
From the rules and restrictions to the best campgrounds, everything you need to know about spending the night at Badlands National Park is right here.
Cedar Pass Campground
There are 96 campsites at Cedar Pass Campground, and they include everything from RV hookups to cabins at the adjacent Cedar Pass Lodge. Cedar Pass Campground is the place to go if you want to camp but still have access to modern comforts like bathrooms, running water, and a store stocked with all your camping essentials. campsite guests have access to a restaurant, pay bathrooms and showers, drinking water, and a gift shop stocked with food and camping supplies between the months of April and October at this seasonal campsite.
Cedar Pass Campground charges $23 per night for a tent site that can fit two people, with an extra $4 per night for each person beyond two. RV sites with just electrical hookups cost $38 a night for two people, with an additional $4 for each person beyond two. There is no access to running water or sewers, although those in need may find a septic dump within walking distance for $1. Reservations are required in advance. Other than the abandoned places in utah here are the options for you.
Campground at Sage Creek
Sage Creek campsite is a free campsite that runs on a first-come, first-serve basis and offers 22 sites, making it a better option if you don’t want to pitch your tent next to a huge RV. The campground is accessible via the unpaved Sage Creek Rim route (which is, incidentally, a very lovely drive), but campers should be warned that the route may be blocked due to rain or storms.
If your RV is smaller than 18 feet in length, you may park here, but bigger RVs will have to find another location. There is no running water at Sage Creek Campground, but guests may make use of the covered picnic tables and pit toilets. Visitors may fill up their water bottles at the Ben Reifel Visitor Centre or bring their own supply.
Wilderness camping
Campers looking for secluded, natural settings where they may disconnect from civilization have a lot of options. Anywhere inside Badlands National Park, backcountry camping is permitted without a permit so long as the campsite is at least half a mile from any park roads or trails and is not visible from them. As a result, you may set up camp pretty much anywhere you choose inside the park’s 244,000 acres.
Keep in mind that Deer Haven, a juniper grove and other desirable spots connected by a web of game pathways, is a popular destination for backcountry campers. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the variety of options, keep this in mind. Accessible through Sage Creek Rim Road, the Sage Creek Wilderness Area is another tourist hotspot. Bison inhabit this area, so if you need to discover a spot that’s concealed from sight and half a mile off the road, you need just follow one of the game paths till you come across it.
Conclusion
Backcountry camping does not need a permit, however the park does ask that you notify a ranger at the Ben Reifel Visitor Centre or the Pinnacles Entrance Station to let them know where you plan to go. There is also a topographical chart here for your perusal. Since fires are prohibited, you should pack a camping stove and at least a gallon of water every day that you want to spend in the great outdoors. On top of that, you’ll have to haul your own trash and TP home each week.