Badlands National Park - Facilities

Visitor Centers

Ben Reifel Visitor Center

Hours of Operation
8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (August 17 - November 1)
8 a.m. - 4 p.m. (November 2 - Spring 2009)

Closures
Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year"s Day

Phone
(605) 433-5361

Location
Cedar Pass "Badlands Loop Road" Hwy 240.

Located at park headquarters, the Ben Reifel Visitor Center reopened in 2006 with new exhibits, a 95-seat, air conditioned theater, a new film, Land of Stone and Light, and improved classroom and restroom facilities.

The Badlands Natural History Association operates a bookstore in the visitor center. Postcards, books, videos, posters, and other educational materials about the park and its resources are available for purchase.

Special Programs
Ranger programs, such as guided hikes, talks, activities, and evening programs, are offered during the summer season.

Exhibits
Exhibits focus on the cultural history, prairie ecology, and paleontology of the White River Badlands.

Nearby Facilities
Cedar Pass Lodge, operated by Forever Resorts, an authorized concessioner of the National Park Service, is open from May 1 through October 15. The Lodge offers rental cabins, a gift shop, and full-service restaurant. Feel free to call (605) 433-5460 for reservations.

White River Visitor Center

Hours of Operation
Open seasonally, summer only

Phone
605-455-2878

Location
SD HWY 27 roughly 20 miles south of Scenic, SD.

Exhibits
Native American Plains Traditions. Badlands Bombing Range.

Available Facilities
Located on the Pine Ridge Reservation, this contact station is operated by the Oglala Sioux Parks and Recreation Authority and offers a staffed information desk, park orientation movie, exhibits, restrooms, picnic tables, and water.