On our 2020 Summer road trip to South Dakota, we chose to stay two nights at the Badlands/White River KOA just outside of Badlands National Park. This ended up being a welcome reprieve from our first attempt at boondocking (read all about it here).
Not that our boondocking adventure was all bad, but if you read our article about it you know that it was a bit of a stressful night. So having full hook ups just outside the park really helped everyone settle down and hit the “reset button”for the rest of our trip. We enjoyed our time here, so if you are thinking of visiting the Badlands and are interested in a full hook-up site just minutes from the park entrance then read on to find out all you need to know about the Badlands/White River KOA
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Location of Badlands / White River KOA
The Badlands KOA (I’m just gonna call it that from now on to make things easier for both of us) is located just outside the Interior Entrance to Badlands National Park. If you look at a map of the park, this puts you near the south east corner, close to the Ben Reifel Visitor Center and 45 – 60 minutes from Wall, SD (depending on the route you choose). This makes it an ideal location to use as a home base while exploring the national park and Buffalo Gap National Grassland.
About Badlands KOA
This campground is considered to be a KOA Holiday. KOA has three categories of campgrounds… Journey, Holiday, and Resort. Since this one is considered a Holiday, it has upgraded amenities and more campsite types to choose from. Specifically, this campground features over 100 RV sites that vary between full hook-up and partial hook-up, and over 40 primitive campsites as well as yurts and cabins to rent.
Costs vary depending on location and features of the site you were interested in, but RV sites typically range anywhere from $50/night to $75/night.
Amenities At Badlands / White River KOA
- Pool
- Mini Golf
- WIFI
- Playground
- Basketball Court
- Pet Park
- Pet Wash
- Full Service Bathhouse
- Laundry Facilities
- Camp Store
Insider Tips
- Reservations are highly recommended. Since it’s one of the only full-hookup campgrounds in the area, this KOA can book up during peak season.
- Campsites can be a bit tight
- Most RV sites here are pull-through sites, which makes parking easier
| Pros | Cons |
| Full hook-ups are nice in this area | Bathhouses are older and could stand to be remodeled |
| Shady areas for dog walking are a plus | Sights can be a bit tight (not super spacious) |
| Pool access is nice to have in this area |