Badlands National


Park Conservancy
The rugged beauty and dramatic landscapes of the Badlands draws nearly one million visitors from around the world to western South Dakota every year. DONATE NOW Help Us Preserve Badlands National Park for Generations to Come
Badlands National Park

Show your support of the Badlands with a License Plate Sticker!

Show your love for the Badlands by sporting our exclusive license plate sticker! Your free will donation helps protect and preserve this natural treasure, and in return, you’ll receive a sticker to proudly display. While any donation amount is appreciated, we suggest a contribution of $20. Your generosity will go a long way in supporting our ongoing conservation efforts. 

To get your sticker, simply email us at info@bnpc.us or click the button below to make your request.

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Badlands National Park Conservancy

Badlands National Park Conservancy

Preserving and protecting the wild wonders of Badlands National Park to help the #badlandsthrive 🦬

𝘞𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘴 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥?
𝘜𝘴𝘦 #𝘣𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘺

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Every visit to Badlands National Park becomes part of a bigger story. 🏞️

National Park Week takes place August 22–30, and this year’s theme, “Celebrate America’s Story,” honors our nation’s 250th anniversary. Enjoy special ranger programs throughout the week and fee-free entrance on August 25 in celebration of the National Park Service’s 110th birthday!What is your National Park story? Share your favorite Badlands memory and tag the Badlands National Park Conservancy on Facebook or Instagram for a chance to be featured on our social media! 📸 ... See MoreSee Less

Every visit to Badlands National Park becomes part of a bigger story. 🏞️

National Park Week takes place August 22–30, and this year’s theme, “Celebrate America’s Story,” honors our nation’s 250th anniversary. Enjoy special ranger programs throughout the week and fee-free entrance on August 25 in celebration of the National Park Service’s 110th birthday!

What is your National Park story? Share your favorite Badlands memory and tag the Badlands National Park Conservancy on Facebook or Instagram for a chance to be featured on our social media! 📸

Comment on Facebook

We braved rain, wind, and snow for the most unique, beautiful engagement photos. I am also a lover of #wheelintowall gravel ride through The #badlandsnationalpark #badlandsnationalparkconservancy

Just went for the first time after living 45 minutes away for 2 years… it’s safe to say I’ll be back soon!!!

🌌 People Behind the Dark Skies: Matthias Schmitt

Achieving Dark Sky designation for Badlands National Park was years in the making, and Matthias Schmitt played an invaluable role throughout the process.An astronomer based in Utah, Matthias generously shared his expertise through countless calls, questions, and trips to South Dakota. His guidance, encouragement and passion for making astronomy accessible helped make this milestone possible.We are deeply grateful for Matthias’s dedication and look forward to many more years of collaboration. ✨ ... See MoreSee Less

🌌 People Behind the Dark Skies: Matthias Schmitt

Achieving Dark Sky designation for Badlands National Park was years in the making, and Matthias Schmitt played an invaluable role throughout the process.

An astronomer based in Utah, Matthias generously shared his expertise through countless calls, questions, and trips to South Dakota. His guidance, encouragement and passion for making astronomy accessible helped make this milestone possible.

We are deeply grateful for Matthias’s dedication and look forward to many more years of collaboration. ✨

Comment on Facebook

Matthias is funny, super smart, and accomplished, with a captivating teaching style that has been a real asset to Dark Skies programs. He is committed to Dark Skies protection and has helped us all bring the Park and Conservancy’s hard work across the finish line toward Dark Skies Accreditation. 🌌

Let's not forget the Badlands employees and volunteers who helped make this possible 😁 Especially to Badlands Ranger Ed Welsh for his many years of hard work, research, paperwork, phone calls and leadership in the quest for this important designation!! We are so proud of Badlands!!

The Perseid Meteor Shower is expected to peak on August 12, offering the perfect reason to experience Badlands National Park’s newly designated International Dark Sky. 🌠

For wide, open views of the night sky, consider Big Badlands Overlook, Panorama Point or Conata Basin Overlook. The best viewing is typically between midnight and dawn, with activity increasing as the early morning hours approach.Bring a chair or blanket, allow your eyes time to adjust, and keep lights to a minimum. Please remain in designated areas and use extra caution around roads, wildlife, and steep terrain after dark.Under some of the world’s most remarkable night skies, this is one summer show you won’t want to miss. ✨Peak timing and viewing guidance: science.nasa.gov/solar-system/meteors-meteorites/perseids/?utm_source=chatgpt.com and www.nps.gov/thingstodo/night-sky-badl.htm?utm_source=chatgpt.com📸 Photo by Chris Huot @skyward605 ... See MoreSee Less

The Perseid Meteor Shower is expected to peak on August 12, offering the perfect reason to experience Badlands National Park’s newly designated International Dark Sky. 🌠
For wide, open views of the night sky, consider Big Badlands Overlook, Panorama Point or Conata Basin Overlook. The best viewing is typically between midnight and dawn, with activity increasing as the early morning hours approach.
Bring a chair or blanket, allow your eyes time to adjust, and keep lights to a minimum. Please remain in designated areas and use extra caution around roads, wildlife, and steep terrain after dark.
Under some of the world’s most remarkable night skies, this is one summer show you won’t want to miss. ✨
Peak timing and viewing guidance: https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/meteors-meteorites/perseids/?utm_source=chatgpt.com and https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/night-sky-badl.htm?utm_source=chatgpt.com

📸 Photo by Chris Huot @skyward605

Comment on Facebook

How did you get this photo with all the smoke in the sky in the last two weeks?

Peter Billing

It’s happening again! Weeks with clear skies and now a heavenly event with cloud cover predicted

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Badlands National Park grants visitors access to 244,000 acres of scenic landscapes, incredibly beautiful geological formations, and much more. The vast short grass prairies are home to a diverse array of wildlife, including the national mammal of the United States, the American bison and the endangered Black Footed ferret.

Photo by Bill Schreier Once a prehistoric ocean, Badlands National Park now contains one of the world’s richest fossil beds, preserved in layers of a grayish-black sedimentary rock called Pierre shale. Eventually the continental plates shifted, causing the land under the sea to rise and the water to retreat. Today, the colorful banding of the Badlands buttes is caused by fossilized soils; these soils tell researchers a great deal about the history of the Badlands.

Join Us Badlands National Park is a renowned American landmark. Preserving its ecological, cultural, and historical resources for future generations is paramount; Badlands National Park Conservancy was created for this purpose. Photo by Jim Blake