• Hay Butte Overlook - This overlook offers stunning views of the Badlands and prairie meadows. It’s an excellent spot to observe bison, pronghorn, and the park’s diverse landscapes. Located just a short hike from the popular Badlands Loop Road, this overlook is easily accessible.

Note: This 41+ mile-long tour highlights the key attractions of the Badlands in 2-3 hours.

Purchase once and enjoy for a year! Perfect for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.

• Badlands Wilderness Overlook - Renowned for its distinctive landscapes, including rugged rock formations and deep canyons, this area is home to a variety of plant and animal life, such as bison, bighorn sheep, and pronghorn. It’s a favored spot for hiking, backpacking, wildlife viewing, and photography.

• Roberts Prairie Dog Town - This area is home to numerous black-tailed prairie dogs. These burrowing rodents from the Great Plains of North America are famous for their “bark” and behavior. Visitors enjoy observing these intriguing animals in their natural habitat at Roberts Prairie Dog Town.

• Ancient Hunters Overlook - Named after the ancient tribes that hunted in the Badlands, this site has yielded bison bones and arrowheads. It was likely a butchering field where hunters processed bison carcasses.

• Yellow Mounds Overlook - Known for its unique layered rock formations, the Yellow Mounds owe their color to iron oxide in the rock layers. These formations provide a fascinating glimpse into the Badlands’ landscapes after millions of years of erosion and weathering.

• Big Badlands Overlook - This spot offers another fantastic view of the park’s yellow paleosols, providing insight into the land’s ancient past. Once the bed of a warm, shallow sea, the paleosols visible here are part of the lowest formation in the Badlands: the Pierre Shale.

• Homestead Overlook - Lincoln believed the American West held the resources his country needed, though few Americans wanted to settle there. West Coast Natives were cautious of settlers in the unexplored region. Thus, Lincoln signed the Homestead Act, encouraging settlement by offering land to those who would live on and improve it.

• Prairie Wind Overlook - Unlike previous overlooks, the main attraction here is not the Badlands but the gentle, pleasant prairie. It exemplifies the park’s surprisingly diverse ecosystems.

• White River Valley Overlook - From this vantage point, you can see The Castle, a magnificent formation and the largest visible from the overlook. Beyond The Castle, the White River Valley stretches endlessly. The White River carved this valley long ago, as its name suggests.

• Fossil Exhibit Trail - This trail features interactive exhibits showcasing the park’s fossil heritage, including ancient animal fossils. The wheelchair-accessible trail is suitable for all ages and fitness levels. Visitors can learn about extinct animals like the rhinoceros and three-toed horse and their environment along the trail.

• Saddle Pass Trail - This 0.7-mile trail takes less than half an hour to hike and offers excellent opportunities for bird watching and sightseeing. Despite its short length, it is one of the steepest in the park, with over 200 feet of elevation gain. Avoid this trail if it has rained recently.

• Ben Reifel Visitor Center - For a quick break from exploring the Badlands, this is an ideal spot. In addition to a picnic area and standard amenities, it features the Fossil Preparation Lab, where visitors can see what paleontologists do with fossils once they are discovered.

• Cliff Shelf Nature Trail - This half-mile loop offers one of the best views in the park. Besides the stunning vista from the top of the loop, visitors can explore one of the Badlands’ lesser-known biomes by walking through a lush juniper forest.

• Notch Trail - The Notch Trail offers 1.5 miles of challenging terrain for intermediate hikers, including a rope ladder leading to a spectacular view of the White River Valley. Hikers seeking challenging terrain and breathtaking views will enjoy this trail.

• Door Trail - This quarter-mile, fully accessible boardwalk is more of a stroll than a hike. It leads to a break in the Badlands Wall, known as The Door, offering unbeatable views of the landscape beyond. Don’t forget your camera for this one!

• Castle Trail - Finally, there’s The Castle Trail. At 5.4 miles, it’s the longest-maintained trail in the park. It winds through prairie, Badlands peaks, and various unique formations. For those wanting to experience all the different features of the Badlands, this trail is an excellent choice.

• Easy-to-use app: download Action’s Tour Guide App onto your phone
• Great value: Purchase per car, not per person. More affordable than bus or guided tours!
• Engaging storytelling: Uncover unique tales and thrilling history for a memorable journey!
• Perfect narrator: nothing can beat listening to a great voice. Proven with tons of rave reviews!
• Offline maps: no signal, no problem! Works perfectly without cellular or wifi.
• Comprehensive route and stops: See it all, miss nothing, leave no stone unturned!
• Go at your own pace: Start anytime, pause anywhere, enjoy breaks for snacks and photos freely!
• Hands-free: audio stories play on their own based on your location. Easy to use!

• Park Passes

Discover the ancient history hidden within Badlands National Park, a truly unique destination! This extraordinary, otherworldly terrain of rugged peaks conceals tens of millions of years of history. Delve into this past with a self-guided driving tour that leads you along the Badlands Wall, highlighting the best viewpoints, hiking paths, and more. As you journey, your virtual guide will narrate captivating tales about everything from fossils to Lakota history and beyond.

After booking, be sure to check your email to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action. Enter your unique password to access your tour. These steps require a reliable internet/Wi-Fi connection. Then, simply follow the audio instructions and the designated route.

Purchase once and enjoy for a full year! Perfect for extended stays and return visits over the next 12 months.

Please note, this is not an entrance ticket. Verify opening hours before your visit.

• How To Access: After booking, you’ll get an email and text with setup instructions and password (search “audio tour” in emails and texts). • Download the separate tour app by Action • Enter the password sent by email and text. • MUST download the tour while in strong wifi/cellular. • Works offline after download.
• How to start touring: Open Action’s separate audio tour guide app once onsite. • If there is just one tour, launch it. • If multiple tour versions exist, launch the one with your planned starting point and direction.
• Go to the starting point No one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided Enter the first story’s point and the audio will begin automatically Follow the audio cues to the next story, which will also play automatically. Enjoy hands-free exploring. If you face audio issues, contact support. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
• Travel worry-free: Use the tour app anytime, on any day, and over multiple days. Start and pause the tour whenever you like, taking breaks and exploring side excursions at your own pace. Skip anything you don’t care about or explore bonus content for everything that interests you
• Savings tips: Driving tours: purchase just one tour for everyone in the car
• Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.