If you’re someone who loves exploring new landscapes with your trusted four-legged friend, you’ll be happy to learn that dogs are welcome in Badlands National Park! That said, however, there are some restrictions in place in order to keep both you, your dog and the park’s wildlife safe.
In this guide, you’ll find everything you should know about pets in Badlands National Park.
This includes information about park rules, safety tips, suggested walks you can do with your dog, as well as other dog-friendly activities in the Badlands.
This guide to visiting Badlands National Park with your dog contains affiliate links. You can read more about our Terms of Use / Disclosure here.
Contents
FAQ About Visiting Badlands National Park With Your Dog
Below are the answers to the most common questions about dog rules in Badlands National Park. This section will provide you with the necessary information to properly prepare for and plan your visit to Badlands with your dog.
At the end of these FAQs, you’ll also find a list of fun things you can do with dogs in Badlands National Park.
Can I Bring My Dog to Badlands National Park?
Whether it’s allowed to bring dogs into Badlands National Park is probably the most important question of all. And the answer is a convincing ‘YES’.
Dogs are permitted in Badlands National Park with certain restrictions, which I’ll outline below.
What Are the Rules for Dogs at Badlands?
The number one rule dog owners must comply with in Badlands National Park is having their dog on a leash that’s no longer than 6 feet. Dogs must be on a leash at all times, except when they’re in a vehicle.
Another important rule is that dog owners are required to pick up dog waste everywhere, including in campgrounds, picnic areas, parking lots, and on roads and trails.
Additionally, dogs are only allowed in developed areas in Badlands National Park. This includes picnic areas and campgrounds, as well as all places that are open to vehicles, such as parking lots, paved roads and gravel roads.
They are not permitted anywhere in the backcountry, on hiking trails, in public buildings and in areas with prairie dog colonies.
Lastly, the National Park Service emphasizes the dangers of leaving pets in vehicles. Because of the serious threat of overheating a car, dogs should not be left in vehicles.
“On a sunny day, even in temperatures as low as 60°F, temperatures inside a vehicle can reach dangerous levels. On an 85°F day the temperature inside a car –even with the windows cracked –can reach over 100°F within 10 minutes,” the Park Service reminds dog owners.
Where Can I Go With My Dog in Badlands National Park?
As outlined above, in Badlands National Park dogs are essentially only allowed in developed areas and where vehicles can go.
Pets are allowed in the following places in Badlands National Park:
- Within the Cedar Pass Campground
- Within the Sage Creek Campground
- In the grassy area around the Ben Reifel Visitor Center
- In the picnic area at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center
- On all public roads, whether paved or unpaved. This includes the main Badlands Loop Road, as well as gravel roads like the Old Northeast Road and Sage Creek Rim Road.
- In roadside pullouts and parking lots
- In the Bigfoot Pass Overlook picnic area
- In the Conata picnic area
Where Are Dogs NOT Allowed in Badlands National Park?
There are plenty of fun things to do with dogs in Badlands National Park, but you should be aware of the many restrictions in the park.
These are the places where pets are prohibited in Badlands National Park:
- On all hiking trails and boardwalks
- At the vast majority of overlooks. (Almost all overlooks on the Badlands Loop Road have a clear sign indicating that dogs aren’t allowed.)
- In all public buildings, including the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. (Certified service animals are allowed in the Visitor Center, though.)
- In the backcountry and designated Wilderness Areas
- In areas with prairie dog colonies
Can I Go Hiking at Badlands With My Dog?
Yes, absolutely! Even though all trails and boardwalks are off limits to pets, which is why Badlands isn’t one of our top national parks to visit with pets, you can still have some fun hiking adventures with your four-legged friend.
You can, for example, walk your dog anywhere on the scenic Badlands Loop Road. Stick to the side of the road, though, and watch for wildlife and traffic, including motorists and cyclists.
Additionally—and this is by far my favorite thing to do with dogs in Badlands—you can walk your dog on all public gravel roads in the park. This is so much fun!
These roads are basically just really wide trails, running for miles through spectacular prairie and badlands landscapes.
I recommend the following roads for hiking with your dog in Badlands National Park:
- Badlands Loop Road (paved)
- Old Northeast Road (gravel)
- Conata Road (paved, then gravel)
- Sage Creek Rim Road (gravel)
What Can I Do With My Dog in Badlands National Park?
You could use the information about dogs in Badlands National Park above to figure out what you can actually do in the park with your pet. But to simplify your planning process some more, I’ve made a specific list of the most fun things to do with dogs in Badlands.
1. Enjoy the Spectacular Badlands Views
Although dogs aren’t allowed at most overlooks, you can still see some sensational views in Badlands National Park with your dog.
Pretty much along every road in the park, there are breathtaking landscapes to be enjoyed. As I’ve said above, you can walk your dog on all public park roads, which allows you to immerse yourself in this epic scenery much more than you ever could from within your car.
2. Observe Wildlife From a Safe Distance
Whether your dog has a strong prey drive or not, watching wildlife in the Badlands must occur from a safe distance either way.
Park regulations require all visitors to stay at least 100 feet from all animals, including bison, prairie dogs and bighorn sheep. I do suggest staying much further from the Badlands wildlife, though, especially if you have a dog.
From a distance that’s comfortable for you, your dog and the animal you’re observing, wildlife viewing can be a fun and fascinating experience for all parties involved. Many dogs will also pick up a bunch of new and interesting scents in the park.
My Mini Aussie, for instance, was fascinated by (the smell of) a herd of mule deer off of the Old Northeast Road. She also couldn’t figure out where the distant calls of prairie dogs came from—they sounded very similar to her squeaky toys at home!
On the other hand, she really didn’t care for bison, which must’ve appeared like absolute giants to her, and I kept her as far away from them as possible.
3. Explore the Badlands Loop Road With Your Dog
Get out of your car and go for a walk on the famous Badlands National Park Loop Road! You can park at pullouts or parking lots anywhere along the road and start your walk from there.
For example, I personally thoroughly enjoyed exploring the Norbeck Pass area with my own Mini Aussie.
However, my absolute favorite place to walk my dog on the Badlands Loop Road was the 3-mile section between the Yellow Mounds Overlook and Pinnacles Overlook (which does involve a rather steep part just below the Pinnacles Overlook).
Make sure to stick to the side of the road, keep your dog close and—always—on his leash. Watch for both wildlife and traffic, including vehicles and bicycles.
4. Go For a Walk on Scenic Back Roads
Walking your dog on the park’s many back roads is a dog-friendly activity in Badlands National Park suggested by the National Park Service itself.
“Scenic back roads in and around Badlands National Park provide an exciting backcountry experience for you and your dog,” the agency says.
I recommend walking the unpaved Old Northeast Road between the trailhead of the Castle Trail and the intersection with the Badlands Loop Road.
This area is a great cross-section of the Badlands National Park landscape, flanked by beautiful badlands formations on both sides, while there are expansive grasslands as well. Watch for wildlife like mule deer, bighorn sheep, coyotes and, on hot days, rattlesnakes.
The Conata Road past the Conata Picnic Area, which also allows dogs, is another excellent place to walk your dog in Badlands.
Much quieter than the often-busy Badlands Loop Road, this road also features remarkable geology and offers some wildlife viewing opportunities. The first short section is paved, but it quickly turns into a dirt road.
But the cream of the crop when it comes to Badlands back roads is the Sage Creek Rim Road. This magnificent gravel road runs through the remote northwestern part of the park’s North Unit.
Splitting off from the Badlands Loop Road just south of the Pinnacles Entrance Station, it offers amazing views of the sprawling Sage Creek Wilderness Area.
This is such a great place to walk your dogs, I’ve dedicated a separate section to it below.
5. Enjoy Lunch at a Picnic Area
In Badlands National Park, dogs are permitted at picnic areas. These are wonderful places to take a break from all the exploring you’ve been doing, and allow your canine companion to process all those new sights, scents and sounds.
You can enjoy a snack or lunch at three picnic areas in Badlands National Park:
- The Ben Reifel Visitor Center Picnic Area
- The Bigfoot Pass Overlook Picnic Area
- The Conata Picnic Area
All these picnic areas have picnic benches and trash bins.
The Conata Picnic Area, which is the one I liked most, also has sheltered benches and restrooms. On a sunny midday in the Badlands, this is one of a few places in the park where you and your dog can find some shade.
6. Hike a Section of the Sage Creek Rim Road
The Sage Creek Rim Road is a public gravel road in the northwestern portion of Badlands National Park’s North Unit.
While many visitors skip this scenic drive due to a lack of time, this is definitely a part of the park that deserves to be explored. Driving the Sage Creek Rim Road was one of my favorite things to do in Badlands National Park.
This dirt road offers great views of the vast Sage Creek Wilderness Area, a landscape of rolling grass-covered hills, dotted with small badlands and wooded areas.
There are a few scenic viewpoints along the road, too, namely the Hay Butte, Badlands Wilderness and Sage Creek Basin overlooks. Unlike the many overlooks on the Badlands Loop Road, these particular overlooks do, in fact, allow dogs.
Although it’s not one of the official hiking trails in Badlands National Park, I strongly recommend hiking the road between the Hay Butte Overlook and Badlands Wilderness Overlook.
Both overlooks are spectacular and the views along the way aren’t any less so.
It’s a wonderful way to experience this gravel road, enjoy the views from a different perspective, and maybe even spot some wildlife in the distance. (Watch for bison on the road, though!)
The distance between the two overlooks is only 0.6 miles one-way. There’s a slight incline, but nothing too difficult.
Of all these things to do with dogs in Badlands National Park, hiking this particular section of the Sage Creek Rim Road would be the one I recommend the most.
Caution!
Note: Roberts Prairie Dog Town is another popular attraction on the Sage Creek Rim Road, but, provided it’s safe to do so, you should leave your dog in your vehicle while visiting this area.
There are two reasons why you shouldn’t take your dog to Roberts Prairie Dog Town. One, dogs aren’t allowed near prairie dog colonies in the first place. And two, prairie dogs can carry some pretty terrible diseases, including—and I’m not kidding—the plague.
Safety Tips to Visit Badlands With Dogs
Most of the best things to do in Badlands National Park with dogs are in developed areas or along gravel roads and pose little threat. Yet, it’s still important to be aware of the potential dangers in this rugged park.
Wildlife is abundant in the Badlands, from minuscule arachnids to venomous snakes and huge mammals.
Wildlife
Seeing a variety of animals in their natural South Dakota habitats is one of the highlights of Wind Cave National Park. When visiting the park with your dog, however, you should look out for the following wildlife.
- Bison (may charge)
- Prairie dogs (may carry diseases, including the plague—yes, really!)
- Coyotes and mountain lions (may regard your dog as prey)
- Rattlesnakes (may strike when irritated)
- Ticks (may carry diseases)
Bison safety tips
Mountain lion safety tips
Rattlesnake safety tips
More About Badlands National Park
- Park Website
- Travel Guide
- Topographic Map
- Best Badlands Hikes
- Top Things to Do in Badlands National Park
- Where to See Bison in Badlands
- Accommodation