Best Time to Visit Badlands National Park + Free Badlands National Park Camping

Badlands National Park is such a wonderful spot in South Dakota.  Did you know there is now free Badlands National Park Camping?  Here’s the best time to visit Badlands National Park and the story of my night at the free campground along with pictures to inspire your trip to the Badlands.

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All photos in this post taken by Lumix Superzoom fz80 camera.

Best Time to Visit Badlands National Park

The best time to visit Badlands National Park is late August through September, with the couple weeks after labor day, when all the kids are back in school, being my favorite time. In July – early August the park is very hot – often in excess of 100 degrees. The park and it’s campgrouds are extra busy in early August since many motorcyclists are on their way to and from the Sturgis Rally. While I like the temperature in the Spring, it’s much more common to get heavy rainstorms and even hail. Read below for the story of a massive thunderstorm to shut down the campgrounds when I visited in May of one year. June is another good time to visit because the park is green after all the rainfall of the Spring.

The “Other Campground”

There are two campgrounds in Badlands National Park.  Cedar Pass campground is near the Badlands visitor center on the east side of the park is now run by a concessionaire.  This one is appropriate if you need RV hookups, flushing toilets, and a convenience store nearby.  If you’re relatively self-sufficient, you can head over to… 

Sage Creek Campground – Free Badlands National Park Camping 

Sage Creek Campground is located on the far west of the park.  Once you leave the road that connects Wall Drug to the more visited east side of the Park, the road turns into gravel.  The Badlands formations become sparser and the grasslands dominate.  You will see many Bison grazing in the west part of the park.

Eventually you’ll get to the turn off to the only free camping at Badlands National Park (other than areas in the grasslands just outside the entrance).  This is Sage Creek Campground.  There is no water, but there are two pit toilets.  There’s also a few picnic table, some under shade pavilions.  Prairie dogs live on the outskirts and you will probably see bison too.

This camp is great for those tent camping or boondocking (camping in a vehicle without hook-ups).  There’s even space for horses.  Unlike many national park campgrounds where you have your own pullout, picnic table, and fire ring, this camp has cars and RVs parked on the side of the road, and tents set up on the lawn.  Due to the tight spaces, this is a super social campground, I had the chance to meet several campers here.

If you get to camp early enough, you can kill some time by taking one of the footpaths in the hills surrounding camp.

The BIG Storm

It was a beautiful sunny day during my visit to the Badlands, but it was getting darker as I approached the campground in late afternoon.  By evening, the most ominous cloud was forming to the southwest.  I set up my camp chair with some friendly campers with some wine and we watched it come closer and then start to sprinkle.  Everyone retreated to their RVs or cars or vans or tents.  And it rained, and rained and rained all night long.  The rain stopped by morning, but when I stepped outside the van, my flip flop smooshed into 2 inches of mud.  The road, the lawn, all the earth was soft and muddy.  I was so glad I wasn’t on the ground in a tent.

I met some people at Devils Tower a few days later and they said most of the main campground was closed due to flooding the next night, so the free Sage Creek Campground isn’t the only one exposed to crazy rainstorms.

Like tent camping but hate to be on the ground?  Check out this combination tent & cot (aptly called a “cot tent”.  Before I started van camping this was my go-to tent.

Is Sage Creek Really Free?

Yes.  It was when I visited in mid-May 2018.  However, as of June the park reports overcrowding due to popularity, so this may be changing soon which is sad, because this one of a few drive-in free National Park campgrounds in the US.  Back country camping is always an option.

 Badlands National Park Photos – Photos to Inspire Your Trip

There was so much to see on the scenic drive Badlands National Park…

If you visit in late spring, watch for wildflowers.

So many of the Badlands are the same color, but in the central part are these colorful formations, reminiscent of the magnificent Painted Hills in Oregon.

Baby animals are the cutest.

Or are these tiny burrowing owls cuter?  The one in the hole looks surprised.

Bison roam the western part of the park, including the Sage Creek Campground.

I’d never seen an American Badger in the wild, until I saw this guy in the western part of the park.  It was incredible waiting for a minute, seeing dirt being pushed from the hole, and then the badger would take a peek, and see me, and go back in.

 Best Time to Visit Badlands National Park

The best time to visit is the Spring and the Fall.  Summer is a bit too hot for me.  Winter is especially cold.  Be aware that Spring can bring big storms, like the night I had in Sage Creek campground.

Badlands National Park Hotels – Alternatives to Free Camping at Badlands National Park

 Not a camper?  The closest hotels near Badlands National Park are in Wall, South Dakota (Check Rates and Availability).  Here you can also visit the famous Wall Drug.

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