White River Visitor Center — Attraction in Porcupine District

This was my first trip to BNP, on an overcast end of May Friday. At first the colors of the formations were muted. The colors became more vivid as the clouds cleared up and the sun came out. And then it was phenomenal! I've hiked the Might Five in Utah and have high standards. The Badlands are unique, inspiring and have their own beauty. Plus, I saw bison (buffalo) herds right outside my car, nursing mountain sheep, melodic birds galore. And the park is not as crowded as other national parks. I do recommend traveling the entire scenic drive, not skipping the west side. That is where the large herds of buffalo were, and it was far less traveled so we had most spots all to ourselves. There's also a primitive campground in the west with just vault toilets nestled among grassy hills with buffalo grazing nearby. The visitor center is a nice 15 minute stop with great bathrooms, an interesting exhibit and gift shop. Car parking in front, plenty of pull-through, day use RV, trailer, camper parking in back. A must see if you make it to this part of...

Park Ranger Rosales was very informative and friendly! Thanks for all the helpful tips for the south section of the national park! The visitor center is packed full of historical Native American information with many interactive exhibits. In the park, I highly recommend the sheep mountain table hike for the views, Cedar Butte open hiking, and the Red Shirt Table Overlook!

Check in with the rangers or park volunteers to find the best access points into the backcountry here. This portion of the park is surrounded by private reservation land, so please be aware and respectful of cross country/free hiking limitations. There is a big difference in experiences from the northern unit and this region of the park. It is truly beautiful within this portion of the park if you have the adventure in...

Great little visitor center to visit if you're entering the Badlands from the South. The rangers have plenty of experience and are very helpful. Although this visitor center is much smaller than the main one, it has plenty of fascinating things to learn particularly about the North American native tribes that lived here.

Parking lot is fairly small, but good. Decent bathrooms. No gift shop at this one. Drinking fountain available. 1-2 lunch tables if you plan on doing a picnic at this stop.

This visitor center is seasonal! It closes...