{
  "$type": "site.standard.document",
  "bskyPostRef": {
    "cid": "bafyreifgpr4cd3wpl2ds4zb6ds3qtojvegbervmewkctvowjhpfqxpng24",
    "uri": "at://did:plc:xoczgo53ahhoei6pror2b43g/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmwxpwpcn6lp"
  },
  "coverImage": {
    "$type": "blob",
    "ref": {
      "$link": "bafkreif6davmledsnqlvspovzy4iykeuqujohjvwp6jezkuoxqrb7e5iyy"
    },
    "mimeType": "image/webp",
    "size": 93002
  },
  "description": "Visiting Badlands with your dog? Find out the pet rules, the best scenic overlooks & drives, and why golden hour is the perfect time for your trip.",
  "path": "/visiting-badlands-national-park-with-dogs-in-summer/",
  "publishedAt": "2025-12-16T19:57:30.000Z",
  "site": "at://did:plc:xoczgo53ahhoei6pror2b43g/site.standard.publication/3mmwwrtzqnc7k",
  "tags": [
    "Badlands National Park",
    "Dog-Friendly",
    "Road Trips",
    "South Dakota",
    "United States",
    "Midwest"
  ],
  "textContent": "When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. See our Affiliate Policy. Badlands National Park looks unreal no matter how many photos you’ve seen beforehand or how many times you’ve visited. Between the sharp ridges, layered colors, twisting roads, wide-open skies and wildlife, there’s always something new that catches your eye. We’ve visited Badlands twice, each time in a completely different season. Our first visit was in January 2021, right in the middle of winter with snow on the ground. This post is about our August 2024 visit, when we explored Badlands National Park with our two dogs during golden hour and sunset. If you’re wondering whether Badlands is worth visiting with dogs, how dog-friendly it really is, and what you can realistically see without hiking, this one is for you. Where Is Badlands National Park Located? Badlands National Park is located in southwestern South Dakota, just south of Interstate 90 and about an hour east of Rapid City. The small town of Wall, South Dakota sits just north of the park. Yes, that Wall, home to the famously over-the-top Wall Drug Store signs you start seeing long before you ever arrive. They have over 300 drug store signs in the region and may more across the country put up by “Wall Drug enthusiasts”. Because of its location along I-90, Badlands fits perfectly into a road trip through South Dakota national parks, especially if you’re also visiting places like Wind Cave National Park, Mount Rushmore, or even Devils Tower just across the Wyoming border. For us, Badlands was a stop toward the end of a much bigger road trip adventure. That trip ended up being a 7,000+ mile loop to and from Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. You can see most of the park from the drive along SD-240 Arriving at Badlands National Park During Golden Hour We made the 2.5-hour drive east from Devils Tower along I-90 and entered Badlands through the Pinnacles Entrance Station a little after 5 pm. If you’re planning a visit, you can find current entrance fees here. Badlands can be extremely hot during the summer, with daytime temperatures sometimes over 110°F, but when we arrived, it was comfortably in the mid-70s. The air felt cool, and the sun was low enough to really bring out the park’s textures and colors. As we pulled in, we immediately started spotting wildlife. Right along the road we saw prairie dogs, bison, and even pronghorn, all surprisingly close to the car. You can even hear the little squeaks from the prairie dogs! Because wildlife is so close to the road, and to follow the park rules, we kept our dogs, Toby and Lily, inside the car. As much as they love new sights, new smells, and other animals, we didn’t want to disturb wildlife, put them in a stressful situation, or risk harm to our dogs or anything else in the park. After taking a couple of photos at the Badlands National Park sign, we drove farther into the park. By then, the sun was angled just enough to create shadows along the ridges, rather than sitting overhead and flattening the landscape. The striated rock layers looked almost painted, with yellows, reds, tans, and grays stacked on top of each other. We can’t stop at a National Park without getting a photo with the sign Visiting Badlands National Park With Dogs: Rules & Restrictions Badlands National Park is pretty dog-friendly, but there are some very clear park rules to be aware of. Dogs must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet Dogs are allowed along roads, at overlooks, parking lots, picnic areas, and campgrounds Dogs are not allowed on hiking trails Dogs can’t be left unattended in the car Dogs are not allowed in the Badlands Wilderness Area Dogs are not allowed in areas with prairie dog colonies to protect the wildlife habitat and reduce the risk of disease None of these rules limited us at all. We spent most of our time on the side of the road or at one of the overlooks. Badlands is unique in that you can see a huge portion of the park directly from the road and overlooks. Even after two visits, we’ve never felt like we were missing out by not doing any Badlands National Park hiking. The views from the road and overlooks are that good. If you are looking to hike with your dog in Badlands, dogs are allowed on the back roads. Our dogs enjoying Badlands from the car Between stops, Toby and Lily spent most of their time with their heads out the window, enjoying the breeze, the smells, the scenery and looking at the wildlife. Best Overlooks to Visit in Badlands National Park With Dogs Since we were mostly passing through on our way back home, we were looking for a scenic drive with a little walking mixed in. We stuck to these overlooks during our visit. Minerva goes over a few more overlooks and other things to do around the park on her personal blog. Conata Basin Overlook This was one of our favorite stops, even though it’s a popular one. There’s a bench here, which made it a great place to sit for a few minutes and enjoy the view. You can clearly see two of the park’s colorful paleosols layered into the landscape from this overlook. Yellow Mounds Overlook If you’ve never seen the Yellow Mounds in person, the colors here are completely different from the rest of the park. Bright yellows, reds, and muted purples are layered together, and the contrast really pops in the late afternoon sun. This is from the area around Yellow Mounds Overlook Pinnacles Overlook This is one of the higher viewpoints in the northern part of the park and a great place for a wide panorama. From here, you can sometimes watch wildlife moving through the Sage Creek Wilderness area. Ancient Hunters Overlook If you pull off along the road here, you can view the Ancient Hunters Overlook. This archaeological site is where arrowheads and bison bones have been found, suggesting it may have once been used as a butchering area by Indigenous peoples. The landscape is perfect for panoramas Why Late Afternoon Is the Best Time to Visit Badlands With Dogs Summer in the Badlands, especially from June through August, can be extremely hot, with temperatures often climbing over 110°F. It’s also the busiest time of year in the park. We avoided the heat by exploring the park later in the afternoon and were able to enjoy the park without sweating much or worrying about the temperature of the pavement for our dogs. The blacktop wasn’t hot to the touch, and the wind picked up just enough near the overlooks to feel cool. We didn’t pack or use booties or any extra gear for the dogs, but we made sure we always had plenty of water on hand for them. How Long Do You Need in Badlands National Park? We spent just over two hours in the park, from about 5 pm until a little after 7 pm, taking SD-240 the entire way. And it felt like the perfect amount of time for us. Most of that time was spent driving through the park, pulling over whenever something caught our eye (which was very often) and watching the landscape became more dramatic as the sun set. Hotels Near Badlands National Park (Pet-Friendly Options) If you’re planning a visit, there are several hotels near Badlands National Park that work well for road trippers, including pet-friendly options. The town of Wall, South Dakota, right outside the park, is one of the most convenient places to stay. You’ll find multiple Badlands National Park hotels there, along with gas, food, and the famously quirky Wall Drug. If you’re driving east or west along I-90, towns like Kadoka with pet-friendly lodging (25 minutes from Badlands) and Rapid City dog-friendly options (an hour from the park) also offer plenty of places to stay. Is Badlands National Park Dog-Friendly? Final Verdict Yes, absolutely, as long as your focus is on scenic drives and overlooks rather than hiking. If your main goal is hiking or fossil exhibits, Badlands might feel limiting when traveling with dogs. But if you’re there for landscapes, photography, wildlife spotting, and scenic drives, dogs make excellent travel companions. We’ve never felt like we missed out, and both visits have been memorable in completely different ways.",
  "title": "Is Badlands National Park Dog-Friendly? Sights & Tips for Visiting With Dogs",
  "updatedAt": "2026-03-13T00:58:13.000Z"
}