5 Hikes To Go On At Badlands National Park

Badlands National Park is a unique park located in South Dakota. The majority of marked trails in this park are shorter in length but they do have an open hike policy. This policy means that visitors are allowed to hike off trail. I had the chance to spend about a day and a half in this park myself. A couple of the trails on this list are trails that I had gotten a chance to do, the others are hikes I would have loved to do if I had more time. I also want to add that I highly recommend using the National Park Service app while visiting. The app has a map feature that shows the entire park including your individual location.

1.) Cliff Shelf Nature Trail

The cliff shelf nature trail is only a 0.50 mile trail that follows boardwalks that include sets of stairs. This is a loop trail that is close to the visitor center. While on this boardwalk loop you travel through a juniper forest. Trees are not exactly abundant in this park so the juniper trees are a distinctive feature of this trail.

3.) Door Trail

The door tail is 0.75 miles long and is an out and back trail. This trail is rated as easy and features an accessible boardwalk for the first 0.25 miles. After the boardwalk ends the trail is described as being a “primitive trail” which just means that its not marked out as clearly as regular trails. While hiking this section the hiker follows a series of yellow posts that serve as the markings. Both the door and the notch trail start at the same parking area.

4.) The Castle Trail

If you want a long hike this is a 10 mile trail classified as being moderate. If I ever go back to The Badlands this is the hike I would want to do. The castle trail is an out and back trail and is the longest developed trail at Badlands. From what I’ve gathered online the scenery doesn’t change too much over the course of the trail but if you’re an avid hiker that wants to get some miles in this is the obvious choice. The trail starts at one parking area and the crosses through the Badlands until reaching the end (the halfway point) which is at a different parking area. Both trailhead parking areas have restrooms. When hiking back to the original starting point the hiker can opt to follow the medicine root trail. The medicine root trail adds a little bit more mileage but meets back up with the castle trail so it allows for the hiker to travel on a different path for a decent part of the hike back.

5.) The Fossil Exhibit Trail

An easy accessible 0.25 mile boardwalk is what you get with the fossil exhibit trail. This boardwalk is set up as a loop with informative signs along the way. If you want to learn about the different types of fossils that have been found in the area this would be a good stop to make. This is also a good point to get out of the car and walk the loop to stretch your legs. On the outer edge of the boardwalk there are formations that are a lot of fun to climb up. I walked the boardwalk and then climbed different formations with my younger sister. The entire boardwalk is visible from the parking area so if you’re with a group everyone can get out of the car and either read the signs or explore the formations within eyesight of one another.