakota national parks can be a perfect part of your plan!
Along with Badlands National Park, the other most famous national park site in South Dakota is Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
Mount Rushmore is also in the Black Hills, and you can drive through Black Hills National Forest to get there.
If you’re making a trip to the Dakotas, there is also a national park in North Dakota.
South Dakota national park #1: Badlands National Park
What’s great about Badlands National Park?
Badlands National Park is the best national park in South Dakota.
Badlands National Park is known for… the Badlands, yes!
A trip to Badlands National Park means seeing lots of rock formations known as the badlands.
The main road through Badlands National Park is the Badlands Loop Road.
All you have to do is drive this road and you will get scenic views of the iconic badlands!
You may be quite happy with your South Dakota badlands experience just by driving through Badlands National Park.
You will also find many overlooks to stop off at along the way.
There are also popular short hikes in Badlands National Park that conveniently start along Badlands Loop Road.
Badlands National Park is also known for wildlife.
This includes buffalo and bighorn sheep.
If you want to stay a little longer for a more enriching South Dakota national park experience, then there are campgrounds in Badlands National Park that you can make a part of your South Dakota camping trip.
This includes the free Sage Creek campground where you have a chance to see buffalo walking right past your tent!
It also includes camping with prairie dogs!
Badlands National Park: See more about planning a trip to this South Dakota national park
- Things to do in Badlands National Park for VIEWS!
- Best hikes in Badlands National Park
- Where to see bighorn sheep in Badlands National Park
- The Badlands National Park campgrounds
- Cedar Pass campground (camping with classic views of the Badlands)
- Sage Creek campground (camping with buffalo and prairie dogs)
South Dakota national park #2: Wind Cave National Park
What’s great about Wind Cave National Park?
Wind Cave National Park is one of the caves in South Dakota that is managed by the National Park Service.
It is the only official “national park” cave in South Dakota.
Wind Cave National Park is known for… its cave, yes!
A trip to Wind Cave National Park would not be complete without going underground and walking through Wind Cave.
In order to go inside Wind Cave, you will need to sign up for one of the Wind Cave tours.
It’s not possible to go inside the cave on your own, and cave tours are known to sell out, so it does require some planning.
Wind Cave National Park is also known for wildlife.
This includes buffalo.
So, you have a chance to see buffalo at both of the South Dakota national parks! (And in fact I did see buffalo at both Badlands National Park and Wind Cave National Park!)
Once again, if you want to stay a little longer for a more enriching South Dakota national park experience, then there is a campground in Wind Cave National Park.
You can stay an extra night to do a day trip to Jewel Cave National Monument on another day.
Wind Cave National Park: See more about planning a trip to this South Dakota national park
Cost of visiting South Dakota national parks
In 2023, the cost for the Badlands National Park entry is $30 per car, and you would get a 7-day Badlands national park pass. See current fees.
There is no one-day pass. The minimum national park pass is 7 days.
The cost of the Wind Cave National Park entry is FREE. But there is a fee for the Wind Cave tours, which is around $15 per person for the regular cave tours. Kids are half of that. See current fees.
So if you go to both of these South Dakota national parks, it would cost at minimum $60 total for 2 people. That would be the cost of Badlands National Park entry fee, plus 2 tickets to 1 Wind Cave tour.
There is also an annual national park pass that will cover national park entry for almost all national parks in the US, including the South Dakota national park that has an entry fee… Badlands National Park. Since there is no entry fee at Wind Cave National Park, the national park pass won’t do you any good there. (Cave tours are not covered.)
But if you know you will be visiting at least 2 more national parks that have a paid entry, then the annual national park pass will be worth it.
For example, if you will be visiting the national parks in Wyoming!
You can make it a road trip from Badlands National Park to the Wyoming national parks!
How much time do you need in South Dakota national parks?
So you can make it one day in Badlands National Park and one day in Wind Cave National Park, and you could have a perfect 2 days in South Dakota national parks.
Or, you may be perfectly happy with just a half day in each of the South Dakota national parks.
Can you do Badlands and Wind Cave in one day?
With some planning, you can do the Badlands and Wind Cave in one day.
The part you’ll need to plan ahead of time is the Wind Cave tour.
Depending on which makes the most sense based on your driving route, it may be best to buy the very first tour of the morning or the very last tour of the afternoon.
That way, you can go to Wind Cave tour in the morning, and then you can spend the rest of the day late into the evening at Badlands National Park. (This would be the preferred option!)
Or, You can spend all morning in Badlands National Park, and then make your way to Wind Cave National Park in time for your cave tour.
You don’t need one full day in each of the South Dakota national parks (if you don’t want!), thinking of it as one day in Badlands National Park and one day in Wind Cave National Park will give you some flexibility.
If you want to spend one full day in Badlands National Park but only want to do the tour in Wind Cave National Park, it’s also reasonable to go to Custer State Park on the same day as Wind Cave. There is the Mammoth Site too!
So that’s a bit about the 2 national parks in South Dakota!
Make it into an extended national parks road trip to the South Dakota national parks and beyond!
- Things to do in Badlands National Park
- Camping in Badlands National Park
- Things to do in Wind Cave National Park
- Things to do in Jewel Cave National Monument
- Things to do in Mount Rushmore National Memorial
- Best places to visit in South Dakota with VIEWS!
- South Dakota camping trip
- Best things to do in Wyoming national parks
- Best places to visit in Wyoming (2 national parks + 1 national monument + national forests)
- Things to do in Devils Tower National Monument
- Things to do in Grand Teton National Park
- Things to do in Yellowstone National Park
- Driving from Badlands National Park to Yellowstone
- Things to do in Theodore Roosevelt National Park
HAPPY DRIVING TO SOUTH DAKOTA NATIONAL PARKS!
Here are some ideas for a classic South Dakota road trip going from east to west!
After you go to Badlands National Park, you can head west to Wall Drug and then onwards to Mount Rushmore!
You've made it to the Black Hills, where you'll find Custer State Park for a perfect place to stay.
You can choose from the Custer State Park campgrounds or Custer State Park camping cabins for a budget-friendly stay, or you can go for more luxury at one of the Custer State Park lodges! (You can even stay at a past president's Summer White House!)
While you're in the area, you can also go to Wind Cave National Park and/or Jewel Cave National Monument and/or the Mammoth Site!
Drive the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway on your way west out of the Black Hills and South Dakota as you continue your epic road trip to Devils Tower National Monument and Wyoming!
Then, onwards to the best places to visit in Wyoming with your grand finale of Wyoming being one day in Yellowstone National Park!
Read the details: Best places to visit in South Dakota
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