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Holiday Badlands/White River KOA
Overview
The Holiday Badlands/White River KOA Journey serves as a peaceful oasis situated just minutes from one of the nation’s most dramatic landscapes. Known for its lush surroundings and mature shade trees, this park provides a welcome respite from the intense South Dakota sun. Visitors can expect a well-maintained facility that balances the rugged beauty of the plains with the reliable comforts of the KOA brand. It is a quiet retreat where travelers can unwind after a long day of driving through the expansive prairie.
Location & Surroundings
Nestled in the small town of Interior, the park sits just four miles from the Interior Entrance of Badlands National Park. The property is located near the winding White River, offering a sense of seclusion and natural beauty. While the surrounding terrain is famous for its stark, layered rock formations and grassy plateaus, the campground itself offers a softer, greener environment. Its proximity to the Ben Reifel Visitor Center makes it an ideal basecamp for photographers and hikers wanting to catch the sunrise over the peaks.
Amenities & Park Features
This location is particularly well-known for hosting one of the largest heated swimming pools in the region, which is a favorite for families during the summer months. Practical features include spacious pull-through sites that can accommodate big rigs with ease, clean laundry facilities, and a well-stocked general store for essentials. Children can enjoy the dedicated playground and on-site activities like gem mining, while pet owners will appreciate the KampK9 dog park. High-speed internet access and reliable full hookups ensure a comfortable stay for those balancing work and travel.
Nearby Attractions & Things to Do
The primary draw is undoubtedly the National Park, where visitors can drive the Badlands Loop Road or hike the iconic Notch Trail to spot bighorn sheep and bison. Beyond the rugged trails, travelers can take a short drive to visit the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site to learn about Cold War history. No trip to the area is complete without a stop at the world-famous Wall Drug Store, located about 30 miles away. The surrounding Buffalo Gap National Grassland also offers endless opportunities for birdwatching and scenic drives.
Who This Park Is Best For
This KOA is an excellent choice for families and road-trippers seeking a comfortable home base with plenty of activities to keep children entertained. Because it offers level, big-rig friendly sites, it is also highly recommended for RVers who prioritize ease of access and reliable utility hookups. Whether you are a solo traveler looking for a safe and quiet stopover or an outdoor enthusiast aiming to spend every daylight hour on the trails, this park caters to those who want a blend of adventure and convenience.
Amenities
- Recreational Facilities
- Policies
- Other Amenities & Services
- Recreation Nearby (within 10 miles)
- Discounts
- Facility
- Internet
- On-Site Rentals
- Sites
User Reviews
Jeffery Cole
Good location but needs some work. Camp sites are fairly spacious. Not a lot of shade trees around though. We called the Campground before we arrived to ask a question and they didn’t answer the phone and did not return our phone call and we’re a little bit snarky when we checked in. Bathroom houses and showers, etc. are in rough condition. They need a complete overhaul. It confuses me how these campgrounds make so much money with their prices, but will not reinvest any of that money into their public facilities.
Brandie Lewis
My husband and I stayed in one of the 6-person yurts and absolutely loved it. We were close to the bathrooms and it was tucked away from the road so you didn't hear traffic driving by. There is a nature trail that goes around the KOA. The yurt had a mini fridge, power outlets, a can, heater and extra bedding. I liked how it was elevated off the ground so if for whatever reason the ground flooded, then your protected. Highly recommend staying here in a yurt again.
sarah swenson
TL/DR: DO NOT RENT YURT 2 or 3 (6 person Yurt) if you want/need a truly air conditioned room, especially if you intend to keep a pet inside unattended! We rented Yurt 2, which is advertised as a walled-air conditioned Yurt, with the intention of keeping our dog in the Yurt while we hiked in Badlands NP (dogs not allowed on trails). When we arrived, the indoor temp was well above 90 and we discovered that the Yurt has canvas walls with an under-capacity free standing room AC. We expressed concern to park employees but were told that the AC hadn't been running for a few days, that it would cool off overnight (by morning it was still 70 despite an outside air temp of low 60s), and maintain a safe temp. This was all untrue! The next morning, a different park employee expressed concern when we planned to leave our dog in the Yurt all day. She offered to monitor the indoor temp using her own personal remote temp monitoring device and move our dog if the AC couldn't keep up and the indoor temp reached 80. When the temp reached 80, our dog was moved to Yurt 1, which is solid walled, smaller, and with a mini-split that has effective AC capacity. Back in Yurt 2, despite the shades drawn, and the AC running all day, the room when we returned was over 90 degrees (the air temp that day was in the upper 80s). Not only is this Yurt falsely advertised as air conditioned, this is an extremely dangerous and negligent environment to allow pets. KOA MUST remove the pet option on these Yurts! We are truly grateful to the park employee who was conscientious and ensured our dog was safe. She also moved us to an adequately air conditioned cabin for our 2nd (and last night).
Tia Barrett
We stayed at this location while in the area to visit the Badlands. It is set just outside of a town with less than 100 people so I would recommend making sure you have meals planned as there are not a lot of options outside of the campground. The KOA does offer food through their "food shack", but it isn't available every day of the week. The store/check in location was clean and fully stocked, the bathroom by the front office was clean and the staff members were friendly and helpful! This KOA was amazingly quiet with nice sized sites....especially considering the last KOA we came from. The pool was a little small, but it was a wonderful addition to our stay during a very hot week. If we come through the area in the future, we would stay again. The price was great!
Carolyn Anthon
We opted for this KOA due to the proximity of Badlands NP and the fact we had a party of 6. The reviews online were largely positive and we have no complaints. The cabin was very clean with clean bed linens, blankets and plenty of towels for showering all included. You might wish to have your own beach towels along if you swim a lot. We were traveling light and did fine with what was provided. This site has a lot of outdoor games and areas for kids to play. Everything seemed well-maintained and in good condition. The staff was super friendly and well-informed about the region. Definitely recommend if you want to be close to the national park and camp in comfort.