Dogs & pets
Dogs in Badlands: where they can go
Last verified No trails6 ft leash max
Not on the trails. Leashed pets are limited to developed areas, roads open to vehicles and parking lots; banned on hiking trails, in public buildings, in the backcountry and in prairie dog colonies.
Where pets are allowed
Areas
- • Developed areas such as campgrounds and picnic areas
- • Other areas open to motor vehicles, such as gravel and paved roadways, roadway corridors, and parking lots
- • Park roads including back country dirt roads (leashed; per the Old Northeast Road things-to-do page)
Off-limits
- • Hiking trails
- • Public buildings (visitor centers)
- • Backcountry areas, including the Sage Creek Wilderness
- • Areas with prairie dog colonies
- • Areas where vehicles are prohibited (superintendent's determination quoted on the service-animals page)
Backcountry: no pets
Rules & services
- Leash
- 6 ft or shorter, at all times
- Kennels
- Not mentioned
- B.A.R.K. Ranger
- Principles listed; no program described
- Service animals
- Service animals are an exception to most pet restrictions and are allowed on trails and in public buildings, on a leash, but not in areas with prairie dog colonies.
In the park's own words
What Badlands says about pets
Sentences quoted from the park’s nps.gov pets page, last updated June 21, 2023, captured 2026-10-05.
“Pets are only allowed in developed areas, such as campgrounds and picnic areas, and other areas open to motor vehicles, such as gravel and paved roadways, roadway corridors, and parking lots.” nps.gov
“Pets are prohibited from hiking trails, public buildings (i.e. visitor centers), and backcountry areas, including the Badlands Wilderness Area, and areas with prairie dog colonies.” nps.gov
“Pets are prohibited from hiking trails, public buildings (visitor centers), and backcountry areas, including the Sage Creek Wilderness and areas with prairie dog colonies.” nps.gov
“Pets will not be permitted in portions of Badlands National Park where prairie dog colonies exist, on nature trails, or in areas where vehicles are prohibited.” nps.gov
“Service animals are an exception to most pet restrictions and are allowed on trails and in public buildings.” nps.gov
“While visiting the park, pets must be kept on a leash of which must be no more than six feet in length.” nps.gov
Worth knowing
- No dedicated pets page: https://www.nps.gov/badl/planyourvisit/pets.htm returns 404. The primary source is the park's Service Animals resource page, which quotes the superintendent's compendium (36 CFR 2.15 Pets); the Basic Information page (updated April 23, 2021), the Old Northeast Road things-to-do page (April 19, 2021) and the Hiking the Badlands page (September 10, 2026) are cited as extras.
- The wilderness is named 'Sage Creek Wilderness' on the compendium page and the hiking page but 'Badlands Wilderness Area' on the Basic Information page.
- The back-roads page says leashed pets are allowed on park roads including back country dirt roads, with Old Northeast Road as its example; the compendium page limits pets to areas open to motor vehicles. Read together, dirt roads open to vehicles are fine and anything off the road is not.
- Pets cannot be left unattended or tied to a fixed object, noisy pets are not allowed, and pet waste must be removed.
- The compendium page suggests nearby Buffalo Gap National Grassland (US Forest Service) trails where pets are permitted with some exceptions.
How we read the rules
Every statement on this page was taken from the park’s own pets page on nps.gov and the quoted sentences are re-checked against our saved copy of that page each time the site is built. Parks change pet rules for wildlife, heat and trail conditions, and superintendents can close areas at short notice, so treat the park’s pets page and the ranger at the entrance as the final word. Service animals are covered by different rules. Compare all 63 parks.
Sources · 5
- 1.Badlands National Park — Pets (nps.gov), last updated June 21, 2023 · National Park Service
- 2.Badlands — additional NPS page 1 · National Park Service
- 3.Badlands — additional NPS page 2 · National Park Service
- 4.Badlands — additional NPS page 3 · National Park Service
- 5.Pets pages of each park on nps.gov (62 park units), read and quoted · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
FAQ
Badlands pet questions
- Are dogs allowed in Badlands National Park?
- Leashed pets are limited to developed areas, roads open to vehicles and parking lots; banned on hiking trails, in public buildings, in the backcountry and in prairie dog colonies. Leashes must be 6 feet or shorter. (From the park's nps.gov pets page, updated June 21, 2023.)
- Can dogs go on trails in Badlands?
- No. Badlands does not allow pets on its hiking trails; they can go in developed areas such as campgrounds and picnic areas, other areas open to motor vehicles, such as gravel and paved roadways, roadway corridors, and parking lots and park roads including back country dirt roads (leashed; per the old northeast road things-to-do page).
- Can I take my dog backpacking in Badlands?
- No. Pets are not allowed in Badlands's backcountry.
- Does Badlands have a B.A.R.K. Ranger program?
- The park's pets page repeats the B.A.R.K. principles but does not describe a tag program; ask at the visitor center.
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