Service Animals

Resources Regarding Service Animals

Badlands National Park would like visitors to have an enjoyable and safe experience with your animals in the park.

There are numerous resources available to help visitors understand laws, rules, regulations, and policies regarding service animals, pets, and other animals on NPS sites.

Use the droptabs below to access the relevant information

Read Me First: Immediate Considerations

Before traveling with your animal to your National Park Service site, please look into the individual park's policies on service animals, pets, etc.

Each park site may have its own unique rules regarding your animal in regards to specific safety issues that might be unique to the site or surrounding region

These safety issues include, but are not limited to, potential wildlife and other local environmental hazards.
For instance, Badlands National Park contains habitat for Prairie dogs, which can carry diseases such as Yersinia pestis (or Plague). It is in the best interest of your animal's safety to keep them away from Prairie dog colonies.

Each park's rules on service animals and pets can be found on the park's individual website or  their respective Superintendent's Compendium.

The Superintendent's Compendium for Badlands National Park can be found here.

Superintendent's Compendium (Service Animals)

(The Superintendent's Compendium for Badlands National Park can be found here.)

36 CFR §2.15 - Pets

2.15 (a) (1)

Pets are permitted in Badlands National Park with some restrictions. Pets cannot be left unattended. While visiting the park, pets must be kept on a leash of which must be no more than six feet in length. Pets are only allowed in developed areas, such as campgrounds and picnic areas, and other areas open to motor vehicles, such as gravel and paved roadways, roadway corridors, and parking lots. Pet etiquette dictates always cleaning up animal waste and disposing of it in trash receptacles.

Pets are prohibited from hiking trails, public buildings (visitor centers), and backcountry areas, including the Sage Creek Wilderness and areas with prairie dog colonies. Leaving your animal unattended or tied to a fixed object is prohibited, as well as a danger to your pet.

Keep in mind that summer temperatures can be extreme, often reaching over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Even on an 86-degree day, the temperature inside a motor vehicle can quickly reach 134 to 154 degrees.

If your pet needs more room to walk, consider visiting the trails managed by US Forest Service, Buffalo Gap National Grassland, located adjacent to Badlands National Park, where pets are permitted (with some exceptions). For more information contact the Buffalo Gap Visitor Center, Wall, SD [phone].

Service Animals
Service animals are an exception to most pet restrictions and are allowed on trails and in public buildings. Service animals must be kept on a leash during the visit and due to potentially infectious wildlife diseases, are not allowed in areas with prairie dog colonies. NPS policy defines a service animal as a dog that has been individually trained to work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. The tasks performed by the animal must be directly related to the person’s disability.

Determination: The Superintendent has established conditions for the keeping of pets by residents of Badlands National Park. Appendix B, adopted herein, is to protect government property, visitors, residents, pets, and park resources. Pets will not be permitted in portions of Badlands National Park where prairie dog colonies exist, on nature trails, or in areas where vehicles are prohibited. Pets must be on a leash during the visit. Pets which are allowed to run loose, have the potential to escape and could adversely affect native wildlife or become established as feral animals. For the purposes of this determination, service animals are not considered pets and may be utilized on nature trails, but not within the prairie dog colonies due to potential infectious wildlife diseases, which is also the reason for prohibiting pets off established roadways and road corridors. Areas such as Cliff Shelf and Door and Window are highly congested areas during the summer months. Some dogs and strangers do not mix well; thus, it would be inviting dog bites.

2.15 (a) (5)

Pet excrement shall be removed by the pet owner/handler from all public use areas.

2.15(e)

Park Residents are allowed to keep pets under the conditions established in Badlands Office Order #008, incorporated herein as Appendix B. Noisy pets are not allowed in the park. Pet owners are responsible for removing the pets from the park if complaints are made and upheld.

NPS Resources on Service Animals and Pets

• DOI Policy Memorandum 18-02
• NPS Website on Service Animals
• NPS Website on Pets

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

• ADA Topics: Service Animals
• ADA Requirements for Service Animals
• Frequently Asked Questions about Service Animals and the ADA