There is a hike for everyone at Badlands National Park. That’s right I’m saying it, “Get out of your car and take a hike!” No, seriously, while the drive through the park is amazing, Badlands is a place to hit the trail and kick up some dust. Whether you’re looking for a short hike on the boardwalk or a trek though towering spires and flat-topped buttes, this Badlands Hiking Trail Guide will help you find your perfect hike (or hikes).

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Badlands National Park was our first national park since returning from our European adventure and getting back on the road with Stan the Tan Van. While Liana and I have both been to the Badlands before (I believe all Midwest families road trip here), my memories of the Badlands mostly consist of glancing out the window between rounds of Tetris on my Game Boy. Or I may have caught a glance when I had to roll down the window for some air because someone couldn’t hold it in—yes, it was me.

Named Mako Sica or “Bad Lands” by the Lakota people, the area has been explored and hunted for over 10,000 years. Badlands is a very accurate name. Frigid winters, hot summers, and strong winds kept the land from being settled. However, this harsh weather has shaped the area into a seemingly endless landscape of giant sand castles and deep canyons.

Whether I wanted redemption from my previous visit, we were just excited to be at our first national park of the summer, or Liana needed some air after being in the van with me for 3 days, we were determined to get out and hike the Badlands.

Disclaimer: We didn’t actually hike all the Badlands. That would be crazy, it’s like 244,000 acres. Badlands National Park maintains an open backcountry policy, which allows hikers to explore the off-trail terrain. Sorry, we didn’t do that. What we did do was traverse the established trails in the park. This Badlands Hiking Trail Guide will show you how to really explore this amazing national park by foot.

Ultimate Badlands Hiking Trail Guide

Window Trail

This a very short and easy, .25 mile trail. It’s located just a few miles from the visitor center toward the east entrance. The parking lot is also the trailhead to Notch Trail, Door Trail, and across the street from Castle Trail—so it’s a good place to start exploring. This trail leads to a natural window in the Badlands wall. Through the opening you will be greeted with a majestic view of the eroded canyon.

Door Trail

The Door Trail is easily accessible from the north end of the parking lot. The first .25 miles is boardwalk and leads to a break in the Badlands wall known as the “door.” You can continue another .25 miles through an unmaintained trail. We actually hiked this trail twice—once in the afternoon and once for sunrise. The views do not disappoint!

Notch Trail

The trail starts in a small canyon before climbing up the canyon wall by means of a 30 foot ladder. After traversing a cliff for another .5 miles you are rewarded with an amazing view of the White River Valley. I really liked this trail, it was fun and mildly challenging. Definitely not for those who have a fear of heights.

Castle Trail/Medicine Root Trail

We were feeling a bit overzealous when we planned to do this hike and combine the Castle Trail with the Medicine Root Trail for an 11 total mile trek. While mostly flat, there were a few areas of scrambling through fields of beautifully eroded formations. We even ran into a small flock of bighorn sheep (it’s a flock, right?) on the Castle Trail.

The Castle trail meets with the Saddle Pass trail—a short walk up from the main road and continues to the Fossil Exhibit Trail—a boardwalk with (you guessed it) fossil exhibits.

On the way back to the trailhead we took the slightly longer Medicine Root Trail. If you’re hiking this in the summer, we recommend starting early. The cool mornings quickly turn into blistering hot afternoons. Another option is to break this hike into two shorter hikes.

Cliff Shelf Trail

We couldn’t actually hike this trail because the lot was closed for repair, but this .5 mile loop trail follows boardwalks and climbs stairs through a juniper forest along the Badlands Wall. A small pond occasionally exists in the area and draws wildlife, such as deer or bighorn sheep. You can see this trail from the lookout of the Notch Trail.

Fossil Exhibit Trail

This is a short and easy trail right off the main road. It’s a .25 mile boardwalk loop. The trail features exhibits and fossil replicas of now extinct animals that once roamed the land such as tiny horses and saber-tooth cats. Because of the constant erosion, fossils are being uncovered all the time. Remember if you see a fossil, leave it and report it to a ranger. There was another small flock of bighorn sheep here, so be ready for some wildlife photos!

Saddle Pass Trail

This short but strenuous climb from the road will give you a great view of the White River Valley. We actually didn’t do the climb ourselves because the end of this trail is the intersection of the Medicine Root and Castle trail. Because of its proximity to those two trails it can be a great place make a 4 mile loop around the Medicine Root and Castle Trail.

Get out and Hike!

Because of the heavy erosion that is still happening all the time, the Badlands are getting smaller every day. The park estimates it loses about an inch a year. At this rate the Badlands may only be around another 500,000 years—so you better get there quick. Oh, one last interesting fact: the landscape was 2 feet lower than the last time I visited. Do you know what that means? I’m old!

What’s your favorite way to explore? Car, bike, or your own two feet?

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