Sage Creek Campground
43.8931, -102.4143 · Park boundary: National Park Service
Sage Creek Campground is a primitive campground. There is no charge to stay here and camping is available on a first come first serve basis. The campground rarely fills to capacity.
- Every day
- All Day
Bison often wander through this primitive campground, located on the west side of the park's North Unit. Access is located off of the Sage Creek Rim Road, an unpaved road that may temporarily close after winter storms and spring rains. The road provides limited turnarounds for large recreational vehicles. Camping is free of charge. Pit toilets and covered picnic tables are available, but no water is available on-site. A portion of the Sage Creek Campground is designated for horse use.
Per the National Park Service, as of 2026-08-04
Tent camping and RV camping is allowed. The road in the campground as well as the road leading to the campground are gravel roads. When it rains these roads can become difficult to traverse. There is no fee to camp in this campground. No fires or open flame permitted.
Per the National Park Service, as of 2026-08-04
We do not take reservations for this campground. Camping is on a first come, first serve, basis.
- Toilets
- Vault Toilets - year round
- Trash & recycling
- Yes - year round
- Amphitheater
- No
- Camp store
- No
- Cell reception
- No
- Drinking water
- No water
- Dump station
- No
- Firewood for sale
- No
- Food storage lockers
- No
- Host on site
- No
- Ice for sale
- No
- Internet
- No
- Laundry
- No
- Showers
- None
Per the National Park Service, as of 2026-08-04
- RVs
- Allowed · up to 18 ft
- Trailers
- Allowed · up to 18 ft
- Access roads
- Unpaved Roads - All vehicles OK in good weather
- Classification
- Primitive Camping Areas
The Sage Creek Campground offers a rustic camping experience with no water available onsite. The area has accessible vault toilets, although the terrain in and around the campground is rough.
The Sage Creek Campground offers a rustic camping experience with no water available onsite. The area has accessible vault toilets, although the terrain in and around the campground is rough.
The vast open prairies of the Badlands contain a variety of plants and animals. This variety and the relative openness make the Badlands a naturalist's paradise. In an effort to maintain the prairie grassland, fires are not allowed within Badlands National Park. You may use small, portable propane grills at your campsite for cooking.
Per the National Park Service, as of 2026-08-04
The campground is located in the Sage Creek Wilderness. It is accessible only via the Sage Creek Rim Rd which is accessible either by Highway 44 or Highway 240.
The Badlands weather is variable and unpredictable with temperature extremes ranging from 116° F to -40° F. Summers are hot and dry with occasional violent thunderstorms. Hailstorms and occasional tornadoes can descend on the Badlands with sudden fury. Winters are typically cold with 12 to 24 inches of total snowfall.
Sage Creek Campground is a free, first-come first-serve campground with 22 sites located on Sage Creek Rim Road, an unpaved road that may temporarily close after winter storms and spring rains. Motor homes, pull behind trailers, and other recreational vehicles greater than 18 feet in length are prohibited. This limitation does not apply to horse trailers. A portion of the Sage Creek Campground is designated for horse use. Pit toilets and covered picnic tables are available, but not water. Potable water is available at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. Generators are not permitted. Due to fire danger, campfires are not permitted in this campground and collection of wood is prohibited. However, camp stoves or contained charcoal grills can be used in campgrounds and picnic areas. When using charcoal grills, ensure the charcoal is cool prior to disposal to prevent a trash fire.
A two-lane gravel road travels in a circle with the outer and inner perimeter providing camping locations. A small tan building hosts a pit toilet. Badlands buttes are visible in the horizon, with prairie grasses, cottonwoods, and muddy draws between the campsite and the buttes.
Drive to Sage Creek Campground
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