The interior of the new cabins at Cedar Pass Lodge in Badlands National Park/David and Kay Scott

We recently returned to Badlands National Park in South Dakota for the first time since concessionaire Forever Resorts replaced the historic guest cabins at Cedar Pass Lodge.  We had previously stayed in the old cabins on four or five occasions during travels through southwestern South Dakota.  In each instance it was a one-night stay during the long drive from Yellowstone to the Buffalo River in northern Arkansas.  These previous stops occurred during the dog days of late July or early August when afternoon temperatures in the Badlands generally seemed to be in the high 90s or low 100s and you could fry eggs on the hood of your vehicle.

This year the experience was quite different when we visited in April not long after the lodge had opened for the season. The park in late April was largely vacant with no more than a half dozen cabins rented at Cedar Pass Lodge.  During the first day of our visit a light snow covered portions of the eroded landscape, making for especially beautiful vistas.  During a morning drive along Badlands Loop Road we came across a band of nearly a dozen bighorn sheep lounging beside the road.  We got out of the car to take pictures and the sheep just stared with a look that said, “What’s the big deal?”  We had never spotted even one of these critters during a prior visit.

Out With The Old

The previous cabins at Cedar Pass were relics of an earlier era.  Actually, much earlier and prior to when Badlands was authorized as a national monument, let alone a national park.  Built in 1928 by local businessman Ben Millard and a political friend, the cabins were originally sheathed with bark-covered slabs obtained from nearby lumber mills.   Millard constructed the cabins, a lodge, and a dance hall on land purchased by his sister.  The cabins were modernized in the 1940s, and later in the decade the slab exteriors were replaced with stucco. 

The older cabins that were removed/David and Kay Scott

We’re certain many, if not most, guests found the cabins undersized and crowded (which they were), although we would prefer to call them “funky.”  The dark paneled interiors were mostly consumed with bedding, and the bathrooms had space for one person at a time so long as they held their arms at their sides.  The small complex of 21 cabins plus a cottage was quiet, and spending evenings sitting on the front deck, or on lawn chairs in the grassy area behind the cabins watching the birds, deer, and rabbits, was a pleasure, especially after finishing off an Indian taco at the restaurant. 

Perhaps best of all, the cabins were a bargain.  Our receipt from July 20, 2005, lists the nightly cost at $58.50 with a tax of $2.93.  There were not many national park lodges, even a decade ago, where you could spend a night at that price.  Consider the rustic tent cabins at Grant Grove in Kings Canyon National Park were $58 a night during the same year.

In With The New

The historic cabins at Cedar Grove were replaced in two stages during the 2012 and 2013 seasons.  Constructed in Rapid City and moved to their present location, the 23 cabins are much larger and considerably more elaborate than their predecessors.  The new cabins have a rustic appearance that would prove an equally good fit for Sequoia, Yellowstone, or Shenandoah.  

One of the new cabins at Badlands National Park/David and Kay Scott

The new cabins are energy efficient with heavy insulation, high-efficiency windows, on-demand hot water, and low-flush toilets.  The interior walls are constructed of lumber salvaged from South Dakota pine trees killed by beetles.  Each cabin has heat, air conditioning, hair dryer, ceiling fan, coffeemaker, microwave, television, and a small refrigerator.  The televisions access fewer than a dozen channels, but who cares?  The old cabins had heat and air accompanied by noise similar to that of a jet engine.  There was insufficient space for any of the other amenities that are included in the new cabins.

As you might expect, the cost of a stay in Cedar Pass Lodge has increased since these cabins were brought in.  Actually, they increased substantially, to $176 per night for two adults.  Before you get your dander up, consider this is approximately the price you will pay for a rustic cabin at Colter Bay Village in Grand Teton National Park or a Frontier cabin at Lake Yellowstone Hotel and Cabins.  Neither is nearly as comfortable as the new cabins at Cedar Pass.  Also, the dining facilities at these other two locations don’t offer the famous Cedar Pass Indian tacos.

Visitors to Badlands National Park can still view the historic cabins, some of which have been moved to Circle 10 Campground near the interstate highway north of Cedar Pass.  Although they are no longer rented to travelers, several apparently continue in use as employee housing.