1. Cedar Pass Lodge
City: Interior, SD
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (605) 433-5460
Address: Cedar Street
Description: An unobstructed view of the open prairie, rocky spires, and deep canyons of the Badlands is the primary feature of these 24 cabins in the eastern end of the park. Aside from two primitive campgrounds operated by the National Park Service, these modest lodgings are the only accommodations within park boundaries. The lodge operators—a private company that manages marinas, inns, and resorts in national parks across the country—assume that you’ll spend most of your time exploring the park, not holed up in your room. Subsequently, the cabins are furnished with little more than the bare essentials: twin beds, air-conditioning, a sink, and a bathtub. Of course, amenities matter little when you realize that there’s nowhere else in the world where you can wake up to the deep pink and purple hues of a Badlands sunrise, accompanied by the sounds of a western meadowlark or mountain bluebird. Also on-site at the lodge are a small restaurant (see the listing later in this chapter), pay phones, a gift shop, and a cottage with a full kitchen that sleeps up to 10 guests. Pets are allowed, but there is a $5 fee. The entire lodge, including the restaurant, closes down in mid-Oct and doesn’t open again until early May; the exact dates depend on weather. The complex is located 5 miles from the park’s Northeast Entrance off SR 240.
2. Badlands Budget Host Motel
City: Interior, SD
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (605) 433-5335, (800) 388-4643
Address: SR 377
Description: The 21 units here are simply appointed but adequate and reasonably roomy, and you can choose either two double beds or two queen-size. If a hot soak is on your list of must-dos, ask for a room with a tub-shower combination; some have a shower only. You won’t have a phone in your room, but you will have a coffeepot, and there is a pay phone you can use. There’s also a laundry at your disposal and a restaurant that serves simple, all-you-can eat breakfasts and suppers. The motel shares the grounds with Badlands Interior Campground, which is listed in the Campground section of this chapter. Open from May 1 to Sept 31, the motel is near the Interior Entrance to Badlands National Park, on the southeast end of the park and the north end of Interior.
3. Cedar Pass Campground
City: Interior, SD
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (605) 433-5361
Address: SR 377
Description: About 100 sites are available for tents and RVs. You won’t find hookups here, but the restrooms have flush toilets and electricity. When winter comes, however, the restrooms (and the RV dump station) are closed, but if you’re a diehard camper, you’ll gladly make do with pit toilets. Running water is available year-round from a spigot near the group loop area (which is the only section of the campground open during the winter). On hot days you’ll welcome the relative shade of the covered picnic tables. Stays are limited to 14 days and cost $14 per night year-round. The campground is a short distance south of Ben Reifel Visitor Center and is well marked.
4. Badlands Interior Campground
City: Interior, SD
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (605) 433-5335, (800) 388-4643
Address: SR 377
Description: This modest little campground is surrounded by great views of the Badlands in all directions, and a generous sprinkling of trees and grass provides a nice contrast to the stark moonscape. Some 60 sites for tents and RVs, a swimming pool, playground, laundry, restrooms with showers, small convenience store, an arcade, and a restaurant serving basic breakfasts and suppers for a small charge take care of your basic needs when you’re not out roaming. Full and partial hookups and a dump station are available. There are also two air-conditioned camping cabins and a 21-unit motel, which is described in the Accommodations listed earlier. If you’re interested in an extended stay, the friendly owners let out a handful of mobile-home units. Be sure to inquire well before the summer season, however, because they get reserved quickly. The basic camping rate for two people is $16, with an additional charge for hookups. Cabins are $29.95 with air-conditioning. The campground is open from May 1 until Sept 31 and is on the north end of Interior, a short drive from the park’s Interior entrance.
5. Badlands/White River Koa
City: Interior, SD
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (605) 433-5337, (800) 562-3897
Address: SR 44
Description: With more than 700 shade trees, this is a cooling, restful place to come home to after a day spent exploring under a searing Badlands sun. Situated on the south bank of the White River, the campground has 56 grassy tent sites (six with water and electricity), 81 RV sites (38 with full hookups, 43 with water and electricity), and 8 camping cabins. A swimming pool, playground, nine-hole minigolf course, and game room provide recreation, but you might find yourself perfectly content to simply lap up the peace and quiet at this “oasis in the Badlands,” as it calls itself. Showers, laundry facilities, and a dump station are provided, and a convenience store sells groceries, supplies, and souvenirs. A modestly priced pancake breakfast is available. The campground is open from Apr 15 to Oct 15. Rates for two adults start at $20 per night for a tent site and $26 for an RV site; hookups are extra. A night in a cabin costs $34. Campers ages five and younger stay for free. The campground is 4 miles southeast of Interior.
6. Cedar Pass Restaurant
City: Interior, SD
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (605) 433-5460
Address: 1 Cedar St.
Description: The first things you’re likely to notice when you enter the dining room are the huge windows along two walls. Since you seat yourself, you can pick the booth or table with the view you want. The house specialty is Indian tacos (made with meat for dinner or scrambled eggs for breakfast), but trout and grilled halibut sound equally irresistible after a day of vigorous exploring. Sandwiches, buffalo burgers, steaks, chops, and ribs also are among the choices. You can have bottled beer or a glass of wine with your meal, but not a smoke. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily from around Apr 1 until Oct 31. It’s on SR 240, 5 miles from the park’s Northeast Entrance.
7. Ben Reifel Visitor Center
City: Interior, SD
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (605) 433-5361
Address: SR 240
Description: A stop at this visitor center 5 miles from the park’s Northeast Entrance will make your journey through the Badlands more meaningful. By studying the geologic displays, you’ll be able to recognize a variety of natural features throughout the park and understand how they came to be formed. Cultural displays will help you appreciate the area’s human history. In the exhibit area, you’ll get acquainted with the park’s flora and fauna. Every half hour during the summer season and by request during the winter, you can view an 18-minute video on the natural and cultural history of the area; it’s shown in audio and closed-caption versions simultaneously. Afterward, you might want to browse the Badlands Nautral History Association Bookstore. Services at the center also include information, restrooms, water, a public pay phone, and brochures in German and French.The center is named for the late Oglala Lakota leader Benjamin Reifel, known to his tribe as Wiyaka Wanjila, or Lone Feather. Reifel was superintendent of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, a US congressman, and the US commissioner of Indian affairs. The center is open year-round; summer hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, with reduced hours at other times. The visitor center is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s days.