#GOLDEN HOUR TIME OF DAY IN JUNE HOW TO#
#GOLDEN HOUR TIME OF DAY IN JUNE FULL#

If you will be staying in Rapid City or the Black Hills tonight, you can start your drive now. This works best when the days are long (May, June, July and August). You could go into town for dinner and then drive back to the Pinnacles Overlook to watch the sunset.

It takes just 15 minutes to drive to Wall from the Pinnacles Overlook and the start of Sage Creek Rim Road. Another option is Panorama Point, our favorite sunset spot in the Badlands. The Pinnacles Overlook is the most convenient, since it is located near Sage Creek Rim Road and just a short drive to Wall. If it is close to sunset, make your way to one of the overlooks.

#GOLDEN HOUR TIME OF DAY IN JUNE HOW TO#

The drive out and back from the start of Sage Creek Rim Road to Roberts Prairie Dog Town is 9 miles round trip and will take about an hour, with stops.ĭepending on your timing and how much energy you have left, here are several suggestions on how to end the day. At Roberts Prairie Dog Town, walk out into the field and say hello to the barking prairie dogs. I recommend visiting Hay Butte Overlook and the Badlands Wilderness Overlook. You don’t have to drive very far down this road to see wildlife, or the best views from the overlooks. On this road, and really not all that far from the Pinnacles overlook, we saw lots of bison, some pronghorn and bighorn sheep, and a coyote. What it lacks in scenery it makes up for with wildlife sightings. This area of the park feels more rugged, wild, and remote than the paved Badlands Loop Road. As you head farther west from the Pinnacles overlook, the pinnacles and spires gradually fade away, to be replaced with rounded hills and small forests of pine trees. It is 25 miles long, ending near Scenic, South Dakota. Sage Creek Rim Road starts on the Badlands Loop Road near the Pinnacles Overlook. When in Badlands National Park, please practice the seven principles of Leave No Trace: plan ahead, stay on the trail, pack out what you bring to the hiking trail, properly dispose of waste, leave areas as you found them, minimize campfire impacts, be considerate of other hikers, and do not approach or feed wildlife. You can walk out to the viewing platform or follow one of the trails into the hills for close-up views. This is a great introduction to Badlands National Park, with hundreds of zebra-striped hills stretching off in the distance. But even if you don’t get here right at sunrise, it is still stunning. You can simply drive through the entrance station (Badlands National Park is open 24 hours a day) and pay your park fee later at the visitor center.īig Badlands Overlook is our favorite sunrise spot in Badlands National Park. You will pass through the park entrance station, which may not yet be open, especially if you are getting here at sunrise. To get here from Wall, it is a 25 mile drive that takes 30 minutes.

Sunrise/Early Morning: Big Badlands Overlookīig Badlands Overlook is the first overlook you will get to when you enter the park on the east entrance.

#GOLDEN HOUR TIME OF DAY IN JUNE FULL#

This is the full loop, starting and ending in Wall, including the short drive on Sage Creek Rim Road. On this itinerary, you will drive 70 miles. If you do this itinerary starting and ending near Rapid City, just be aware that you will have roughly an hour drive to get to Wall, the starting point of this itinerary. For many people, that means continuing on to Rapid City or the Black Hills. At the end of the day, you can stay in Wall for a second night or continue on your road trip through South Dakota. Ideally, spend the night in Wall, which is the closest town to Badlands National Park. Plus, if you plan to do a little bit of hiking, and will be here during the hot summer months, it is a good idea to do this first thing. The early start also gives you plenty of time to get to everything we list on this itinerary, without feeling rushed. Sunrise is spectacular in the Badlands and it is well worth rolling out of bed early to watch as the sun comes up over the hills, bathing them in a soft, golden light. With one day in Badlands National Park, I recommend getting an early start. One Day in Badlands National Park Itinerary

Golden hour time of day in june