Sage Creek Campground

Badlands National Park has now been my starting point for the spring-to-fall RV travel season for the third time in a row, and this video shows why—there’s no need for further explanation. Right across Sage Creek (the wash), near Sage Creek Camp, and not far in the distance, was the biggest bison herd I’ve seen over my visits to the Badlands. Turn up the volume to hear what I heard in June 2025. Make plans, do some bookings—unless you travel like me, just making plans for the very next day. Sage Creek Camp is a peaceful place on Earth, full of geology and fossils, and if you make it down into the wash of Sage Creek, you’ll find yourself stepping back in time onto the Pierre Shale formation (Late Cretaceous, ~75–69 million years ago).

What a great experience! The campground is at the end of a LONG dirt/gravel road, and the campground itself is rather small. Set up in a big loop, where you park on the outside and basically camp on the inside. There are several sites off the loop near the horse sites too. ||Sites aren't especially level, but there's a picnic table at every site, and this campground is worth getting to. Bison, prairie dogs, and coyotes roamed through the campsite, getting close enough that you could reach out and touch them (don't. Definitely don't.)||There are trails...but I'm not sure I'd walk them. You're likely to find bison sharing the same trails. Pit toilets are available, and were kept clean. We would 100% stay again, but make sure to get there early. We arrived at 4 PM and by 5 the place was full.

Very windy. Not every spot had a covered table. The covers did not block the wind. We got some excellent night time photography and it felt safe. Plenty of vault toilets. The coyotes made wonder background noise and didn't bother campers.

Staying here was the highlight of our trip. Such a cool experience having the bison walk right through your campsite!! We woke up to one breathing right outside our tent. If you give them space and move slowly they are fine, and eventually go on their way. The prairie dogs were fun too. It was very quiet at night and the night sky was beautiful! The bathrooms were clean as well.

Sage Creek is definitely not for everyone, but I love it. Pit toilets and no water aren’t the most fun but it’s a pretty good way to keep some of the riffraff away. Being a somewhat inconvenient distance from anywhere is also a big plus because you’ll have a much more intimate experience with wildlife and nature, especially compared to the enormous campground on the east side of the park. It gets crowded, but if you get there early, you’re likely to find a site. Afternoons are generally hot, so be prepared. A tarp can help, especially if you score a site with a shelter. Steer clear of the bison. They’ll wander into your site, so be prepared and keep your distance. One of the campers got head butted just after we left the campground this year.