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
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta to Bozeman | Right | 143 min after takeoff |
| Atlanta to Spokane | Right | 157 min after takeoff |
| Chicago to Portland | Left | 100 min after takeoff |
| Chicago to Vancouver | Right | 100 min after takeoff |
| Chicago to Jackson | Right | 103 min after takeoff |
| Dallas-Fort Worth to Rapid City | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | on the way down |
| Denver to Munich | Left | 35 min after takeoff |
| Denver to Devils Lake | Right | 39 min after takeoff |
| Denver to Rapid City | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | on the way down |
| Houston to Edmonton | Right | 113 min after takeoff |
| Minneapolis to Sacramento | Left | 64 min after takeoff |
| Minneapolis to Rapid City | Left | on the way down |
| Minneapolis to San Jose | Left | 65 min after takeoff |
| Philadelphia to Seattle | Left Best seat for the whole flight: right | 182 min after takeoff |
| Raleigh/Durham to Seattle | Right | 167 min after takeoff |
| Sacramento to Minneapolis | Left | 118 min after takeoff |
| Salt Lake City to Minneapolis | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | 59 min after takeoff |
| Salt Lake City to Boston | Left | 60 min after takeoff |
| Salt Lake City to Detroit | Left | 62 min after takeoff |
| San Francisco to Philadelphia | Left | 121 min after takeoff |
| San Francisco to Minneapolis | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | 123 min after takeoff |
| San Francisco to Pittsburgh | Left | 126 min after takeoff |
| Seattle to Charleston | Left | 111 min after takeoff |
| Seattle to Omaha | Left | 111 min after takeoff |
| Seattle to Nashville | Left Best seat for the whole flight: right | 113 min after takeoff |
| Seattle to Atlanta | Left | 117 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.
More
Mount Rushmore / Black Hills Devils Tower Laramie Peak Atlanta (ATL) Chicago (MDW) Portland (PDX) Chicago (ORD) All routes