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Lookout · Badlands Loop Scenic Byway

White River Valley Overlook

VerifiedOpenStreetMap + National Park Service
Looking south from White River Valley Overlook. Terrain and imagery at true elevation.
Overview · Assembled from verified data

White River Valley Overlook sits at 2,697 feet along the Badlands Loop Scenic Byway, facing south across terrain that drops 187 feet within 600 meters of the pullout. Hurley Butte is visible to the southwest, 7.4 miles away at 2,594 feet in elevation. The view looks down into the White River Valley, with a set of tall formations known as the Castle located to the west. Wall lies 17.4 miles to the northwest, Philip is 25.2 miles northeast, and Kadoka is 26.3 miles east. On the byway route, this overlook falls between Bigfoot Pass Overlook and the Window. Sunrise and sunset times vary by season, with sunrise around 05:07 and sunset near 20:34 at the June solstice, compared to a sunrise of 07:20 and sunset of 16:14 at the December solstice.

Access
On the byway
Elevation
2,697 ft
View
South · 180°
Relief
187 ft drop
In view
1 named features
Photos · Real imagery only
This view shows the upper portion of the White River Group.
NPS Photo / Serena Rosales · Public domain (NPS) · NPS
Badlands National Park, South Dakota
Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
This scenic vista overlooks an area of Badlands known as the White River Group, which descends down to the White River Valley. This is one of the many spectacular drives within Badlands National Park in South Dakota, with this photo taken as the sun was starting to set over the rugged terrain.
Andrew Parlette from Elkridge,MD, US · CC BY 2.0 · source
The Badlands Wall is the primary feature of the Badlands National Park. As the White River carved into the landscape, it created a valley with badlands formations on either side with an erosional "wall" on the north side of the valley. The Badlands wall, consisting of the rock formations the park is
Andrew Parlette from Elkridge,MD, US · CC BY 2.0 · source
The White River Badlands of South Dakota consist of a scenic landscape of differentially weathered and eroded, nonmarine sedimentary rocks of Tertiary age. The most visually-striking areas have been set aside as an American national park (Badlands). The simplified stratigraphic succession in Badland
James St. John · CC BY 2.0 · source
The White River Badlands of South Dakota consist of a scenic landscape of differentially weathered and eroded, nonmarine sedimentary rocks of Tertiary age. The most visually-striking areas have been set aside as an American national park (Badlands). The simplified stratigraphic succession in Badland
James St. John · CC BY 2.0 · source
In view · Named features

What you’re looking at

Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.

  • Hurley Butte2,594 ftsouthwest · 7.4 mi
When to look · Sun at this latitude

Light

DateSunriseSunsetGolden hour
March equinox06:5219:0118:23
June solstice05:0720:3419:50
September equinox06:3618:4718:09
December solstice07:2016:1415:27

Local time (America/Denver). Computed for this exact position.

Getting there · Position and access

Where it is

  • Wall17.4 mi northwest
  • Philip25.2 mi northeast
  • Kadoka26.3 mi east
← Before it: Bigfoot Pass OverlookAfter it: Window →
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From the source · Verbatim

White River Valley Overlook · National Park Service

This overlook provides an expansive view  of Badlands close to a set of tall formations, known as the Castle, to the west. The view continues downward into the White River Valley.

Read it at National Park Service →
Common questions

How high is White River Valley Overlook?

White River Valley Overlook sits at about 2,697 feet (822 m).

What can you see from White River Valley Overlook?

From White River Valley Overlook: Hurley Butte (SW, 7.4 mi).

What is the nearest town to White River Valley Overlook?

Wall, 17 miles NW of White River Valley Overlook.

What is the next lookout after White River Valley Overlook?

Window is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after White River Valley Overlook.

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White River Valley Overlook — confirmed, rated, and photographed by people who actually pulled over. A local confirmation is what upgrades a lookout from Discovered to Verified. Zero hallucinations.

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