SmartScopeClubCommunity Hub
Layered badlands formations behind fields of green grass under cloudy and billowing clouds. NPS Photo

Badlands National Park

SD

Tonight at Badlands National Park

Click a target to explore it
Projecting the nights ahead…
Computing tonight's sky for this exact spot…

The rugged beauty of the Badlands draws visitors from around the world. These striking geologic deposits contain one of the world’s richest fossil beds. Ancient horses and rhinos once roamed here. The park’s 244,000 acres protect an expanse of mixed-grass prairie where bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, and black-footed ferrets live today.

Weather & conditions

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.

What to do after dark

  • Enjoy the Night Sky

    Night Sky Viewings are a great way to see the dark skies of the Badlands. Park rangers and astronomy volunteers are available to point out objects in the night sky and help you look through telescopes.

  • Badlands Astronomy Festival

    Celebrate the spectacular sights and science of night skies at Badlands National Park's annual Astronomy Festival. Join astronomers, rangers, and visitors for activities, discussions, and programs about the night sky.

From the National Park Service.

What this latitude gives you

From 43.7° north, anything above declination +46.3° is circumpolar here: it never sets, so it is available on every clear night of the year. Anything below declination -46.3° never clears the horizon at all.

Full astronomical darkness survives the summer here, but the window is narrow around the solstice. From late August the nights lengthen quickly.

We do not hold a measured Bortle class for this site, so treat the sky as unknown until you have taken a reading of your own.

Where to stay near Badlands National Park

Hotels, cabins, lodges and holiday rentals within reach of these coordinates, for the nights you have chosen above. We earn a commission if you book through this map, at no extra cost to you. It does not change what you are shown: nothing here is ordered, promoted or paid for. How the site is paid for.

Lodging search by Stay22. Prices and availability come from the booking sites themselves.

Address
25216 Ben Reifel Road, Interior, SD 57750
Coordinates
43.6858, -102.4829
Official site
nps.gov

Coordinates and park details from the US National Park Service. Sun, moon, dark window and forecast are computed for these coordinates by the SmartScopeClub dark-sky engine.