Cedar Pass Campground

Cedar Pass Campground is a camping area in Badlands National Park with 96 level sites distributed across the prairie landscape and offering direct views of surrounding rock formations. The facility has flush toilets, drinking water stations, and separate areas for tent and RV camping.

The campground was established to serve visitors exploring an area rich with paleontological discoveries. Researchers have been drawn to this region since the 1800s to study fossilized remains from ancient mammals found in its rock layers.

The site draws visitors who come to understand the landscape's story written in rock layers and geological processes. People gather here to connect with the forces that shaped this terrain over millions of years.

The site opens from April through October and sits next to the visitor center, making orientation easy. When you arrive, note that there are no open fire rings; you must use propane stoves or enclosed grills, and summer weekends fill up quickly.

The area became famous for skeletons of entelodont, an extinct pig-like mammal from the Eocene epoch, which scientists found here in large numbers. These fossils rank among the most spectacular discoveries from this geological time period and help explain the region's importance to American paleontology.

Location: Jackson County

Website: https://nps.gov/badl/planyourvisit/camping.htm

GPS coordinates: 43.74373,-101.94991

Latest update: December 15, 2025 13:24