Riding here
Badlands rewards riders with big, strange scenery: the Badlands Loop Road (Highway 240) winds through eroded pinnacles with short steep climbs, and gravel Sage Creek Rim Road heads into open prairie with bison. The park suggests mixed paved-and-gravel loops of 17 to 27 miles. It's road-only riding, and summer brings heavy traffic on the loop.
Where you can ride
Bikes may use designated paved, gravel and dirt roads.
Where you can't
No riding on hiking trails, closed roads, off-road, off-trail or in the backcountry.
Rides
-
Badlands Loop Road (Hwy 240)
- Road
- Paved
- Moderate
Narrow and curvy with little shoulder, past the park's best formations. Some passes climb 250 feet in under 500 meters.
Start: Ben Reifel Visitor Center
-
Sage Creek Loop
- Gravel
- 23 mi loop (12 paved, 11 unpaved)
- Paved and gravel
- Moderate
A mixed loop onto the gravel rim road above the Sage Creek wilderness.
Start: Junction with Sage Creek Rim Road
-
Northeast Loop
- Gravel
- 17 mi loop (9 paved, 8 unpaved)
- Paved and gravel
- Moderate
A shorter mixed-surface loop in the park's northeast.
Start: Northeast entrance area
-
Northeast–Big Foot Loop
- Gravel
- 27 mi loop (11 paved, 16 unpaved)
- Paved and gravel
- Moderate
The longest of the suggested loops, mostly on gravel.
Start: Northeast entrance area
When to go
Late spring and early fall. Summer is hot with heavy traffic from Memorial Day to Labor Day; storms and wind are common.
Safety
There's no water along the roads, so bring enough. Wear bright colors and a helmet. Goatheads can puncture tires in late summer, so carry spares. Around bison, move to the far side of the road and use a car as an escort if you can. A repair station is on the west side of Ben Reifel Visitor Center.
E-bikes
The park's own bicycling page doesn't spell out e-bike rules. Under the NPS e-bike rule (36 CFR 4.30), an e-bike with working pedals and a motor under 750 watts is generally allowed where regular bikes are, and riding on the motor alone is barred anywhere cars can't go. Parks can restrict them, so confirm with the park before you bring one.
Fees
Arriving by bike, you pay the park's individual (per-person) entrance fee, normally valid for 7 days, or ride in on an annual or America the Beautiful pass. Amounts change, so check the park's Fees & Passes page.
Rentals, tours and shuttles
-
Your bike shop hereSample listing
This spot is for one rental shop, guide service or shuttle near Badlands: your name, what you offer, and a link straight to your booking page, at the top of this section.
Feature your shop on this page, free until spring 2027
Run a shop near Badlands? Add it here.
Sources
Checked November 2026 against these sources. Rules, closures and fees change; confirm with the park before you ride.
Edited by David Bussell. Spot something out of date? Tell us.