Badlands Tour Company runs private, guided tours of Badlands National Park departing from Rapid City, South Dakota. Founded in 2018 and guiding from Rapid City since 2022, every tour is exclusive to your group, led by a local expert guide, and includes park admission, hotel pickup, snacks, water, and photos taken for you along the way.
We time every departure around the park’s best hours, with golden hour for photography, dusk for wildlife, and full darkness for stargazing in what is now an International Dark Sky Park (certified July 17, 2026, the first in South Dakota). More than 7,500 stars are visible here on a clear night.
Choose your experience below, or contact us and we’ll match the tour to your trip.
$995 for two guests, $350 each extra guest · about 7 hours
Golden hour entry, then a private telescope-and-star-charts session under Bortle Class 2 skies in the new Dark Sky Park.
$995 for two guests, $350 each extra guest · about 7 hours
Biologist-led expedition through the park’s most photogenic overlooks as the light turns gold, then blue.
Seasonal pricing, based on availability · Full day
Bison, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, and prairie dogs on the remote roads most visitors never see.
The Stargazing and Sunset & Golden Hour tours are $995 for two guests plus tax and fees, which works out to $497.50 per person, and $350 for each additional guest, including park admission, hotel pickup, snacks, and water. The full-day Wildlife Expedition is $1,590 for two guests plus tax and fees and $350 for each additional guest, booked by phone at 605-252-9100 because the timing depends on the season. From 15 June to 31 August every tour carries a 15% summer rate. Every departure is private to your group.
The Stargazing and Sunset and Golden Hour tours run about 7 hours and the Wildlife Expedition about 8, including Rapid City pickup and return.
We pick up at accommodations in Rapid City and the surrounding Black Hills area.
The park is stunning year-round; summer offers the warmest stargazing, spring and fall the most active wildlife, and winter the most solitude.
Yes, every tour is private, so routes and pacing adjust to your group.
Guides adapt (sunset photography, landscape interpretation, storytelling); rescheduling is handled case-by-case.
Planning your trip? Read our guides to the best time to visit Badlands National Park, exploring Badlands National Park and what the new Dark Sky Park means for stargazers.
Badlands Tour Company is operated by My XO Adventures LLC, Rapid City, SD.