Eroded rock formations at Badlands National Park.

©Mark Read/Lonely Planet

Badlands National Park

Top choice in South Dakota


Pinnacled rock formations with vivid color bands, sharp-edged cliffs with tiptoeing bighorn sheep, and sprawling colonies of feverish prairie dogs are just a few of the images you'll find in South Dakota's most storied national park. Incredibly user-friendly, nearly all of its top sights lie along the 40-mile Badlands Loop Rd.