Badlands Jeep Tour and Wildlife Experience

Open-Top-Tours is the only company that offers a 'real' Jeep tour of the Badlands famous interior.
Our Jeep Gladiators-Wrangler excursions offer an unforgettable on roads less traveled . . . with bison, deer, prairie dogs and much more. Insider information and history from the area’s most knowledgeable and experienced local guides. Information about the Badlands formation, Native Americans of the region and the early 20th century homesteaders of the plains.

We offer Private tours for couples or groups. Tours are all inclusive: National Park Fees, bottled water, snacks and picnic lunch are included.

Meeting Point

Perkins Restaurant & Bakery

1300 N Elk Vale Rd, Rapid City, SD 57703, USA

Meet in the parking lot.

Common Cents Store & Deli

3501 SD-44, Rapid City, SD 57703, USA

Meet in the parking lot.

What's included:

• Minimum of 2 and Maximum of 6 guests per Jeep.

Not included:

• Gratuities Not Included

What to expect:

Duration: between 7 hours and 8 hours

Sheep Mountain Table Road

South Dakota

Sheep Mtn Table is off the beaten path - not many people get out to explore this area like some other areas in the National Park. It is located next to the famous Stronghold Table (Ghost Dance). It is found in a unique and isolated location, wedged between the North and South Units. Lots of Lakota and Homesteading history . . . and it has great views of the Badlands and distant Black Hills.
The road when dry is safe. However, Sheep Mtn Table may not be included if road is wet.

*"Sheep Mountain Table Road is a dirt road that should not be driven during or after storms. Four-wheel drive vehicles are recommended, even in dry conditions." - National Park Service

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Scenic

Scenic, South Dakota

Once upon a time upcoming railroad stop - hotels, banks and bars . . . now an empty ghost town.

10 minutes

Ben Reifel Visitor Center

Cedar Pass Badlands Loop Road Hwy 240, South Dakota

This is the main facility in the North Unit of the park. You can talk with rangers, explore museum exhibits, check out the Fossil Preparation Lab and there is time to visit the Badlands Natural History Association bookstore.

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Fossil Exhibit Trail

South Dakota

The Fossil Exhibit Trail is a fully accessible boardwalk featuring fossil replicas and exhibits of extinct creatures that once lived in the area. Just .25 miles long the trail takes you past 75 million years of history and the animals that once inhabited this land.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Yellow Mounds Overlook

Badlands Loop Road, South Dakota

These strangely colored mounds are the result of an ancient sea draining away and the chemicals from decaying plants turning the soil yellow. They make for a great photo opportunity.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Pinnacles Overlook

Vista Point, South Dakota

This is the highest overlook on the Badlands Loop Road, and it offers some of the most panoramic views. This view displays the expanse of the Sage Creek Wilderness area from which you just came. On clear days, the Black Hills are visible on the horizon. Bison might be visible in the distance. This overlook is also a popular spot for Bighorn sheep to gather. This is also a lambing area for Bighorn sheep in late April to early May, so it’s not unusual to see lambs traversing the rocky slopes of the Badlands.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Roberts Prairie Dog Town

Sage Creek Rim Road, South Dakota

First we stop at the Sage Creek Overlook, looking back at the path we have just traveled . . . many think this is the best of all the Park views.
We then stop to view the largest prairie-dog town in the accessible areas of Badlands National Park. Other than the mounds of dirt where the prairie dogs have made their homes, the first thing you will likely notice is the high-pitched squeaks and noises coming from the Prairie dogs. Prairie dogs provide habitat for approximately 200 animal and plant species, so keep your eyes open for other wildlife at this pulloff.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Sage Creek Wilderness Area

South Dakota

This is a less traveled area of Badlands National Park with unusual scenery and wildlife such as bighorn sheep, bison, black-footed ferrets and prairie dogs. This area is one of the oldest in the Park and most of the badlands formations have eroded away, and the underlying Cretaceous sediments are more suitable for soil development for the grasslands. Because of this and the Sage Creek running through it, you will find wildlife. Bison, sheep, antelope, deer and more (this is the water hole). The roads are less developed but no problem for our Jeep Gladiators.

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included