Badlands National ParkWith 244,000 acres and almost no light pollution, the Badlands are all good for gazing into the cosmos. On any given night, see more than 7,500 stars as well as planets, moons, star clusters, satellites and more.
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But the special darkness of Badlands National Park helps visitors to see even more like planets, the Milky Way, star clusters, nebulae, the International Space Station, shooting stars, and – very occasionally – the aurora borealis. The Milky Way is one of the common sights in a Badlands night sky.
People rarely travel to South Dakota just for the Badlands, but it's worth spending a full day exploring the park by doing the scenic drive, a few hikes or short walks, and eating in the visitor center. The unusual rock formations and the potential for solitude make this park unique.
Yes, it can. The Milky Way is visible to the naked eye but you have to see it from a dark sky area away from any light pollution. There is no way to see it from an urban area.
Covering all 3 is a very full day, but it can be done with an early start. If I ran short on time, I'd eliminate Wall Drug. The Badlands will take an hour drive time from Rapid, and then allot around 4 hours to adequately see the park. Allot about an hour and a half back to Rushmore.