Cedar Pass Campground

About

Cedar Pass Campground serves as the main base camp for exploring Badlands National Park, offering 96 level sites with expansive views of the park's dramatic geologic formations. The campground sits amid the vast open prairie, with badlands buttes of sandstone, siltstone, and volcanic ash providing a stunning backdrop for sunrises, sunsets, and exceptional night sky viewing due to minimal light pollution. The campground accommodates both tent campers and RVs, with site types including tent-only, RV non-electric, and RV electric. All sites include a shaded picnic table. Facilities include flush toilets and coin-operated hot showers during the summer season, with vault toilets available year-round. Potable water is available on-site, and a complimentary dump station is located in the group loop area. Two wheelchair-accessible campsites and one accessible group site are available. Campfires are prohibited throughout Badlands National Park to protect the prairie grassland ecosystem; however, small portable propane grills are permitted for cooking. The Cedar Pass Amphitheater, within walking distance of the campground, hosts nightly ranger programs from Memorial Day through Labor Day featuring educational talks and guided night sky viewing with telescopes.

Directions

From Rapid City: Travel east on I-90 to exit 110, turn south onto Hwy 240 (Badlands Loop Road), enter at the Pinnacles entrance, travel 30 miles, then turn right on Hwy 377. Campground is on the left. Alternatively, take I-90 to exit 131, turn south on Hwy 240, enter at the Northeast entrance, travel 8 miles to Cedar Pass Lodge, and make a slight left onto Hwy 377. From Sioux Falls: Travel west on I-90 to exit 131, turn south onto Hwy 240, enter at Northeast entrance, travel 8 miles.