We are Ryan and Monica Hoffmann, proud parents of special needs children. It took a long time to get here, but we have been to 33 US states in the past 4 years and we are just warming up.
Millions of years ago when the continent was bending beneath itself to form mountains, and unimaginable places were underwater, large amounts of sand, silt, and ash flowed in the rivers of the Dakotas. These sediments deposited in layers, and over time became sandstone, siltstone, mudstone and clay, the foundation of what you see in these North and South Dakota Badlands today.
Ravines, gullies, buttes, hoodoos and other geologic features are formed by water erosion, which cuts deep drainage channels in the soft, easily carved sedimentary layers. These channels are separated by short, steep ridges — the features we admire today.
What we are left with is something out of this world; colorful, striped, oddly-shaped hills and towers that run in succession or random arrangement. This curious process is found on every continent except Antarctica.
It has a pleasing, notorious ring to it. It was first titled “Land that is Bad” by Native Americans, and then dubbed with the same, dreadful moniker by French fur traders.
The North Dakota badlands are where bandits risk their lives to hide from the Marshall. Perhaps they die of thirst in suffocating heat, or become lunch for a nefarious beast. Whatever takes their lives, when they wander into the Badlands they get what they deserve.
The four parks we compare in this article are:
1. Badlands National Park in South Dakota.
2. Theodore Roosevelt NP — North Unit in North Dakota
3. Theodore Roosevelt NP — South Unit in North Dakota
4. Toadstool Geologic Park NE in NW Nebraska (minutes from the South Dakota border).
We think it is worth it to visit all four parks, as each is unique and beautiful in its own way. Our intention with this Battle of the Badlands article is to illustrate the differences between the parks, and perhaps introduce some amazing places you’ve yet to give your attention.
Each park will be rated on four categories: Location, Beauty, Crowd, and Vibe.
Hopefully, a compartmentalized view of the parks’ attributes will help you make an informed decision about which one to visit. If you would like to know more about each of the parks, please click the blue links in each section — they connect to other articles we’ve written or helpful websites associated with the attraction. We hope you’ll enjoy reading!
A Related Article: Black Hills South Dakota: A Complete Guide.
The three things that matter most in property are location, location, location. Badlands N.P. is located a couple of minutes off of I-90, next door to the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, and an hour from Rapid City, which makes it so easy to visit South Dakota Badlands National Park.
Hundreds of years ago, the Natives and early settlers steered clear of this parched region, yet today Americans and worldwide tourists flock to it. The reason is Badlands National Park is stunningly beautiful. These grand mountains are unlike any others found across the United States of America.
Believe it or not, the entire 244,000-acre area was under water at one time. Sediment filtered through the seawater and formed a black mud on the sea floor. Over time this mud hardened into shale. As the water receded it revealed the gorgeous, striped peaks and plateaus you see today.
From the lowest point to the highest is 1,000 feet of elevation change. It was declared a national monument in 1939 by President Franklin Roosevelt. It was then reclassified as a national park in 1978 by President Jimmie Carter.
There are four obvious things to do in South Dakota Badlands National Park: 1. Marvel at the big views. 2. Hike around on the hoodoos and trails. 3. Drive through the the park. 4. See the Visitor Center.
The badlands are easily enjoyed in a day or less. A visitor could simply drive through on their way to somewhere else, stop at a few overlooks, and feel like they’ve seen it.
A Related Article: South Dakota Badlands National Park.
Location: 5/5
Beauty: 4/5
Crowd: 2/5
Vibe: 3/5
Total: 14
The North Dakota Badlands are quite different than their South Dakota Badlands and Nebraska counterparts. The parks share common features, yet Theodore Roosevelt NP is lively with vegetation, which in many ways makes it more beautiful.
In 1883, a 25-year-old Theodore Roosevelt fell in love with the North Dakota Badlands and established a ranch himself. His residence, the Maltese Cross Cabin, is on display at the South Unit Visitor Center.
The stark harshness of Badlands National Park is dramatic and spellbinding, but here in Theodore Roosevelt NP one feels at home in the vast, strange world. It is easy to see how the former president made this his residence.
This makes it one of the least explored parks in the USA National Parks system. The South Unit is the most frequented portion of the park by far, and at 46,158 acres, it contains the majority share of land. The primary entrance is in Medora, although the park has a visitor center at Painted Canyon and primitive inroads in other places.
The South Unit is best accessed by a 36 mile loop in the middle of the park. Currently, the loop is broken due to a landslide in May of 2019, and has temporarily become an out-and-back road. The Boicourt Overlook (above photo) is halfway around the loop, or about 40 minutes from the park entrance.
This spectacular badlands territory that extends deep into the horizon, would make any visitor question the shortsighted vision of early North Dakota ranchers. You see, they didn’t want to give up the land for a National Monument. They much preferred to use it as ranch land.
Teddy Roosevelt once said, ““Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children’s children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance.”
The South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt N.P. is full of spectacular, soaring views. What it lacks in dramatic peaks, it makes up in green carpeted valleys.
If you visit TRNP you might just have the park to yourself, depending on time of day and year. To learn more about what to do here, check out Beautiful Things to Do in Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
Location: 2/5
Beauty: 4/5
Crowd: 4/5
Vibe: 5/5
Total: 15
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Badlands North Dakota, North Unit resides deep in buffalo country. The panoramas are some of the finest in the nation.
The North Unit consists of 24,070 acres. Its located an hour north of the South Unit and sees far fewer visitors.
Worth mentioning is, the layout of the North Unit is more straightforward than the South Unit: A 14-mile out-and-back road begins on one side of the park and commences on the other side.
Some of these valleys are preposterously large and the buttes are a mesmerizing blue. If lucky you’ll be treated to turkey vultures circling the canyon floor as they search for the rodentia of an alien world.
“The farther one gets into the wilderness, the greater is the attraction of its lonely freedom.” Theodore Roosevelt.
Some of our favorite views are found in the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt NP. The mix of colorful buttes and vegetation coupled with the vastness of the canyons makes for exquisite scenery.
Badlands North Dakota, North Unit couldn’t be much more out of the way. Think about this: We’re talking about North Dakota, the last state people visit on average, with no major freeways connecting it to other states, and then we’re pushing about as far north as one dares travail, close to the border of Canada.
Is it worth it to come here? Hell yeah it is.
Location: 1/5
Beauty: 5/5
Crowd: 5/5
Vibe: 5/5
Total: 16
Located in the NW corner of Nebraska amidst the Oglala National Grasslands, Toadstool Geologic Park NE is part of the Nebraska National Forests and Parks system. Far from a household name, Toadstool Geologic Park NE is known for its interesting, toadstool-shaped formations and fossil deposits.
The park is out-of-the-way — about an hour south of Hot Springs, SD — but if you’re spending time in the Black Hills it is certainly worth the drive.
Toadstool is an incredibly well-kept secret, located down a 12-mile dirt road in the middle of nowhere. A small campground with six primitive sites and a handful of parking spots is utilized by tent campers. There are bathrooms in the campground.
At Toadstool Geologic Park NE it is easy to have an intimate experience with the formations. The trails are a little bit complicated (see the Toadstool article for a map).
Here is our Complete Guide to Toadstool Geologic Park NE.
Like a UFO museum on the moon, this spooky and enigmatic scene might be the most interesting part of the park. A half-dozen or more large rocks pose cryptically atop piles of eroded clay, while large buttes stand as sentinels in the background.
The single greatest attribute of the park is the extraterrestrial appearance of the landscape. A close second is the solitude. You’re basically in the middle of nowhere, and there’s a very cool sensation when you’re doing something awesome and no one is around. There aren’t many places like this in the USA.
To learn more about Toadstool Geologic Park, click the link!
Location: 1/5
Beauty: 3/5
Crowd: 5/5
Vibe: 4/5
Total: 13
We’re not trying to follow consensus here. Simply put, Theodore Roosevelt N.P. is more beautiful, more diverse, and less crowded than Badlands National Park.
In a comparison between the North and South units of Theodore Roosevelt N.P., the North wins out because it is even less crowded, the buffalo are a bit more prevalent, and a couple of the views are true jaw-droppers.
We would spend weeks at Badlands North Dakota, Teddy Roosevelt National Park. To learn more about this incredible place, check out Beautiful Things to Do in Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
And if you would like to learn about all the other amazing things to do in the Black Hills of South Dakota, check out The Black Hills of South Dakota: A Complete Guide.
And if you’re looking for a completely different place to vacation, one with lots of incredible things to do, check out:
Charleston, South Carolina: A Complete Guide
Emerald Coast Florida: A Complete Guide
Door County, Wisconsin: A Complete Guide
North Shore, Minnesota: A Complete Guide
Thank you for stopping by our website! We are the Hoffmann family, a full-time RV family that has split residence in Seattle, Washington and San Antonio, Texas. We have special needs children that we homeschool, and work travel assignments for the Veteran Affairs Hospital. If you would like to learn more about us, check out our Start Here and Biography pages. In the meantime, God bless and travel happy!
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This guide is GREAT.
I think there may be an error in one of the headlines. A few paragraphs in, the headline reads: Badlands National Park — Badlands North Dakota. But the paragraph is about SOUTH Dakota. Just thought I’d pass this on.
Thanks for the heads up, Alan. The SEO (search engine optimization) is set for North Dakota Badlands, which is why you read that there. You are correct that it is out of place! We will move it or delete it to avoid confusion.
About an hour west of Medora there is Makoshika State Park just outside of Glendive, MT, is another badlands park.
As far as north dakota’s badlands, Id suggest people check the badlands outside of the parks as well. There are a lot seldomly visited areas and have good gravel roads leading with camping areas and hiking/biking/horseback riding opportunities.
Great to hear. Thanks!