November in Badlands National Park is a shoulder month: highs around 50°F, lows around 26°F. Crowds: very quiet — #9 busiest of the park's 12 months. Crowds gone, services shrinking, the first real cold. The editorial best window here is May & September–October. You get about 9h 40m of daylight. To finish Cliff Shelf Nature Trail (15m) before dark, leave the trailhead by about 4:08 PM.
Month data reviewed · how we check this
| Verdict | Shoulder Quiet and rewarding if you accept reduced services or weather. |
|---|---|
| Temps °F | 50° high / 26° low |
| Crowds | very quiet · #9 busiest of the park's 12 months |
| What November is like | Crowds gone, services shrinking, the first real cold |
| 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 NOVEMBER 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 NOVEMBER 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 50°F. TRAILS WE HAVE NOT MEASURED ARE LEFT OUT RATHER THAN GUESSED
WHAT NOVEMBER ASKS OF YOU HEREBadlands National Park in December — Tough, highs around 39°F, crowds: very quiet.
Our verdict for November is "Shoulder". Quiet and rewarding if you accept reduced services or weather. Expect highs around 50°F and lows around 26°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. November itself we rate "Shoulder".
December we rate "Tough" against "Shoulder" for November, with highs around 39°F and crowds at the "very quiet" level.
About 9h 40m on November 15: the sun rises around 6:44 AM and sets around 4:24 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 November 15 you would need to leave the trailhead by about 4:08 PM to finish before dark — the sun sets around 4:24 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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