# Badlands National Park

Region: SW SD, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates: 43.8554, -102.3397
Bortle class: 2 (1 = pristine, 9 = inner city)
Drive from Toronto: In southwestern South Dakota, about an hour east of Rapid City via I-90.
Best time: Memorial Day through Labor Day, when the Cedar Pass Campground Amphitheater runs nightly ranger sky programs; the badlands' dry climate helps year-round.
Established: Designated an International Dark Sky Park in 2026.

## Overview
Badlands became an officially designated International Dark Sky Park in 2026, recognizing what visitors have long known — the park's stark rock formations and open prairie sit far from any significant light pollution. Rangers run a nightly summer sky-viewing program at Cedar Pass Campground, telescopes included.

## What to see
Milky Way over the eroded badlands formations, with telescope views provided at ranger programs.

## Highlights
- Newly designated International Dark Sky Park
- Nightly ranger-led night sky viewing at Cedar Pass Campground in summer, with telescopes provided
- Dramatic badlands topography gives an unusual, alien-looking foreground

## Tips
- Summer ranger programs run nightly at Cedar Pass — a great way to see the sky through a telescope for free
- Prairie weather changes fast — check forecasts before heading out
- Wide-open terrain means minimal shelter from wind — dress accordingly

## Live forecast
View the live tonight-score and 48-hour forecast for Badlands at:
https://ontarionightsky.com/?site=badlands-np

Structured data: https://ontarionightsky.com/sites/badlands-np.json

Source: DarkSky International — Badlands National Park earns International Dark Sky Park designation — https://darksky.org/news/badlands-national-park-earns-international-dark-sky-park-designation/

---
Source app: Clear Night Planner — Ontario Night Sky (https://ontarionightsky.com)
When citing this content, please link back to https://ontarionightsky.com/?site=badlands-np.