The Best Hikes in Badlands National Park

As my wife and I drove towards Badlands National Park, I eagerly looked out our car window, scanning the endless South Dakota prairies for the famous buttes and pinnacles that make up the rugged landscape of the park. A few spikes stood out in the distance, but mostly all I saw was grass. After being in the car all day, I was looking forward to a few hikes in the Badlands, and couldn’t wait to get there. 

It wasn’t until we entered the park and rounded a bend did my jaw drop as we encountered the canyon of famed striped rock formations. The flowing prairies felt long gone as we gazed into the endless cracks in the earth. It felt like we had been transported to another planet. 

Luckily, there are endless ways to explore the park and its unique landscape – and one of the best ways is by getting up close and personal with the terrain on a hike!

Ready to get started? Here’s my guide to the best hikes in Badlands National Park!

About Badlands National Park

Before you get started, it is helpful to have a little bit of background on the park to ensure you’re prepared for your hikes! Badlands National Park is located in southwestern South Dakota and is famous for its jagged rock formations (called buttes and pinnacles) as well as its prairies. In fact, it’s home to the largest undisturbed mixed grass prairie in the country! The stark contrast between the prairies and the rocks is one of the reasons I love the Badlands, and you can easily experience both of these terrains through the hikes below.

You can enter the park right off of Interstate 90 via South Dakota 240 (also known as Badlands Loop Road within the park). Entrance fees to the park are $30 per car for seven days. You can also purchase an annual national parks pass, called the America the Beautiful Pass, if you plan to visit more than one national park in the next 12 months (this is what I did, and it was well worth it!).

Read more: The Ultimate U.S. National Parks Guide

Badlands Hikes

Before starting your hikes, I recommend stopping at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center (near the eastern entrance to the park). Here, you can pick up copies of the park map (which I would recommend, as cell phone reception can be spotty throughout the park), use the restroom, and fill up your water.

Badlands Open Hike Policy

One of the best parts about visiting the Badlands is that you can hike literally anywhere! Unlike most national parks, the Badlands has an open hike policy which allows visitors to hike off of established trails. Essentially, anywhere that you can safely get to is fair game! This means you have the ultimate freedom to hike and explore. Be careful, though – down in the canyon, the landscape can begin to look the same, and it is easy to get lost.

Because of this policy, there are fewer maintained trails than some other national parks. However, these trails still offer some great views and are worth exploring! 

Window Trail

Window, Door, Notch, and Castle Trail conveniently all start from one parking lot on the east side of the park near the visitor center. Start with Window Trail for an easy 0.25 mile hike to a ‘window’ in the rock wall. The end of this trail offers expansive views of the canyon below. 

Door Trail

Door Trail was perhaps my favorite of the Badlands hikes! It is an easy 0.75 mile hike along a boardwalk and through a ‘door’ in the rock wall into the canyon. While the maintained trail ends shortly after entering the canyon, you can continue hiking freely amongst the buttes and pinnacles of the Badlands. It was easy to leave the world behind as we weaved through the otherworldly rock formations – quickly, we felt as though we had the park to ourselves. I could have spent hours just roaming through this area of the Badlands.

To help prevent hikers from getting lost, the park has placed number markers every so often throughout the terrain. This makes it easy to follow the numbers back to the boardwalk once you are finished hiking.

Notch Trail

Notch Trail is another very unique trail that is worth visiting! It is a moderate 1.5 mile hike that takes hikers up a log ladder to a ‘notch’ in the rock wall and along the top of a canyon wall. Unfortunately, due to rain when I visited the Badlands, I didn’t get a chance to visit this trail, but I have heard many good things! 

Cliff Shelf Trail

Cliff Shelf Trail is a moderate 0.5 mile roundtrip hike along a boardwalk and up 200 feet of stairs. The overlooks along the trail and at the top offer sweeping views of the prairie and badlands below, making this an excellent introductory hike to the park. 

Castle Trail

Castle Trail is the longest trail in the park at 10.0 miles roundtrip. It is an out and back trail that weaves hikers through the middle of the park. The trail is fairly flat, so the length is the main challenge! 

There are two other trails, Saddle Pass and Medicine Root Loop, that meet up with Castle Trail that you can hike as well. Saddle Pass is a short but challenging 0.25 mile hike up a canyon wall prior to connecting to Castle Trail. Medicine Root Loop is a moderate 4.0 mile hike with various inclines throughout. 

Fossil Exhibit Trail

Fossil Exhibit Trail is an easy 0.25 mile hike that is educational and family-friendly. It takes hikers near fossil replicas to learn about the wildlife that has historically lived in the park.

Bonus: Prairie Dog Town Trails

While not an official hiking trail, there are various paths you can take at the Prairie Dog Town overlook off of Sage Creek Rim Road. Here, you’ll get to wander the prairie grasses among dozens of cute little prairie dogs. Be sure to stay on the trails to avoid disrupting their natural habitats.

Packing Considerations

The summers can easily reach temperatures of over 100°F and there are very few shaded spots throughout the park, so pack plenty of water and snacks with you on your hikes. Make sure you also wear sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat to protect yourself from the sun. It can also rain suddenly in the summer (it did on our trip!) so it’s a good idea to bring along a light raincoat as well. Additionally, consider wearing hiking shoes if you have them. This will protect your feet from the rocky terrain, spiky cacti, and any bug or snake bites.

Finally, as with any hiking trip, be sure to follow the Leave No Trace Principles by respecting the wildlife, disposing of trash properly, and leaving the park in better condition than you found it.

LGBTQ+ Considerations

My wife and I felt generally safe traversing the Badlands. While we hiked, we were mostly isolated from other people. This made it easier to feel safe being publicly affectionate. However, in more populated areas of South Dakota, we did feel apprehensive disclosing our relationship (although we never encountered any blatant judgment or danger). South Dakota is a fairly conservative state, so queer folks should exercise caution and be aware of their surroundings while visiting. 

Read more: Top Safety Tips for Queer Travelers

Overall

Badlands National Park has tons of terrain for hiking – both on and off the trails! The rugged terrain will make you feel like you’re on Mars. It’s truly one of the most unique places I’ve ever been!

Have you tried any of these hikes in the Badlands? Let me know how it went in the comments!

Read more: United States Travel Guide

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This post was last updated on July 27, 2020.