Burns Basin Overlook sits at 2,748 feet on the Badlands Loop Scenic Byway, facing 150 degrees toward the basin below, where the land drops 161 feet within 600 meters of the viewpoint. The overlook takes its name from the homestead of Wilson Burns, who raised sheep in the basin during the early 20th century, an operation sustained by a rare freshwater spring; wells in the area now must be dug a few thousand feet deep. From this point, several other viewpoints and peaks are visible, including Prairie Wind Overlook to the east-southeast at 2.6 miles, Panorama Point to the east at 3.8 miles, White River Valley Overlook to the east at 5.3 miles, Hurley Butte to the south at 5.6 miles, Kelier Butte to the south-southwest at 7.4 miles, and School Section Butte to the east-southeast at 15.8 miles. The towns of Wall, Philip, and Kadoka lie 14.0, 28.6, and 31.3 miles away, respectively. Along the byway, this overlook follows Homestead Overlook and precedes Prairie Wind Overlook. Daylight hours vary through the year, with sunrise and sunset ranging from 05:07 and 20:35 near the June solstice to 07:20 and 16:15 near the December solstice.
Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Golden hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 06:53 | 19:01 | 18:23 |
| June solstice | 05:07 | 20:35 | 19:51 |
| September equinox | 06:36 | 18:48 | 18:10 |
| December solstice | 07:20 | 16:15 | 15:27 |
Local time (America/Denver). Computed for this exact position.
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This overlook is named after the homestead of Wilson Burns, who raised sheep in the basin during the early 20th century. A freshwater spring was a rare commodity that kept this operation going. Now wells must be dug a few thousand feet deep.
Burns Basin Overlook sits at about 2,748 feet (837 m).
From Burns Basin Overlook: Prairie Wind Overlook (ESE, 2.6 mi); Panorama Point (E, 3.8 mi); White River Valley Overlook (E, 5.3 mi); Hurley Butte (S, 5.6 mi).
Wall, 14 miles NNW of Burns Basin Overlook.
Prairie Wind Overlook is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Burns Basin Overlook.
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