Where Does the Badlands Loop Start and End? | Map The Drive

Badlands Loop Road runs between I-90 Exit 110 near Wall and I-90 Exit 131 near Cactus Flat.

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The clean answer for where the Badlands Loop starts and ends is simpler than the name sounds: Badlands Loop Road is South Dakota Highway 240, and it links the Wall side of Interstate 90 with the Northeast Entrance side near Cactus Flat. It is not a closed circle that brings you back to the same gate.

Most travelers treat the western end as I-90 Exit 110 by Wall and the eastern end as I-90 Exit 131 by the Northeast Entrance. You can drive the route in either direction, so the start is really the side that matches your approach to Badlands National Park.

Badlands Loop Road Endpoints On The Map

Badlands Loop Road has two main I-90 access points: Wall on the west and the Northeast Entrance near Cactus Flat on the east. The road crosses the North Unit of Badlands National Park, passing the Pinnacles area, the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, Cedar Pass, overlooks, trailheads, and the Interior connector.

For a west-to-east drive, leave I-90 at Exit 110 in Wall, follow signs south to the Pinnacles Entrance, then stay on Highway 240 through the park until the road returns toward I-90 at Exit 131. For an east-to-west drive, do the same route in reverse from Exit 131 toward Wall.

• Western access: I-90 Exit 110 at Wall, South Dakota, then south to the Pinnacles Entrance.
• Eastern access: I-90 Exit 131 near Cactus Flat, then south to the Northeast Entrance.
• Southern connector: Interior, South Dakota, reaches the loop by Highway 377 and the Interior Entrance.

Which Direction Should You Drive?

Travelers coming from Rapid City, Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, or the Black Hills usually make the cleanest drive from west to east, starting at Exit 110 near Wall. Travelers coming from Sioux Falls, Mitchell, or eastern South Dakota often start at Exit 131 and finish near Wall.

The scenery works both ways. The better direction is the one that avoids doubling back on I-90 and leaves your next overnight stop in the right direction.

Travelers flying into Rapid City usually need their own vehicle for this route because the overlooks and trailheads are spread along a park road, not linked by regular public transit. If you still need a car for the Badlands drive, compare options before you head east from Rapid City:

Badlands Loop Start And End Points: What Each Stop Means

The named entrances and towns around Badlands Loop Road can be confusing because several places sound like possible starts. The true through-drive runs between the Wall side and the Northeast Entrance side, while Interior is a useful connector rather than the far end of the route.

How Long Does The Badlands Loop Take?

Badlands Loop Road takes about 1 to 2 hours if you drive steadily and stop lightly. A first visit feels better with 2 to 4 hours because the route has overlooks, short boardwalks, wildlife pullouts, and the Ben Reifel Visitor Center.

The National Park Service Badlands Loop Road page describes Highway 240 as a two-lane paved road through the North Unit, with steep passes, reduced-speed sections, more than a dozen overlooks and trailheads, and a listed duration of 1 to 2 hours.

Plan the time around stops, not mileage alone. A no-stop drive misses the point of the road, while a full slow day only makes sense if you add short hikes such as Door Trail, Window Trail, Notch Trail, or Fossil Exhibit Trail.

Where To Stay Near The Badlands Loop

Wall is the easiest base if you want the most straightforward western start or finish. Interior and Cedar Pass put you closer to the park road itself, while Rapid City works better when the Badlands drive is one piece of a Black Hills trip.

A night near Wall makes sense for a sunrise or sunset pass through the western overlooks, and it also keeps you close to I-90 for the next morning. Compare places near the Wall side of the loop here:

Interior is quieter and closer to Cedar Pass, but options are fewer. Rapid City has far more hotels and airport access, but it adds a drive of about 75 miles each way to the park area.

Where The Road Connects To Interior And Cedar Pass

Interior is not usually the start or end of the Badlands Loop, but Interior is the easiest southern way to reach the road. Highway 377 runs north from the town of Interior to the Interior Entrance, then continues a short distance to Highway 240 near Cedar Pass.

Cedar Pass and the Ben Reifel Visitor Center sit near the eastern half of the main drive, so they work well as a break point. Drivers entering from Wall often reach Cedar Pass after the western overlooks; drivers entering from Exit 131 reach it earlier.

Badlands National Park cell service can be spotty, and GPS can misread remote park roads. Download the park map or carry a paper map before you leave I-90, then follow the signed entrances instead of relying only on a phone.

A Simple Badlands Loop Driving Plan

The easiest Badlands Loop plan is to enter from the side you are already approaching and exit on the side that moves you toward your next stop. The road is linear enough that backtracking is rarely needed unless you are returning to the same hotel.

1. From Rapid City or the Black Hills: take I-90 east to Exit 110 at Wall, enter at Pinnacles, stop at the western overlooks, continue to Cedar Pass, and leave near Exit 131.
2. From Sioux Falls or eastern South Dakota: take I-90 west to Exit 131, enter at the Northeast Entrance, stop around Cedar Pass first, and finish near Wall.
3. From Highway 44 or Interior: use Highway 377 to the Interior Entrance, join Highway 240 near Cedar Pass, then choose Wall or Exit 131 based on your next destination.

Badlands Loop Road starts and ends at different I-90 access points, not at one circular trailhead. Treat Wall, Interior, and Cactus Flat as three access choices, then build the drive around your arrival direction and the time you want for overlooks.