December in Badlands National Park is a tough month: highs around 39°F, lows around 17°F. Crowds: very quiet — #9 busiest of the park's 12 months. The editorial best window here is May & September–October. You get about 8h 56m of daylight. To finish Cliff Shelf Nature Trail (15m) before dark, leave the trailhead by about 3:57 PM.
Month data reviewed · how we check this
| Verdict | Tough Closures, harsh weather or very limited access — plan carefully. |
|---|---|
| Temps °F | 39° high / 17° low |
| Crowds | very quiet · #9 busiest of the park's 12 months |
| Best window (whole year) | May & September–October |
| Peak crowds (whole year) | Jun–Aug |
CROWDS: RELATIVE SEASONALITY FROM NPS VISITATION STATISTICS · TEMPS: APPROXIMATE NOAA NORMALS AT MAIN VISITOR ELEVATION — HIGH COUNTRY RUNS 10–20°F COLDER
DAYLIGHT ON DECEMBER 15 · LOCAL PARK TIME (MST)COMPUTED FROM THE PARK'S OWN COORDINATES FOR THE 15TH — THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH STANDS FOR IT, AS IT DOES FOR CLIMATE NORMALS. WITHIN A MONTH THESE TIMES SHIFT BY UP TO AN HOUR
LEAVE THE TRAILHEAD BY — TO FINISH BEFORE DARK ON DECEMBER 15WALKING TIMES ESTIMATED FROM EACH TRAIL'S MEASURED DISTANCE AND ELEVATION GAIN — A PLANNING FIGURE, NOT A PACE. ADD YOUR OWN MARGIN FOR PHOTOS, REST AND CROWDS. WATER AT THE COOL-WEATHER RATE, BECAUSE THIS MONTH AVERAGES 39°F. TRAILS WE HAVE NOT MEASURED ARE LEFT OUT RATHER THAN GUESSED
WHAT DECEMBER ASKS OF YOU HEREBadlands National Park in January — Tough, highs around 34°F, crowds: very quiet (roads through the badlands can close in extreme weather).
Our verdict for December is "Tough". Closures, harsh weather or very limited access — plan carefully. Expect highs around 39°F and lows around 17°F, with crowds at the "very quiet" level. Temperatures are approximate NOAA normals at the main visitor elevation; crowd levels follow published NPS visitation statistics.
Across the full 12-month review, the best window is May & September–October, and the peak-crowd months are Jun–Aug. December itself we rate "Tough".
About 8h 56m on December 15: the sun rises around 7:17 AM and sets around 4:13 PM local park time (MST). Computed from the park's own coordinates, so it is the light you actually get at the trailhead, not the nearest city's.
Cliff Shelf Nature Trail takes about 15m of walking, so on December 15 you would need to leave the trailhead by about 3:57 PM to finish before dark — the sun sets around 4:13 PM local park time (MST). Walking times are estimated from each trail's measured distance and elevation gain, so treat them as a planning figure and add your own margin for photos, rest and crowds.
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