Red Shirt Table Overlook

The best views in the Badlands National Park are at their highest point at the Red Shirt Table Overlook where you can see the entire geologic section of the park with beautiful and colorful vistas. Even though this is an excellent opportunity for picture taking, the long, roundabout journey to this unassuming pull-off can be overwhelming. If you want to take the best pictures possible, you'll first have to follow a short trail to the edge of the Badlands. You'll detour past a barbed-wire fence, then descend a slope of sand, and head straight before you stop at a drop-off. The long traveling distance from the overlook from the central park keeps the crowds of people at bay. The recommended route to take to this destination (because of the rather rough road conditions) is to head south on South Dakota Highway 79 from Rapid City and continue straight for about 30 miles until you see a sign on the east side of the road for Red Shirt Table Overlook.