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Badlands · May
May is a good time to visit Badlands — busier than April, quieter than June.
Expect moderate crowds (5/10) and about 14.7 hours of daylight.
Crowd score
A comfortable middle ground: some company on popular trails, but no gridlock.
About 47% of this park's busiest month.
Source: NPS Visitor Use Statistics, 2023–2025
Data: NPS visitation 2023–2025 · crowd scores computed Jul 2026 · alerts checked Jul 10, 2026. How this is calculated →
Computed from federal data · Methodology by Sharon Ben-Moshe
Visitation
May draws about 10% of Badlands’s yearly visitors.
Typical monthly recreation visits, averaged over the most recent three full years.
Source: NPS Visitor Use Statistics, 2023–2025
Weather
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, WASTA 21.6 SSW, SD US
What's open
The park is open to visitors all year with the exception of weather closures.
No seasonal road or area closures reported for this park.
Source: NPS Data API
Conditions
Do not rely on GPS digital navigation systems to find your way to Badlands National Park. Please note that the Visitor Center at 25216 Ben Reifel Road, Interior SD 57750 is located just off I-90.
Details on nps.gov →Source: NPS Data API
Context
FAQ
May rates 5/10 for crowds (Moderate) at Badlands National Park — about 47% of its busiest month. Typical recreation visits: 111,439.
In May, Badlands averages a high of 0°F and a low of 0°F, with about 3.4 inches of precipitation.
Entrance to Badlands costs $30 (Fee covers the entry of a private vehicle and its occupants for 7 days).
Badlands is quietest in January and February. If your dates are flexible, those months bring the thinnest crowds of the year.
In mid-May, Badlands gets about 14.7 hours of daylight, with sunrise around 4:24 AM and sunset around 7:08 PM.