Badlands Wilderness
Badlands Wilderness is a nature reserve in South Dakota, at a modelled elevation of 798 m. Cedar Butte stands 998 m to the southwest, 20 miles off. The nearest named place is Badlands National Park, a park 5.7 miles away. Badlands Loop Scenic Byway passes 2.0 miles off. 45 named places lie within 25 miles, 27 of them named summits.
What to expect
- Operated by
- National Park Service
How to reach it
- 2.0 mi off the Badlands Loop Scenic Byway
Overlooks nearby
- Ancient Hunters Overlook · 3 mi
- Pinnacles Overlook · 3 mi
- Yellow Mounds Overlook · 3 mi
- Conata Basin Overlook · 3 mi
45 named places within 25 miles
- White Butte: 7.9 mi
- Hurley Butte: 8.9 mi
- Kelier Butte: 9.6 mi
- Bouquet Table: 10.7 mi
- The Castle: 11.6 mi
- Roberts Prairie Dog Town: 5.9 mi
- Story of Wounded Knee: 11.1 mi
- Minuteman Missile National Historic Site: 11.5 mi
- Wasta Rest Stop Tipi: 18.6 mi
- Wasta Rest Stop Tipi: 18.6 mi
- Badlands National Park: 5.7 mi
- Wall City Park: 11.5 mi
- Quinn City Park: 12.3 mi
- Wounded Knee Museum: 10.7 mi
- Prairie Homestead: 17.2 mi
- Armed Forces Museum & Gift Shop: 19.2 mi
- Wall Welcome: 10.8 mi
- Prairie Homestead: 17.1 mi
- Wasta Rest Area (Eastbound): 18.6 mi
- Wasta Rest Area (Westbound): 18.6 mi
- Wall Drug 80-foot Dinosaur: 10.8 mi
- Badlands National Park: 11.7 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 25 miles of Badlands Wilderness. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Butte | SW 235° | 998 m | 20.3 mi |
| Sheep Mountain Table | WSW 241° | 958 m | 18.7 mi |
| Hutmacher Table | WSW 253° | 925 m | 22.9 mi |
| Heck Table | WSW 243° | 919 m | 14.8 mi |
| Hart Table | W 263° | 887 m | 19.7 mi |
| Lake Hill | N 9° | 879 m | 17.2 mi |
| Cedar Butte | N 349° | 879 m | 17.8 mi |
| Seventyone Table | W 276° | 877 m | 13.6 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 06:53 | 18:24 | 19:01 |
| June solstice | 05:08 | 19:51 | 20:35 |
| September equinox | 06:37 | 18:10 | 18:48 |
| December solstice | 07:21 | 15:28 | 16:15 |
Local time (America/Denver).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: May–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 26 | 29 | 39 | 48 | 59 | 69 | 77 | 75 | 66 | 52 | 38 | 28 |
| Precip in | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Interior 3 NE, 16 mi away.
Inside the official boundary of Badlands National Park. Quietest months by visitation: Dec and Feb; busiest: Jul.
NPS visitation statistics, monthly averages 2021–2025 (2020 excluded).
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapOpenStreetMap element relation/16817225
Day trips start here
- Badlands National Park · 14 mi
Take the scenic way to Badlands Wilderness.
Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.