Article Overview: Best Hikes in Badlands National Park
With trail names like Window, Door, and the Wall, Badlands National Park will feel like home away from home after a single visit. The park sits on almost 250,000 acres and is over 75 million years in the making, the result of constant erosion and deposition of Earth’s layers.
Just like the bison and bighorn sheep that live on this land, visitors are largely free to roam and explore however they’d like, literally. Badlands has an “Open Hike Policy,” meaning you’re actually encouraged to venture off-trail.
Because of that, it’s crucial to pay attention to warnings and your surroundings while hiking in Badlands National Park. Continue only if you’re confident in your hiking and navigation skills, even on short trails.
let’s explore the fifteen best hikes in Badlands National Park to try on your next visit.
Things to Know Before You Visit Badlands National Park
Entrance Fees
$30 vehicle OR if you plan to visit more National Parks within the next 12 months I suggest you go ahead and purchase the America the Beautiful Pass (which can be found at the entrance gates to most national parks). This pass gets you into all National Parks, Forests, Monuments, and more including 2,000 sites for free after a one time $79 fee.
Sunscreen
Use it. Lots of it. Especially this one which I never leave the house without because it plays nice with our dear friend, earth 🙂
Insect Repellent
If you’re looking for a good insect repellent that plays nice with our good friend earth, we recommend this one or this one if you’re a DEET person.
Guide Book
The Best Guide Book for Badlands National Park is this one, which we’ve marked up and highlighted quite a bit.
Map
The Best Map: I like this map best for Badlands National Park.
National Parks Checklist Map: This beautiful National Parks Checklist Map can be ordered to your house.
Framed National Parks Map: We’re a sucker for maps, this framed national parks map is the best.
Where to Stay in Badlands National Park
Planning a trip to Badlands National Park and haven’t found the right place to stay? This is our favorite hotel in/around Badlands national park.
Top 15 Best Hikes in Badlands National Park
15. Fossil Exhibit Trail
- Distance: 0.4 miles
- Difficulty: Easy
- Elevation Gain: Minimal
- Time Required: Less than 10 minutes
About five minutes west of the park visitor center, Fossil Exhibit Trail has been (accurately!) described as a desert haven for nerds, and that’s a very good thing! As its name implies, Fossil Exhibit Trail is less of a proper hiking trail and more of a boardwalk that also happens to double as an outdoor museum.
Replicas of fossils and creatures that once inhabited the Badlands are thoughtfully placed along the path to create a curated educational experience that park visitors of all ages will enjoy. The exhibits on the trail are tactile and meant to be touched, adding a unique interactive element you don’t get on other hikes in Badlands National Park. Where else can you feel the tough skin or even bones of extinct creatures?
14. Sage Creek Wilderness Loop
- Distance: 21.3 miles
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Elevation Gain: 850 feet
- Time Required: 8 hours up to 3 days
Think of the Sage Creek Wilderness Loop as a choose-your-own-adventure. Unlike the vast majority of hikes in Badlands National Park, Sage Creek is long and pretty challenging.
The only true backpacking experience in the park, many people choose to take a full 2-3 days exploring the loop. However, you can also opt to do smaller sections of the trail. Sage Creek Wilderness is also part of the route to Deer Haven, another popular Badlands hike we’ll discuss later.
Be warned that this is a very poorly marked trail, hence the “wilderness” in the name. It’s not a bad thing; in fact, it’s by design. Remember, the park encourages visitors to hike wherever they want! Still, it’s important to be aware that hiking and/or backpacking the Sage Creek Wilderness requires strong wayfinding skills. In addition to the lack of a maintained trail, there are many faint game trails that can disorient even experienced hikers.
13. Big Badlands Overlook
- Distance: 0.2 miles
- Difficulty: Easy
- Elevation Gain: Minimal
- Time Required: Less than five minutes
Despite the somewhat intimidating name, Big Badlands Overlook is actually one of the most chill “hikes” in Badlands National Park. Note the quotation marks, this short trail is less than a quarter-mile! Big Badlands Overlook is widely considered one of the best places in the park to catch the sunrise, if you’re up for an early morning outing.
Start on this trail by navigating to the Northeast Entrance Station. It’s an easy stroll down a wheelchair- and stroller-friendly boardwalk, leading to an overlook that served as the perfect introduction to the Badlands. Because it’s near an entrance, Big Badlands Overlook has plenty of convenient parking.
12. Sheep Mountain Table Road
- Distance: 14.8 miles
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Elevation Gain: 616 feet
- Time Required: 4 hours, 50 minutes
Sheep Mountain Table Road is one of the more unique hikes in Badlands National Park (and as you’ve probably figured out by now, that’s really saying something!). The hybrid trail, which serves as the border between the park’s North and South units, lets you see the landscape on both two feet and four wheels.
Walk or drive the first five miles up to the overlook from SD Highway 44. After that, you’ll need a four-wheel drive vehicle to manage the 2.5-mile trek in any weather. It’s a surprisingly leisurely walk to the summit, where you’re greeted with panoramic views of the Badlands. The presence of noisy vehicles doesn’t seem to deter local wildlife, so watch out for bighorn sheep and rattlesnakes, whether you’re hiking or driving this trail.
11. Burns Basin Overlook
- Distance: 0.2 miles
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Elevation Gain: Minimal
- Time Required: 5 minutes
Short and stunning are perfect descriptors for this Badlands National Park hike. Burns Basin Overlook is a dirt trail that pulls hikers into the Badlands, wowing with views of layered rock formations that some have described as looking like candy corn. To access the trail itself, take a short detour just to the left of the observation platform.
Move along the ridgeline, or challenge yourself and scramble down into the basin. Closed-toe shoes are recommended, as the loose rocks require careful maneuvering and the trail gets steep in a few spots.
10. Yellow Mounds Overlook
- Distance: 2 miles
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Elevation Gain: Minimal
- Time Required: 1–2 hours
At first glance, Yellow Mounds Overlook appears to be covered with bright yellow dandelions. The mounds’ distinct sunshine-y hue is actually courtesy of fossil soils that reflect the sun’s rays. They’re certainly a sight to see while hiking in Badlands National Park, and you can reach them via Badlands Loop Road near Dillon Pass.
On the trail, you can traverse between the mounds to take in their bewildering size up close. Note that we’re using the term “trail” loosely; there isn’t actually a marked trail here. Regardless of your exact viewpoint, Yellow Mounds Overlook is one of the most picturesque spots in the entire park, so be sure to have your camera out and ready.
9. Cedar Butte Trail
- Distance: 1.3 miles
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Elevation Gain: 111 feet
- Time Required: 30 minutes
Cedar Butte Trail is one of those criminally underrated hikes in Badlands National Park. That may be because it’s in the far less-visited South Unit, and requires passing through a barbed-wire fence. As is customary elsewhere in the park, Cedar Butte isn’t marked, so you’ll also have to look and feel your way around. It’s helpful to know that you follow a ridgeline on a distinct butte for a substantial portion of the trail.
Note that this trail is almost entirely exposed, offering very little shade, and some light rock scrambling is necessary. Some hikers suggest doing this as an out-and-back adventure instead of a loop, to avoid densely-wooded sections on the butte.
8. Window Trail
- Distance: 0.3 miles
- Difficulty: Easy
- Elevation Gain: Minimal
- Time Required: Less than 10 minutes
A “window” of opportunity into the Badlands, the Window Trail cuts through the iconic Badlands Wall. You’ll take a short stroll to the observation area, where you can gaze down on the massive canyon.
The entire trail only takes a few minutes, making it a perfectly suitable Badlands National Park hike for even little ones or new hikers. You can reach the Window Trail from Badlands Loop Road, and it begins from the south end of the lot. Of the three trails that start from this trailhead, the Window Trail is the easiest and shortest.
7. Medicine Root and Castle Trail Loop
- Distance: 4 miles
- Difficulty: Easy
- Elevation Gain: 111 feet
- Time Required: 1 hour, 15 mins
The Medicine Root Loop is not a standalone trail and doesn’t even have its own trailhead. Instead, you access it by way of either the Castle or Saddle Pass trails. It spurs from one section of Castle Trail, then connects again near its intersection with Saddle Pass.
You’ll navigate through undulating terrain defined primarily by prairie grass and distant views of badlands formations. In the summer, wildflowers put on quite a show. Truthfully, the main Castle Trail is far more interesting overall and the views are better, but Medicine Root is one of the best Badlands National Park hikes for folks looking for solitude or a few extra miles.
6. Cliff Shelf Trail
- Distance: 0.5 miles
- Difficulty: Easy
- Elevation Gain: 65 feet
- Time Required: 10-15 minutes
The Cliff Shelf Trail has some rarely found gems among Badlands National Park hikes: shade, stairs, and seating. This trail is just a half-mile loop around a man-made boardwalk, and its mild elevation makes it easy for little ones and novice hikers to manage. Some parts of the trail are also ADA-friendly.
While this trail is conveniently accessible from Ben Reifel Visitor Center and one of the shorter hikes in Badlands National Park, it’s also one of the most visually appealing. Cliff Shelf Trail is an excellent place to catch the sunset while resting under a juniper tree.
5. Saddle Pass Trail
- Distance: 0.7 miles
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Elevation Gain: 216 feet
- Time Required: 20-30 minutes
Don’t let the short distance fool you, Saddle Pass Trail is one of the most challenging hikes in Badlands National Park. The unusually colorful trail ascends up and over the Wall in less than half a mile round-trip, taking you through the heart of the park’s stunning rock formations. You’ll carefully climb up the Wall on a path that is sometimes slippery or steep (or both!), but still, most hikers complete the trail in about 30 minutes.
Trailhead parking is conveniently found along the park’s main Badlands Loop Road, making it easy to add Saddle Pass onto even the most tightly-packed Badlands National Park itinerary.
4. Deer Haven
- Distance: 7 miles
- Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous
- Elevation Gain: 225 feet
- Time Required: A few hours to overnight
Part of the Sage Creek Wilderness, Deer Haven is a network of loosely defined game trails that lead to an aptly-named oasis of juniper trees, where deer are known to congregate. The lush juniper forest appears seemingly out of nowhere, in stark contrast to the harsh surrounding landscape that defines most hikes in Badlands National Park.
Most people prefer to access Deer Haven from the Conata Basin Picnic Area, close to where most of the trees are concentrated. From here, work your way around the badlands until you see Deer Haven itself. You can’t miss it, look for all the green! Hikers can also go right over the badlands, but the constant up and down, combined with treacherous terrain, makes this rather strenuous.
3. Castle Trail
- Distance: 10.3 miles out-and-back or 5.1 miles point-to-point
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Elevation Gain: 305 feet
- Time Required: 3 hours
One of the longer, most popular, and challenging hikes in Badlands National Park, Castle Trail is versatile because you can start at either end. Choose between starting from the Fossil Exhibit trailhead or the Door, Window, and Notch trailhead (we haven’t gotten to those yet, but they all start from the same place), then hike toward the other side. Either way, you’ll experience all five thrilling miles of the trail.
The Castle Trail really gives you the opportunity to see the Badlands in all its rugged glory. Wander through open prairies, weave in and out of towering rock formations, and wave hello to bighorn sheep you spot in the distance. Be warned that rattlesnakes are notorious visitors right along the trail, particularly in warm weather months.
Note that because this is a point-to-point hike, you can cut the total distance in half if you have a second vehicle available. The distance is manageable, but since you’ll retrace your steps on the way out and not see anything new, a DIY shuttle is a great option.
Be sure to check out our full guide on hiking the Castle Trail!
2. The Door Trail
- Distance: 0.9 miles
- Difficulty: Easy
- Elevation Gain: Minimal
- Time Required: Less than 20 minutes
The Door Trail is one of just a few hikes in Badlands National Park that takes you behind the Wall. In fact, the “door” is an opening in the Wall itself! At just eight-tenths of a mile, it’s one of the park’s least strenuous trails, but it still offers a chance to get up close and personal with the spires and buttes that make the Badlands landscape so famous.
The boardwalk at the start of the trail leads you to an observation area, where you’ll be enveloped by the surrounding canyons. Just off the boardwalk, you’ll encounter less-defined terrain that requires a third-of-a-mile traipse to another breathtaking observation point.
1. Notch Trail
- Distance: 1.5 miles
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Elevation Gain: 127 feet
- Time Required: About 1 hour
For many visitors, the Notch Trail is the highlight of hiking in Badlands National Park. This trail is moderately challenging, and its key selling point is the old-school wooden log ladder that hikers must overcome to make it to the famed “Notch.”
The Notch is an overlook with expansive views out over the canyons, and it offers a stunning view of the White River Valley. You can reach the Notch Trail via the same trailhead as the Door and Window Trails, and many people do all three hikes.
Be sure to check out our full guide on hiking the Notch Trail!
Watch the Award-Winning Badlands Video
Description: BADLANDS 8K is the culmination of several weeks spent filming in the rugged Badlands of South Dakota. Situated in the heart of the Northern Great Plains, Badlands National Park spans 244,000 acres of spectacular landscapes, diverse wildlife, and the largest undisturbed mixed grass prairie in the United States.
Journey with More Than Just Parks to discover the land where bison still roam and towers rise from the prairie in dazzling formations. This is the Badlands. Filmed in stunning UHD 8K.
About Our Travels to Badlands National Park
I visited the Badlands for the first time back in 2016 with my brother as we attempted to capture the essence of the park for our film (see below) and have been back many, many times since.
Its vast, seemingly unending landscapes and magnificent formations left an indelible mark on me. The broad quiet of the prairie here envelopes you in a way that only a national park can.
Gazing into the unending maze of badlands twisting into the distance like wrinkles in the palm of your hand and hearing nothing but the lonesome prairie wind is bound to leave you breathless.
Over the course of several weeks my brother and I explored nearly all that Badlands National Park has to offer, and it’s quite a lot more than meets the eye.
This vast and beautiful park is like no other so read on and I’ll share some of the best things to do there with you.
Popular Roads in Badlands National Park
Badlands Loop Road (Hwy 240) is the main park road and will take you to most of the destinations on your park map.
Sage Creek Rim Road is a dirt road that will take you along the north rim of the Badlands Wilderness Area and allows you to access Sage Creek Campground.
Sheep Mountain Table Road is a 4WD recommended dirt road taking you into the wild heart of the park. The road can be inaccessible at various times throughout the year as a result of storms. It’s recommended to check with the Visitor Center before going.
Map of the Best Hikes in Badlands National Park
Summary of the Best Hikes in Badlands National Park
- Notch Trail
- Castle Trail
- Door Trail
- Deer Haven
- Saddle Pass Trail
- Cliff Shelf Trail
- Medicine Root Trail
- Window Trail
- Cedar Butte Trail
- Yellow Mounds Overlook
- Burns Basin Overlook
- Sheep Mountain Table Road
- Big Badlands Overlook
- Sage Creek Wilderness Loop
- Fossil Exhibit Trail
FAQ – Best Hikes in Badlands National Park
The best hike in Badlands National Park is the Notch Trail located near the park’s primary entrance.
Yes, Badlands is an open hike park which means that you can hike off-trail anywhere inside the park and camp freely in the backcountry so long as you follow backcountry camping rules. You must camp a half mile away from any roads or trails and stay out of sight of the trails & roads.
Pin the Best Hikes in Badlands National Park
Tips for Hiking in Badlands National Park (or any national park)
Permit Systems and Reservations
Check to see if the national park you’re visiting has a permit or reservation system in place before visiting. As parks become increasingly crowded more has to be done to safeguard them which means controlling the hundreds of millions of people who visit these places each year.
Popular national parks with reservation systems of some kind include Yosemite, Yellowstone, Zion, Rocky Mountain, Glacier, Arches, Acadia, Denali, and more.
Want Less Crowds? Try a National Forest!
Try visiting a national forest while you’re on your trip to avoid the crowds. There are 155 national forests in America, many of which are equally as beautiful as the national parks they neighbor and only see a fraction of the visitors.
For example, try the Flathead National Forest next to Glacier National Park, the Bridger-Teton next to Grand Teton, and the Dixie which borders nearly all of the Utah National Parks.
Practice Safety, Seriously
National parks are amazing but wild places so it is essential to practice basic safety while visiting them. Every year people die while vacationing in national parks. This is easily avoided by:
- Sticking to trails
- Checking the weather before going out on a hike
- Maintaining a safe distance between wildlife which means at least 25 yards from most wildlife and 100 yards from predators
- Avoid ledges with steep drop offs
Helpful Related Links
Best Hikes in Badlands: 15 Best Hikes in Badlands National Park
Hiking the Castle Trail: Castle Trail: Epic Hikes in Badlands National Park (Photos + Guide)
Hiking the Notch Trail: Hiking the Notch Trail in Badlands National Park (Photos + Guide)
Badlands NP Guide: Helpful Guide to Badlands National Park
Things to Do in Badlands: 20 Incredible Things to Do in Badlands National Park
Badlands Facts: 10 Amazing Facts About Badlands National Park
Things to Do Wind Cave: 10 Epic Things to Do at Wind Cave National Park
Visiting Mount Rushmore: 15 Helpful Tips for Visiting Mount Rushmore
Things to Do Near Rushmore: 25 Epic Things to Do Near Mount Rushmore
Black Hills National Forest: Comprehensive Guide to the Black Hills National Forest
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