Best Hikes in Badlands National Park (plus map and tips!)
Looking for some amazing hikes in Badlands National Park? We got you covered! We’ll share our favorite Badlands hikes with you, plus give you our best tips and tricks to help you plan!
Hiking in Badlands National Park is a must-do when visiting this South Dakota gem. Sure, you can see a ton of amazing scenery right from the comfort of your car while driving the Badlands Loop Road through the park. But stepping out onto the trails in the Badlands will get you up close and personal to these moon-like formations and really make you feel like you’ve somehow teleported to another planet.
The Badlands are one of the most photogenic places we’ve ever been, and when you hike, the Badlands become your own personal playground!
But before we get into the amazing hikes in Badlands National Park, take a look at our complete Badlands guide that goes over everything you need to know about planning your visit to the Badlands, from things to do, to best times to visit, to costs, camping, and more.
Ok, now that that’s out of the way, let’s get into our favorite Badlands National Park hikes!
In this Badlands National Park hiking guide:
Badlands National Park Hiking Map
Before we get into our favorite hiking trails in Badlands National Park, we wanted to share this Badlands National Park trail map with you so you can get oriented to the park and the locations of the various hikes.
A Badlands National Park trail map taken from the park brochure
As you can see, all of the maintained Badlands hikes are located very close to the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, not too far past the Northeast Entrance station on Badlands Loop Road.
Many of the Badlands National Park hikes are also pretty short and easy, making it possible to do several, if not all, of these hikes in just one day in the park!
We recommend getting an early start to the day to get many hikes done early before the mid- afternoon heat really sets in.
Best Hikes in Badlands National Park
Alright, here they are! This list of Badlands hikes goes in the order you would find them in if driving the park from east to west on the Badlands Loop Road.
The Notch Trail
Distance: 1.4 miles round trip
Difficulty: Moderate
Views from the Notch Trail hike in Badlands National Park
The Notch Trail is definitely our favorite hike in Badlands National Park – and a favorite of many others as well.
This Badlands hike is short, but it takes you through some pretty scenic sections of the Badlands out to an overlook of the White River Valley. And honestly, the final overlook here isn’t what makes this hike so great. Rather, it’s the journey to get there that makes it amazing, as you will have to climb up a tall log ladder up the wall of some Badlands, and then hike across narrow ledges with a tiny bit of scrambling. Plus, you get to walk right through the Badlands and experience these formations up close.
Climbing the log ladder on the Notch Trail in the Badlands
Walking across the ledge on the Notch Trail
This Badlands hike is probably the most challenging on the list, but it’s also the most fun! We would highly recommend this hike to anyone coming to the park, except probably for those who are scared of heights or exposed ledges.
How to get to the Notch Trail in Badlands National Park: The Notch trailhead is located on the east side of Badlands Loop Road, about half way between the Northeast Entrance station and the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. It has a huge parking lot, as it shares the same lot with three other trailheads. If you are planning on doing just the Notch Trail, park on the far right side of the lot, as this is where the Notch Trail begins.
The Door Trail
Distance: 0.5 miles round trip
Difficulty: Easy
We really felt like we were on the moon on this Badlands National Park hike!
The Door Trail in Badlands National Park comes in as a close second for our favorite hike in the Badlands.
This trail is super short, and quite easy – it’s a flat boardwalk the entire way. When you get to the end of this maintained trail, you come through a gap in the badlands known as “the door”, where you can admire the views from the overlook.
The beginning of the Door Trail in Badlands National Park - a short, flat, easy boardwalk
However, from here, you can venture off the boardwalk and wander around as you please! While you can explore wherever, there are posts in the ground that you can follow to take you through the rock features and guide you back to the maintained trail when you’re done. We’d recommend sticking to these, or at least always keeping them in sight.
There is some crazy scenery once you venture off the boardwalk on this Badlands hike!
Playing on the badlands along the Door Trail!
This region of the Badlands is honestly the place where we felt most like we were on the moon! The dense collection of features here really makes it otherworldly, and we highly recommend taking some time to adventure here if you’re able!
How to get to the Door Trail in Badlands National Park: This Badlands trail shares the same lot as the Notch Trail, except it’s all the way on the other end (far left side of the lot). It’s actually quite a bit of a walk from one side to the other, so come expecting that! You can always just drive from one end to the other for each respective trail, too, which sounds excessive, but you’ll see what I mean when you get there!
The Window Trail
Distance: 0.3 miles round trip
Difficulty: Easy
The start of the Window Trail in Badlands National Park
The Window Trail is another flat and easy hike in Badlands National Park. It can be easily combined with both the Notch and Door Trails as they all share the same parking lot. Of the three hikes, this is the least interesting in my opinion, but still worth doing since it’s right there and so quick and easy.
The Window Trail is a flat walk out to a viewpoint over the Badlands, and there are some features to observe or play on along the way.
Exploring the badlands along the Window Trail
How to get to the Window Trail in Badlands National Park: This shares the lot with the Door and Notch Trails, so it’s quite easy to combine all three Badlands hikes at the same time! This one is located more in the middle of the lot.
Cliff Shelf Nature Trail
Distance: 0.5 miles round trip
Difficulty: Easy
This hike in the Badlands is a short interpretive out and back trail that involves climbing about 200 feet up a set of stairs to an overlook of the White River Valley.
We would only recommend this Badlands trail if you don’t plan on doing the Notch Trail, as you get pretty much the same view as you would from the overlook along the Notch Trail (and if you had to pick one, we would definitely recommend the Notch Trail over this one!). In fact, you can see the stairs of the Nature Trail right from the Notch Trail overlook.
This is the view over the Cliff Shelf Nature Trail from the end of the Notch Trail. If you look in the dip in the badland feature in the foreground, you can see the staircase at the end of the Cliff Shelf Nature Trail. Behind that, you can see the walking path, and then the parking lot. In the far distance in the right is the Badlands Visitor Center.
However, if you have a fear of heights and aren’t keen on doing the ladder portion of the Notch Trail, this is a good alternative hike in Badlands National Park.
How to get to the Cliff Nature Trail in Badlands National Park: This trailhead is located just a little bit further west from the Notch Trailhead along Badlands Loop Road, right before reaching the Visitor Center.
Fossil Exhibit Trail
Distance: 0.25 miles round trip
Difficulty: Easy (and wheelchair accessible)
The Fossil Exhibit Trail is an easy walk in Badlands National Park
The Fossil Exhibit Trail is well worth a stop along any Badlands National Park itinerary. It’s a short and sweet hike through the Badlands and gives you a glimpse into the early life that once called the Badlands their home. Along an easy and flat boardwalk, interpretive signs and fossil replicas serve as a good reminder as to what makes the Badlands so important and special.
How to get to the Fossil Exhibit Trail in Badlands National Park: This Badlands trail is located a bit further west along Park Loop Road, but still only a few miles west of the Visitor Center.
Castle Trail/Saddle Pass Trail/Medicine Root Trail
Distances
Castle Trail: 5 miles point to point
Saddle Pass Trail: 0.25 miles point to point
Medicine Root Trail: 2 miles point to point
The start of the Castle Trail in Badlands National Park
We’ve lumped together these three Badlands National Park hikes because they are often linked together in some way or another and all travel through a similar part of the park.
Admittedly, we didn’t do any of these trails…we started hiking down the Castle Trail, but an incoming storm forced us to turn around early.
If you want to have a longer, slightly more remote experience on the hiking trails in the Badlands, these would be a good pick.
The Castle Trail
The Castle Trail is the longest hike in Badlands National Park. It’s mostly flat, but weaves its way in and out and up and down some fun Badlands formations.
Walking through the badlands at the start of the Castle Trail hike in Badlands National Park
Because it is a point to point trail, you have a couple ways to compete this Badlands hike. It can either be done as a very long out and back 10 mile hike, or, even better, you can do this as a shuttle hike if you have a second car in your group. Alternatively, some people choose to start at one end of the Castle Trail and just hike a few miles in and back to get a taste of the trail. Finally, you can also combine parts of the Castle Trail with the Saddle Pass and Medicine Root Trails to make a loop. Some good options to do this would be:
Start at the Saddle Pass trailhead and hike up the Saddle Pass Trail to the junction with the Castle and Medicine Root Trail. Take the Medicine Root Trail until it meets back up with the Castle Trail. Follow the Castle Trail back to the junction with the Saddle Pass Trail, which you will then take back to your car.
Start at one end of the Castle Trail and hike to the junction with the Medicine Root Trail. Continue along the Medicine Root Trail until it meets back up with the Castle Trail. Take the Castle Trail back to your car.
These combination options wouldn’t really decrease your mileage for the day versus doing the entire Castle Trail as an out and back, but it would allow you to see different scenery along most of the hike instead of repeating the entire trail twice.
How to get to the Castle Trail in Badlands National Park: One end of the Castle Trail starts from the same parking lot as the Notch, Door and Window Trails. Park here and the trailhead is found across the road. The other end is found at the same lot as the Fossil Exhibit Trail. Again, you’ll park in the lot and have to cross the road.
The Saddle Pass Trail
The Saddle Pass Trail is a short but steep trail that climbs up a headwall of the Badlands to the top of a plateau where it meets up with the Castle Trail. This trail usually is not done on its own, as it’s very short, but from the top you can get good views down along the Loop Road. Again, a good option would be to make a loop, connecting this trail, the entirety of the Medicine Root Trail, and part of the Castle Trail. Or you can simply take this trail up to the Castle Trail, and walk as far down the Castle Trail in either direction as you’d like before turning around and retracing your steps back to your car.
How to get to the Saddle Pass Trail in Badlands National Park: This Badlands hike is located along Badlands Loop Road, about half way between the Visitor Center and the Fossil Exhibit Trail. It’s a small parking lot on the North side of the road that could be hard to miss, so keep your eyes peeled!
The Medicine Root Trail
The Medicine Root Trail is a unique hike in Badlands National Park in that it wanders through prairie rather than badland formations, though you do get a view of the Badlands off in the distance. This trail is a point to point hike that connects at two different points along the Castle Trail, making it a good trail for a loop hike from either end of the Castle Trail.
How to get to the Medicine Root Trail in Badlands National Park: There is no direct parking lot for this hike in the Badlands. Instead, you must hike to either end of the trail by hiking up the Saddle Pass Trail or up the Castle Trail from either end.
Badlands National Park's open hike policy
While the Badlands hikes mentioned above are the only maintained trails in Badlands National Park, you actually have more options!
This park is unique in that they have what’s called an open hike policy, meaning you can hike off trail and basically hike anywhere you want.
While technically the park is free reign, there are two common areas where people hike off trail and typically where they also choose to go backpacking:
Deer Haven. Starting from the Conata Picnic Area, this is a 2.5 mile one way social trail (meaning it’s unmarked and unmaintained by the park).
Sage Creek Wilderness Area. Starting from multiple places along Sage Creek Rim Road, you can follow primarily game trails created by bison and other wildlife into the remote backcountry. These are pretty easily spotted from the Sage Creek campground and the Sage Creek Basin Overlook.
Here are just a few things to remember if you decide to hike off-trail in Badlands National Park, or if you decide to backcountry camp:
There are no permits to hike off trail or to even backcountry camp in Badlands National Park! But we highly recommend you stop into the Visitor Center and speak with a ranger about your plans so you can get good intel on conditions and routes.
Bring some sort of GPS and navigation system.
Bring plenty of water. There is basically zero opportunity for filtering water in the Badlands’ backcountry.
There are no campfires allowed in the backcountry.
You must set up camp at least a half mile away from any road or designated trail.
Keep a safe distance from any wildlife you encounter (at least 100 feet), especially bison.
If you’re properly prepared, you can certainly make your own off the beaten path hiking adventure in the Badlands! While we think the hikes in Badlands National Park that we mentioned above are really awesome and a great way to explore the park, off trail hiking is great way to experience solitude and escape the crowds.
Badlands National Park Hiking Itinerary
Now that you know all the best hikes in Badlands National Park, it’s time to figure out how to squeeze them all into your Badlands itinerary!
So, the first question is, how much time do you need to hike in the Badlands? If you’re a fast and strong hiker, you can definitely do all the maintained hikes in Badlands National Park in just one day! We wouldn’t necessarily say there’s a need to do all the trails, though. We also wouldn’t recommend trying to do all of them particularly if you’re there in the hot summer months. You would need to be hiking all day, including in the mid-afternoon sun, which would be kind of rough. We would probably only attempt to hike all day in the cooler early spring and late fall months.
If you’re short on time or only want to do a few representative trails in the Badlands, we would recommend The Notch Trail, the Door Trail, and the Fossil Exhibit Trail.
Here is our suggestion for a one day Badlands hiking itinerary:
After watching the sunrise from the Big Badlands Overlook just past the Northeast Entrance, head straight for the Notch Trail. Do this first to avoid crowds and heat, as it’s one of the most strenuous and popular trails in Badlands National Park.
While you’re in the lot, do the Door and Window trails…mine as well!
Continue west along the Loop Road. If you’re short on time, we would suggest skipping the Cliff Shelf Nature Trail. Instead, continue onto the Visitor Center and stop into the Fossil Prep Lab.
Check out the Fossil Exhibit Trail.
Continue along the Loop Road for the rest of the day, stopping at the various overlooks and catching sunset at the end of the day.
If you have two days in Badlands National Park, we would recommend saving the Castle Trail (and potentially linking it with the Medicine Root and Saddle Pass Trails) for the second day of hiking in the Badlands. You’ll want to start these early, as they are a bit longer and so you can avoid being on these trails in the midday heat.
Tips for Hiking in Badlands National Park
Start any big or long hikes early (I know we keep saying this but it’s so true!). This will help avoid hiking in the midday heat, but also help you avoid the midday and afternoon crowds that can be found on hikes in Badlands National Park.
Know your limits. It’s tempting to wander off and climb up the badlands formations, but often times it’s harder getting down than up! In fact, the most common injury in the park is fractured and sprained ankles. The formations are actually softer and more crumbly than they look, so especially stay away from any ledges or precarious looking areas along trails or overlooks.
Avoid hiking when it’s wet out. The badlands formations found along the trails in Badlands National Park can become slippery and dangerous when wet.
Check park conditions and trail/road status here.
Be sure to check weather before hiking in Badlands National Park. Especially in the summer, storms are common and you don’t want to be out on an exposed hiking trail when one of those come rolling in!
Keep at least 100 feet from any wildlife you encounter on the trails in the Badlands.
Speaking of wildlife, when hiking in the Badlands, keep your eye out for rattlesnakes and stinging insects that can be found throughout the park. We never saw any on the main Badlands trails, but they could be more prominent if you plan to go off trail or deeper into the backcountry.
If you see wildlife on the trails, be sure to keep your distance when hiking in the Badlands!
Best Time to Hike in Badlands National Park
We would say the best time to hike in Badlands National Park would be the shoulder seasons of spring and fall, mostly due to weather considerations. The weather in the Badlands ranges from sub zero temps to dangerous heat…it truly is a place of extremes, and avoiding those extremes would make for a more enjoyable Badlands hiking experience!
Here’s a brief rundown of the different seasons in the Badlands:
Summer in Badlands National Park is both hot and busy. And by hot, we mean it can reach over 100 degrees. In a park that’s super dry with little shade and a strong sun, that kind of temperature can get quite uncomfortable, and dangerous. When we were in the park in July, it was in the low 90s, and the heat really started getting to us by mid-afternoon. If you’re in the park in the middle of summer, save all hikes in Badlands National Park for early morning or late afternoon/evening, and bring tons of water. Also, summer in the Badlands is rainy, with frequent thunderstorms that can even produce hail, so be sure to keep a close eye on the forecasts.
Summer in Badlands National Park brings stormy weather, but also beautiful rainbows!
Winter in the Badlands is cold and snowy, with 1-2 feet of snow dropping each year, making hiking in the Badlands difficult this time of year.
Spring and fall bring more moderate temperatures and smaller crowds, which is why we think that this would be the best time to hike in Badlands National Park.
You can check the average monthly temperatures here to get an idea of the weather in Badlands National Park.
What to Pack for Hiking in Badlands National Park
Aside from the essentials, here are some things we would specifically recommend when hiking in Badlands National Park:
Hiking boots – you want to wear shoes with good grip if you plan on walking along and exploring the formations.
Water – and lots of it! At least a gallon per day.
Layers and rain gear – in case storms and rain roll in.
Park map – pick one up at the entrance station or visitor center. If you don’t plan to hike off trail, there’s really no need for anything more extensive in our opinion, as all the trails are well marked and easy to navigate, and many are short and interpretive trails that are impossible to lose your way on. But if you plan to go into the backcountry and head off trail, make sure to bring a more extensive topographic map and navigational system to find your way.
Hat and sunscreen – there is zero shade on any of the trails in Badlands National Park so you’ll want to bring your own protection from the brutal sun. This is true even in the cooler months, because the sun is strong here all year long!
Food/snacks – the only place to get food inside the park is at the Cedar Pass Lodge. If you’ll be on the trails all day, make sure to pack your own lunch and plenty of snacks.
More Things to Do in and Near Badlands National Park
Looking for more to do in the area after you’re done exploring all the best hikes in Badlands National Park?
We have a bunch more guides on how to make Badlands National Park a part of a longer South Dakota road trip! Check them out here for more information on places near Badlands National Park that you can put on your South Dakota itinerary, such as Custer State Park, Wind Cave National Park, and Mt. Rushmore!
WIND CAVE NATIONAL PARK - Explore the underground world in this famous cave. Learn how in our ultimate Wind Cave guide.
CUSTER STATE PARK- Discover epic hikes and scenic drives…oh, and lots of bison! Check out all the amazing things to do in Custer State Park.
MOUNT RUSHMORE - Read our Mount Rushmore guide to get tips to plan your visit.
SOUTH DAKOTA ROAD TRIP ITINERARY - South Dakota itineraries for one day to one week!
PETER NORBECK SCENIC BYWAY- Learn how to drive this epic South Dakota scenic drive in just a day!
We hope this guide gives you some insight on all the fun hikes in Badlands National Park, and helps you plan your own epic trip to this amazing piece of South Dakota. Which Badlands hikes are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments!