Wall

"Window to the West"

Population: 834 • Elevation: 2,832

Perched high on the edge of sunburned cliffs, Wall takes its name from the rugged ramparts that form the north rim of South Dakota’s Badlands. It is a "gateway" community to Badlands National Park, and offers year-round motels, campgrounds, restaurants and auto services. Home of the famous Wall Drug Store where the promise of "free ice water" brought in thirsty travelers on their long trek across South Dakota.

Wall boasts of 11 motels, 7 restaurants, bed and breakfasts, museums, campgrounds, auto services, a medical clinic and a golf course.

Badlands National Park
Travel SD Hwy. 240 south to a region so ruthlessly ravaged by wind and water that it has become a scenic wonderland of chiseled spires, ragged ridges and canyons. For the adventurer, hike the Saddle Pass Trail or the Castle Trail. The Fossil Exhibit Trail is a National Scenic Trail and is one of the most heavily used of all park facilities, giving visitors a glimpse into the park's distant past.

There's more as Badlands National Park also preserves the world's greatest fossil beds of animals from the Oligocene Epoch of the Age of Mammals. In prehistory, the area was a marsh that supported incredible numbers of saber-toothed cats, miniature camels and horses, and even gigantic rhinoceros-like beasts, called the titanotheres. The Ben Reifel Visitor Center at Cedar Pass is kid-friendly with educational, interactive exhibits. 

Badlands Loop Scenic Byway
The Badlands Loop Scenic Byway takes in the best of Badlands National Park's spectacular overlooks. From I-90, take Exit 131, where Badlands Loop Scenic Byway (SD Hwy. 240) takes you through the park and directly into the high plains of Wall at I-90, Exit 110.

National Grasslands Visitor Center
Find out where to hike, bike, rock hound and hunt on National Grasslands. Black-footed ferret updates — rarest mammal in North America is thriving on the Buffalo Gap National Grassland. Ft. Pierre and Grand River National Grasslands information, theatre, exhibits, bookstore and more. Open year-round. 708 Main, Wall.

Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
Get a first hand look at a once-classified Launch Control Facility. Tour the underground control room and topside support structures for this Minuteman II intercontinental ballistic missile facility, Delta-01.  Tour is two hours and you must make a reservation: (605) 433-5552. Open year-round. Located along I-90 at Exit 131.