Best time to visit Badlands National Park
The short answer
Best months to visit Badlands National Park: May and September–October. Daily highs run about 60–75°F, with about 40% of July's visitors.
Hardest months: December–March, mostly because of cold weather.
How we picked these months: each month is scored on daily highs (65–82°F is ideal), rain, snow and seasonal closures, then reduced by up to 30% for crowds, measured against the park's busiest month. We list the months within 15% of the top score (at most 5).
Weather and crowds by month
Badlands National Park month by month
Park-wide averages across 5 locations. Crowds compare each month with the park's busiest month: Quiet is under 35% of it, Moderate under 60%, Busy under 85%, Peak above that.
| Month | Rating | High / low | Rain | Snow | Crowds | Closures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Poor | 36° / 17°F | 0.1 in | 2.8 in | Quiet | – |
| February | Poor | 36° / 15°F | 0.1 in | 4.6 in | Quiet | – |
| March | Poor | 48° / 26°F | 0.5 in | 6.5 in | Quiet | – |
| April | Fair | 56° / 34°F | 1.3 in | 5.6 in | Quiet | – |
| May | Best | 67° / 46°F | 3.0 in | 2.1 in | Moderate | – |
| June | Good | 81° / 59°F | 2.7 in | – | Peak | – |
| July | Fair | 88° / 65°F | 1.9 in | – | Peak | – |
| August | Good | 85° / 63°F | 1.7 in | – | Busy | – |
| September | Best | 77° / 55°F | 1.4 in | – | Moderate | – |
| October | Best | 60° / 39°F | 1.1 in | 1.6 in | Quiet | – |
| November | Poor | 48° / 28°F | 0.2 in | 2.9 in | Quiet | – |
| December | Poor | 36° / 19°F | 0.1 in | 6.8 in | Quiet | – |
Weather by location
Parks with a big range of elevation can differ a lot from one area to another. Open a location to see its own numbers.
Park-wide (center of the park)
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36°F | 17°F | 0.1 in | 2.7 in |
| February | 36°F | 16°F | 0.1 in | 4.6 in |
| March | 48°F | 26°F | 0.5 in | 6.6 in |
| April | 56°F | 34°F | 1.3 in | 5.6 in |
| May | 67°F | 46°F | 3.0 in | 2.1 in |
| June | 82°F | 59°F | 2.8 in | – |
| July | 88°F | 65°F | 1.9 in | – |
| August | 85°F | 62°F | 1.7 in | – |
| September | 77°F | 55°F | 1.4 in | – |
| October | 60°F | 39°F | 1.1 in | 1.6 in |
| November | 48°F | 29°F | 0.2 in | 2.8 in |
| December | 36°F | 19°F | 0.1 in | 6.7 in |
North Unit
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36°F | 17°F | 0.1 in | 2.9 in |
| February | 36°F | 15°F | 0.1 in | 4.4 in |
| March | 49°F | 26°F | 0.5 in | 6.7 in |
| April | 57°F | 34°F | 1.2 in | 5.3 in |
| May | 68°F | 47°F | 3.0 in | 2.0 in |
| June | 82°F | 59°F | 2.5 in | – |
| July | 88°F | 65°F | 1.8 in | – |
| August | 86°F | 63°F | 1.9 in | – |
| September | 77°F | 55°F | 1.3 in | – |
| October | 61°F | 40°F | 1.3 in | 1.4 in |
| November | 48°F | 29°F | 0.2 in | 3.0 in |
| December | 36°F | 19°F | 0.1 in | 6.9 in |
Stronghold Unit
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37°F | 17°F | 0.1 in | 2.9 in |
| February | 36°F | 15°F | 0.1 in | 4.9 in |
| March | 48°F | 26°F | 0.5 in | 6.2 in |
| April | 56°F | 33°F | 1.4 in | 5.4 in |
| May | 67°F | 46°F | 3.1 in | 2.1 in |
| June | 81°F | 58°F | 2.5 in | – |
| July | 87°F | 64°F | 1.7 in | – |
| August | 85°F | 62°F | 1.5 in | – |
| September | 77°F | 54°F | 1.4 in | – |
| October | 60°F | 39°F | 1.0 in | 1.6 in |
| November | 48°F | 28°F | 0.2 in | 2.8 in |
| December | 36°F | 19°F | 0.1 in | 6.1 in |
Sage Creek
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36°F | 17°F | 0.1 in | 2.9 in |
| February | 36°F | 15°F | 0.1 in | 4.6 in |
| March | 48°F | 26°F | 0.4 in | 6.5 in |
| April | 56°F | 34°F | 1.2 in | 6.0 in |
| May | 68°F | 47°F | 3.0 in | 1.9 in |
| June | 82°F | 60°F | 2.7 in | – |
| July | 88°F | 65°F | 1.9 in | – |
| August | 85°F | 63°F | 1.8 in | – |
| September | 77°F | 55°F | 1.3 in | – |
| October | 60°F | 40°F | 1.1 in | 1.7 in |
| November | 48°F | 28°F | 0.2 in | 2.8 in |
| December | 36°F | 19°F | 0.1 in | 7.3 in |
Wilderness Area
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35°F | 16°F | 0.1 in | 2.8 in |
| February | 35°F | 15°F | 0.1 in | 4.6 in |
| March | 48°F | 26°F | 0.5 in | 6.6 in |
| April | 56°F | 34°F | 1.3 in | 5.7 in |
| May | 67°F | 46°F | 3.0 in | 2.2 in |
| June | 81°F | 59°F | 2.8 in | – |
| July | 87°F | 65°F | 2.0 in | – |
| August | 84°F | 63°F | 1.8 in | – |
| September | 76°F | 55°F | 1.4 in | – |
| October | 60°F | 39°F | 1.1 in | 1.6 in |
| November | 47°F | 28°F | 0.2 in | 3.0 in |
| December | 35°F | 19°F | 0.1 in | 7.1 in |
Badlands National Park by season
Spring (March–May)
Spring (March–May) is a mixed time to visit Badlands National Park. Daily highs average 48–67°F and lows 26–46°F. Expect about 1.6 in of rain a month and 4.7 in of snow, with up to 1 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 10–42% of the busiest month, which is quiet by this park's standards.
Summer (June–August)
Summer (June–August) is a good time to visit Badlands National Park. Daily highs average 81–88°F and lows 59–65°F. Expect about 2.1 in of rain a month and little or no snow. Visitor numbers run 83–100% of the busiest month, which is peak by this park's standards.
Fall (September–November)
Fall (September–November) is a good time to visit Badlands National Park. Daily highs average 48–77°F and lows 28–55°F. Expect about 0.9 in of rain a month and 1.5 in of snow, with up to 0 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 8–55% of the busiest month, which is quiet by this park's standards.
Winter (December–February)
Winter (December–February) is a difficult time to visit Badlands National Park. Daily highs average 36°F and lows 15–19°F. Expect about 0.1 in of rain a month and 4.8 in of snow, with up to 2 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 4–5% of the busiest month, which is quiet by this park's standards.
For what to do in each season, see our guides to trip planning, fees and hours, trails, camping and things to do, where the planning page also has our written advice on when to go. In-depth topic guides cover individual places and hikes.
What the National Park Service says about the weather
The Badlands weather is variable and unpredictable with temperature extremes ranging from 116° F to -40° F. Summers are hot and dry with occasional violent thunderstorms. Hailstorms and occasional tornadoes can descend on the Badlands with sudden fury. Winters are typically cold with 12 to 24 inches of total snowfall.
Weather: modeled monthly averages for 2014-2023 (Open-Meteo Archive API), averaged over 5 locations. Modeled grid cells can read cooler than weather stations in deep canyons and deserts, and warmer or colder at high elevation. Visits: monthly recreation visits for 2021-2024, National Park Service.
