Seeing Badlands National Park from a plane5 ★

Eroded buttes and pinnacles banded in tan, pink and gray, with some of the richest fossil mammal beds in the world. Look for the jagged pale wall where the South Dakota prairie suddenly breaks off.

26 of our routes pass it. South Dakota · rated 5 of 10

The easy pick

Denver to Munich: sit on the left, 35 min after takeoff.

Which side, by route

RouteSideWhen
Atlanta to BozemanRight143 min after takeoff
Atlanta to SpokaneRight157 min after takeoff
Chicago to PortlandLeft100 min after takeoff
Chicago to VancouverRight100 min after takeoff
Chicago to JacksonRight103 min after takeoff
Dallas-Fort Worth to Rapid CityRight
Best seat for the whole flight: left
on the way down
Denver to MunichLeft35 min after takeoff
Denver to Devils LakeRight39 min after takeoff
Denver to Rapid CityRight
Best seat for the whole flight: left
on the way down
Houston to EdmontonRight113 min after takeoff
Minneapolis to SacramentoLeft64 min after takeoff
Minneapolis to Rapid CityLefton the way down
Minneapolis to San JoseLeft65 min after takeoff
Philadelphia to SeattleLeft
Best seat for the whole flight: right
182 min after takeoff
Raleigh/Durham to SeattleRight167 min after takeoff
Sacramento to MinneapolisLeft118 min after takeoff
Salt Lake City to MinneapolisRight
Best seat for the whole flight: left
59 min after takeoff
Salt Lake City to BostonLeft60 min after takeoff
Salt Lake City to DetroitLeft62 min after takeoff
San Francisco to PhiladelphiaLeft121 min after takeoff
San Francisco to MinneapolisRight
Best seat for the whole flight: left
123 min after takeoff
San Francisco to PittsburghLeft126 min after takeoff
Seattle to CharlestonLeft111 min after takeoff
Seattle to OmahaLeft111 min after takeoff
Seattle to NashvilleLeft
Best seat for the whole flight: right
113 min after takeoff
Seattle to AtlantaLeft117 min after takeoff

From the real paths of every nonstop on these routes in the last 10 days, at the usual time of day. Where the best seat for the whole flight is on the other side, you'd trade this sight for more elsewhere.

Questions

Which side of the plane do you see Badlands National Park from?

It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (15 of 26). The table lists each route's side.

When can you see Badlands National Park from a plane?

Near the airport, on the climb or on the way down, and mid-flight on longer routes: see the table for each route.

Do clouds matter?

Yes. These answers assume a clear day. Within 3 days of your flight, pick your exact flight in the app for the cloud forecast.

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