Your Cash Is No Longer Good at South Dakota’s Badlands National Park
If you're planning a trip to Badlands National Park in Western South Dakota, there are several things you'll need on your packing list, like comfortable shoes, sunscreen, and plenty of water.
But there is one thing you leave off your packing list.
Cash.
South Dakota National Park Goes Cashless
Effective at the beginning of this month (March 2023), the park joined a number of other National Park Service (NPS) facilities by going completely cashless for entrance and permit fees.
That means your only payment options are mobile or electronic.
Entrance passes must now be purchased in advance at Recreation.gov or through the Recreation.gov application. Visitors purchasing from Recreation.gov will have a digital pass they can store on a mobile device or print out.
According to the NPS website:
'Moving to a cashless system allows parks to be better stewards of visitor dollars by reducing the amount of time park staff spend managing cash, increasing the amount of fee revenue available to support critical projects and visitor services, and improving accountability and reducing risk.'
America the Beautiful annual and lifetime passes will still be honored with proper identification.
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