Plan Your Visit
Key Information
Choosing an Entrance PassDo you have or qualify for a discounted America the Beautiful Pass?If you already have an America the Beautiful—the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass, that's the only entrance pass you need. Seniors, military, visitors with a permanent disability, and families with a 4th grader are eligible for a free or discounted America the Beautiful pass. How often do you plan to visit national parks in the next 12 months?If you don't qualify for a discounted America the Beautiful pass, we recommend choosing an entrance pass based on your trip plans.
Entrance PassesStandard Entrance Pass$15.00–$30.00
Badlands National Park charges an entrance fee. No cash is accepted. Credit/debit card only. You may purchase a 7-day pass valid at only Badlands National Park privately or commercially. Private passes (private vehicle, motorcycle, or individual) can be purchased on recreation.gov or on-site, at one of the 3 entrance stations (Northeast, Pinnacles, or Interior). Commercial passes (sedan, van, minibus, or motorcoach) must be purchased on-site at one of the entrance stations.
If you are visiting other federal recreation areas consider purchasing an Interagency Pass (Annual, Senior, Access, Military, etc.) when you arrive at the park.
If you already hold one of the accepted entrance passes you do not need to purchase any of the 7-day passes.
Site Passes purchased on Recreation.gov are non-refundable and non-transferable. Only purchase this Badlands National Park Site Pass if you do not plan to use another pass to cover the entrance fee.
For VehiclesIf you enter the park in a motorized vehicle, your entrance pass covers both you and your passengers. Your passengers do not need a separate pass. Costs for vehicles with more than 15 passengers are listed below under Organizations and Businesses. Fee covers the entry of a private vehicle and its occupants for 7 days In-person Purchase Locations
Fee covers the entry of a motorcycle and its occupants for 7 days In-person Purchase Locations
For Individuals without a VehicleIf you enter the park on a bicycle or on foot and are at least 16 years old, you need your own entrance pass. Children under the age of 16 don't need an entrance pass. Fee covers the entry of an individual that is hiking, bicycling, etc... for 7 days In-person Purchase Locations
For Organizations & BusinessesCommercial sedan, 1 to 6 passenger capacity. $25 plus $15 per person - 7 days for Original Manifest In-person Purchase Locations
Commercial van, 7 to 15 passenger capacity; $50 - 7 days for Original Manifest In-person Purchase Locations
Minibus, 16 to 25 passenger capacity; $60 - 7 days for Original Manifest In-person Purchase Locations
Motorcoach, 26 or more passenger capacity; $150 - 7 days for Original Manifest In-person Purchase Locations
Annual Entrance - Park$55.00 This pass admits a single, private, non commercial vehicle and its occupants into the park. This pass does not include camping or give any type of discount at stores inside the park. Valid for one year from month of purchase. In-person Purchase Locations
America the Beautiful—the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands PassCovers entrance fees and standard amenity (day-use) fees at lands managed by
Depending on the type of entrance fee charged at a site, covers
America the Beautiful Passes are non-refundable, non-transferable and cannot be replaced if lost or stolen. Passholders must show valid photo identification (ID) with each pass. How to Get an America the Beautiful PassIn Person (Recommended)Passes can be purchased or picked up at over 1,000 federal recreation sites. Order Online, Receive by MailTo receive your pass by mail, order online at the USGS Online Store . Online orders are for physical passes, not digital passes, and may take up to three weeks to be processed and delivered. Order receipts may not be used in place of a physical pass. We recommend ordering at least three weeks in advance of your visit, or picking up a pass in person instead. 2025 Free Entrance Days in the National ParksCome experience the national parks! All National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone (other fees, including timed entry or reservation fees, may apply). Mark your calendar for these entrance fee-free dates:
Field Trip Requests and Academic Fee Waivers for Educational GroupsFee waivers are available to bona fide schools which allows for free entrance for students, teachers, and a limited number of chaperones. Waivers should be completed and delivered to the park two weeks prior to your visit.
A fee waiver is not necessary for classroom visits and distance learning programs. Academic Fee WaiversIf you have questions about fee waivers and the applicatoin, please contact our Fee Program Manager (badl_permits@nps.gov) Academic Fee Waivers will automatically be submitted to our Fee Program Manager and Education Specialist (see below).Please submit a minimum of two weeks before the date of your planned trip. Field TripsIf you would like to coordinate a ranger-led field trip, please contact the Education Specialist at BADL_Education_Specialist@nps.gov or (605) 433-5244 for more information, to plan, or to learn more.NPS Form 10-1750 (Rev. 04/2021) OMB Control No. 1024-0228 NoticesPrivacy Act StatementAuthority: Public Law 114-289 National Park Service Centennial Act and 54 U.S.C. 100701 Protection, interpretation, and research in System. Purpose: To administer education programs for education audiences including but not limited to school groups, scouting groups, extracurricular groups, and home school groups. Routine Uses: To effectively manage requests for education received by the NPS, the Education Reservation Request Form is used to collect basic education reservation information to facilitate operational aspects of scheduling groups for park education programs, including in-park education programs, ranger in classroom programs, and/or online distance learning programs. Disclosure: Voluntary, however, failure to provide the requested information may impede the ability to grant your education reservation request. Paperwork Reduction Act StatementWe are collecting this information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501) to provide park managers and educators the information needed to schedule and conduct education program activities. All applicable parts of the form must be completed in order for your request to be considered. You are not required to respond to this or any other Federal agency-sponsored information collection unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. OMB has approved this collection of information and assigned control number 1024-0288. Estimated Burden StatementPublic reporting for this collection of information is estimated to average 5 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the Information Collection Clearance Officer, National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525. Do not send your completed form to this address. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last updated: June 4, 2024