Wildlife drives, painted canyons & granite peaks
This is leg 2 of 2, the final leg.
Travel leg · Dakotas Badlands & Black Hills
Black Hills to Badlands National Park
Black Hills and Badlands National Park sit about 103 km (64 mi) apart in a straight line, with Badlands National Park to the east. It is leg 2 of 2 on our Dakotas Badlands & Black Hills itinerary, a 7-day trip. Here is how long it takes by car, what to see on the way and where it fits in a real itinerary.
- Straight-line distance
- 103 km · 64 mi
- Est. road distance
- 123–144 km
- Est. drive time
- 1 h 30 min – 2 h 45 min
- Direction
- Heading east
- Curated routes
- 1 itinerary
Road distance is estimated as 1.2–1.4× the straight line; drive time assumes average speeds of 50–80 km/h with no stops or traffic. These are rough estimates — check a maps app for the actual route.
Ways to get there
We don't have live routing data, so the figures below are labelled estimates built from the straight-line distance. Use them to plan the day, then confirm in a maps app.
By car
Most travelers on our Dakotas Badlands & Black Hills itinerary do this leg by car. We estimate 123–144 km (76–89 mi) of road and 1 h 30 min – 2 h 45 min behind the wheel, so check live traffic before you set off.
A car is essential. Distances between Medora, the Badlands and the Black Hills are long, with sparse services in between. Most travelers fly into a regional airport, rent a vehicle and plan on full driving days between the main stops.
Open Black Hills → Badlands National Park directions in Google Maps ↗
Worth stopping for
Picks from our curated guides at both ends.
When you arrive in Badlands National Park
One full day covers the Loop Road and short trails; stay for sunset and dark skies.
Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
Cold War missile site with a visitor center and the Delta-09 silo viewing window.
Door Trail
Easy 0.75-mile trail through a break in the Badlands Wall into eroded terrain.
Cedar Pass Lodge Restaurant
The park's only restaurant, known for Indian tacos and bison burgers.
Wall Drug
Sprawling roadside stop since 1931 with 5-cent coffee, donuts and free ice water.
Ben Reifel Visitor Center
Main park visitor center with a fossil prep lab and orientation film.
Notch Trail
1.5-mile trail with a log ladder climb to a ledge over the White River Valley.
Before you leave Black Hills
Plan two days in the southern Black Hills: Custer State Park drives one day, Rushmore and Crazy Horse the next.
On this curated route
Where Black Hills → Badlands National Park sits in the full itinerary. Highlighted stops are this leg.
Going the other way? Badlands National Park to Black Hills is the same 103 km in a straight line, heading west. Reverse directions in Google Maps ↗
Weather at each end
The biggest gap comes in June, when Badlands National Park averages highs 6°C warmer than Black Hills.
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Hills high | 0° | 0° | 6° | 11° | 17° | 24° | 29° | 27° | 21° | 11° | 5° | -1° |
| Badlands National Park high | 3° | 3° | 10° | 16° | 22° | 29° | 34° | 32° | 26° | 16° | 9° | 2° |
| Black Hills rain | 13 | 18 | 27 | 54 | 91 | 71 | 61 | 49 | 40 | 35 | 14 | 14 |
| Badlands National Park rain | 8 | 13 | 24 | 50 | 78 | 68 | 49 | 47 | 35 | 34 | 12 | 11 |
Temperatures in °C, rain in mm per month. Long-term monthly averages from NASA POWER satellite climatology — a guide to typical conditions, not a forecast. Month headings link to Badlands National Park month guides.
Black Hills to Badlands National Park: questions travelers ask
How far is Black Hills from Badlands National Park?
Black Hills is about 103 km (64 mi) from Badlands National Park in a straight line, with Badlands National Park to the east. By road, we estimate 123–144 km (76–89 mi), or 1.2–1.4 times the straight line. Check a maps app for the exact route.
How long does it take to drive from Black Hills to Badlands National Park?
An estimated 1 h 30 min – 2 h 45 min, assuming 123–144 km of road at average speeds of 50–80 km/h with no stops or traffic. It is not a routed time, so check a maps app on the day.
Which itineraries include the trip from Black Hills to Badlands National Park?
Our Dakotas Badlands & Black Hills itinerary includes this leg. Dakotas Badlands & Black Hills runs about 7 days across 3 stops, best in May – Sep.
Getting to Black Hills
- Medora to Black Hills 350 km
Guides for both ends
- Black Hills travel guide
- Black Hills weather best time to visit
- Badlands National Park travel guide
- Badlands National Park weather best time to visit
Badlands National Park by month
- Badlands National Park in January
- Badlands National Park in February
- Badlands National Park in March
- Badlands National Park in April
- Badlands National Park in May
- Badlands National Park in June
- Badlands National Park in July
- Badlands National Park in August
- Badlands National Park in September
- Badlands National Park in October
- Badlands National Park in November
- Badlands National Park in December
Plan Black Hills → Badlands National Park with your crew
Add this leg to a shared itinerary, poll the group on where to stop, split fuel and tickets, and keep everyone's packing list in one place in TripsCircle.