Badlands National Park
🇺🇸 United States
🦌 Pronghorn Sprint BadlandsBadlands National Park is a rugged expanse of steep layered rock formations and mixed-grass prairie located in southwestern South Dakota. It differs from mountain or forest parks through its dramatic eroded buttes and deep gullies, crossed by open dirt trails that wind through expansive grasslands and sparse vegetation.
43.852° N 102.355° W
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
American Bison
Bison bison
★ 
Bighorn Sheep
Ovis canadensis
★ 
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Cynomys ludovicianus
★ 
Pronghorn
Antilocapra americana
📊 Most Spotted
Western Meadowlark
Sturnella neglecta
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
Mule Deer
Odocoileus hemionus
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Rock Wren
Salpinctes obsoletus
Cliff Swallow
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
Prairie Rattlesnake
Crotalus viridis
Least Chipmunk
Tamias minimus
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica
Horned Lark
Eremophila alpestris
Say's Phoebe
Sayornis saya
⭐ Iconic Species
★ American Bison
Bison bison
★ Bighorn Sheep
Ovis canadensis
★ Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Cynomys ludovicianus
★ Pronghorn
Antilocapra americana
📊 Most Spotted
Mule Deer
Odocoileus hemionus
Least Chipmunk
Tamias minimus
Desert Cottontail
Sylvilagus audubonii
Coyote
Canis latrans
American Badger
Taxidea taxus
Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel
Ictidomys tridecemlineatus
Quiller
Erethizon dorsatus
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
Eastern Cottontail
Sylvilagus floridanus
Mountain Cottontail
Sylvilagus nuttallii
White-tailed Jackrabbit
Lepus townsendii
Black-footed Ferret
Mustela nigripes
📊 Most Spotted
Western Meadowlark
Sturnella neglecta
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Rock Wren
Salpinctes obsoletus
Cliff Swallow
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica
Horned Lark
Eremophila alpestris
Say's Phoebe
Sayornis saya
Lark Sparrow
Chondestes grammacus
Common Grackle
Quiscalus quiscula
Black-billed Magpie
Pica hudsonia
📊 Most Spotted
Prairie Rattlesnake
Crotalus viridis
Gopher Snake
Pituophis catenifer
North American Racer
Coluber constrictor
Plains Garter Snake
Thamnophis radix
Painted Turtle
Chrysemys picta
Western Box Turtle
Terrapene ornata
Plains Hognose Snake
Heterodon nasicus
Snapping Turtle
Chelydra serpentina
Common Garter Snake
Thamnophis sirtalis
Six-lined Racerunner
Aspidoscelis sexlineatus
Sagebrush Lizard
Sceloporus graciosus
📊 Most Spotted
Woodhouse's Toad
Anaxyrus woodhousii
Great Plains Toad
Anaxyrus cognatus
Northern Leopard Frog
Lithobates pipiens
Boreal Chorus Frog
Pseudacris maculata
Western Tiger Salamander
Ambystoma mavortium
Plains Spadefoot
Spea bombifrons
American Bullfrog
Lithobates catesbeianus
Recent sightings in Badlands National Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
1Pronghorn Winter Herding
During the colder winter months, pronghorn gather into larger herds across the open snow-dusted prairies for increased predator vigilance and resource sharing.
2Badger Spring Foraging
Spring brings increased activity as badgers emerge to hunt for rodents across the thawing prairie sod, often utilizing abandoned burrows.
3Reptile Emergence and Basking
Warm summer conditions prompt ectotherms like rattlesnakes and racers to emerge from winter hibernacula, frequently basking along rocky outcrops and trails.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Pronghorn Winter Herding
- 2Badger Spring Foraging
- 3Reptile Emergence and Basking
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
More specifically, we were on a mission to see American Bison (which I called Buffalo during the entirety of our visit… apparently there’s a difference, eye-roll).
To round out our wildlife sighting, we saw a few long-horned sheep, pronghorns, and even a badger.
Less famous than neighboring Wall Drugs, it’s a spot to get stuck in a bison traffic jam or watch a rainbow chase away storm clouds. sunset on our first night A road trip seemed the right way to visit, so my partner and I set off on a car camping adventure.
Regis yelled, “hey look, she’s photobombing your photo.” On most of our adventures, we rarely get to see older male bighorn sheep.
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Badlands National Park?
The most likely sightings are Western Meadowlark (seen by about 90% of wildlife watchers), Bighorn Sheep (seen by about 90% of wildlife watchers), Black-tailed Prairie Dog (seen by about 90% of wildlife watchers), American Bison (seen by about 90% of wildlife watchers), Mourning Dove (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers) — among 426 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Badlands National Park for wildlife?
June has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.
Can you see American Bison in Badlands National Park?
Yes — about 90% of wildlife watchers report a American Bison sighting in Badlands National Park, based on 649 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Bighorn Sheep in Badlands National Park?
Yes — about 90% of wildlife watchers report a Bighorn Sheep sighting in Badlands National Park, based on 843 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Black-tailed Prairie Dog in Badlands National Park?
Yes — about 90% of wildlife watchers report a Black-tailed Prairie Dog sighting in Badlands National Park, based on 842 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Pronghorn in Badlands National Park?
Yes — about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Pronghorn sighting in Badlands National Park, based on 259 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
GoodHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
Very goodHow likely to see animals?
Experience
Very goodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
