SD · Midwest & Great Plains · 2026 exact answer
No backcountry permit is required at Badlands at Badlands: what applies in 2026?
Direct answer
No backcountry permit is required at Badlands
Exact conditions
- Status
- Not required; the stated access rule still applies
- Applies to
- specific activity
- Place or corridor
- Badlands backcountry / wilderness
- Effective dates
- January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026
- Published fee
- $0
- Release model
- first come
Official source
National Park Service · reviewed August 27, 2026
Permits are not currently required for overnight stays in the Badlands backcountry. Backcountry registers are located at the Medicine/Castle Trail Loop, Saddle Pass Trailhead, Conata Picnic Area, Sage Creek Basin Overlook, and the Sage Creek Campground.
Backcountry Camping - Badlands National Park