How many national parks are in South Dakota?

2: Badlands National Park and Wind Cave National Park. South Dakota also has 5 other National Park Service sites, such as Jewel Cave National Monument and Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail.

What is the most visited national park in South Dakota?

Badlands National Park, with 1,139,361 recreation visits in 2025, #26 of the 63 national parks. The least visited in South Dakota was Wind Cave (606,258).

What is the newest national park in South Dakota?

Badlands National Park, established on November 10, 1978. The oldest is Wind Cave National Park (1903).

Do national parks in South Dakota charge an entrance fee?

Headline entrance fees run free to $30 per vehicle. Wind Cave has no entrance fee. An America the Beautiful pass covers entrance fees.

What is the closest national park to Sioux Falls?

Badlands National Park, about 288 miles from Sioux Falls in a straight line, roughly 6 h 50 min by road on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Sioux Falls is South Dakota's largest city.

South Dakota · 2 national parks · 5 other NPS sites

National parks in South Dakota

Last verified October 1, 2026Sources ↓

South Dakota has 2 national parks: Badlands and Wind Cave. 5 more National Park Service sites round out the map, from Jewel Cave National Monument to Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

Numbered by 2025 visits. ★ Sioux Falls, South Dakota's largest city.

At a glance

South Dakota, by the numbers

National parks in South Dakota at a glance
National parks	2: Badlands and Wind Cave
Other NPS sites	5 see nps.gov
Most visited park, 2025	Badlands 1,139,361 visits (#26 of 63)
Entrance fees	Free to $30 per vehicle
Newest national park	Badlands, November 10, 1978
Oldest national park	Wind Cave, 1903
Nearest to Sioux Falls	Badlands 288 mi straight-line, ≈ 6 h 50 min drive (est.)

2 national parks

South Dakota's 2 national parks

Busiest first, by 2025 recreation visits.

Photo: NPS Photo
Est. 1978
Badlands National Park
2025 visits
1,139,361
Entrance
$30 / vehicle
Busiest month
July
Quiet month
May
“Ancient horses and rhinos once roamed here…” (NPS)
Photo: NPS Photo
Est. 1903
Wind Cave National Park
2025 visits
606,258
Entrance
Free entry
Busiest month
July
Quiet month
May
“One of America's oldest national parks…” (NPS)

From Sioux Falls

The closest national parks to Sioux Falls

Measured from Sioux Falls, South Dakota's largest city (213,748 people, Census 2025 estimate). Straight-line miles; drive times are our rough estimate.

Nearest national parks to Sioux Falls
Park	Straight line	Drive (estimate)
Badlands National ParkSD	288 mi	≈ 6 h 50 min
Wind Cave National ParkSD	336 mi	≈ 7 h 50 min
Voyageurs National ParkMN	389 mi	≈ 9 h 10 min
Theodore Roosevelt National ParkND	411 mi	≈ 9 h 40 min

5 other NPS sites

Beyond the national parks

Monuments, historic sites, trails and more: every other place the National Park Service lists for South Dakota, grouped by type. Links go to nps.gov.

1 National Historic Site · 1 National Historic Trail · 1 National Memorial · …Show all 5

National Historic Site · 1

Minuteman Missile National Historic Site

National Historic Trail · 1

Lewis & Clark National Historic TrailIA · ID · IL · IN · KS · KY · MO · MT · NE · ND · OH · OR · PA · SD · WA · WV

From the NPS Data API; the same list as South Dakota's page on nps.gov. Trails and other multi-state sites appear under each state they cross.

FAQ

South Dakota, answered

How many national parks are in South Dakota?: 2: Badlands National Park and Wind Cave National Park. South Dakota also has 5 other National Park Service sites, such as Jewel Cave National Monument and Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail.
What is the most visited national park in South Dakota?: Badlands National Park, with 1,139,361 recreation visits in 2025, #26 of the 63 national parks. The least visited in South Dakota was Wind Cave (606,258).
What is the newest national park in South Dakota?: Badlands National Park, established on November 10, 1978. The oldest is Wind Cave National Park (1903).
Do national parks in South Dakota charge an entrance fee?: Headline entrance fees run free to $30 per vehicle. Wind Cave has no entrance fee. An America the Beautiful pass covers entrance fees.
What is the closest national park to Sioux Falls?: Badlands National Park, about 288 miles from Sioux Falls in a straight line, roughly 6 h 50 min by road on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Sioux Falls is South Dakota's largest city.

Sources · 5

1.South Dakota: parks and places (nps.gov) · National Park Service
2.NPS Data API — /parks (all park units) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
3.NPS Visitor Use Statistics — monthly recreation visits, 2021–2025 (IRMA stats REST service) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior) — Visitor Use Statistics Program
4.City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2025 · U.S. Census Bureau
5.2025 Gazetteer Files: Places · U.S. Census Bureau

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National parks in South Dakota

South Dakota, by the numbers

South Dakota's 2 national parks

Badlands National Park

Wind Cave National Park