Badlands National Park Camping Tips Within the park, you'll find both paid and free camping, as well as campgrounds that require reservations and those that are first-come, first-serve.

Two of the best campgrounds in Badlands National Park include Cedar Pass, which has all the conveniences of reservations, hot showers, and bathrooms, and Sage Creek, which is first-come, first-serve.

Badlands National Park is located in southwestern South Dakota, east of the Black Hills. It's about 75 miles away from the state's second-most populous city, Rapid City.