8 Best Hikes in Badlands National Park: Easy Walks & Hard Climbs

Miles: 0.3 miles
Elevation: 13 feet
Trail map & current conditions

The Window Trail is one of the best short hikes in Badlands National Park. The hike only takes a few minutes as you walk along a wooden boardwalk, ending at a viewpoint into the Badlands. This “hike” is too easy and quick to pass up, and is a great bang for your buck. It’s also wheelchair and stroller accessible, which makes it even better!

Miles: 0.4 miles
Elevation: 9 feet
Trail map & current conditions

Curious about some of the creatures that have roamed the park? Check out the Fossil Exhibit Trail! While not exactly a full on hike, this super short walk along a boardwalk takes you to fossil replicas, plus exhibits about extinct creatures that used to call the Badlands home. It’s extremely informative and interesting for all travelers!

Important to know: There are no real fossils to see here, but the replicas are still super interesting.

Miles: 0.7 miles
Elevation: 216 feet
Trail map & current conditions

This quick hike in Badlands National Park takes you up to Saddle Pass, which takes you to the top of the Badlands Wall, where you’ll be able to see the White River Valley!

The incline is pretty steep and can be slippery with the loose gravel. But it’s a short distance, so it’s doable for most people. Just take it slow, especially on the way down!

Want a longer hike? You can also connect to the Castle Trail and Medicine Root Trail here.

Miles: 0.8 miles
Elevation: 36 feet
Trail map & current conditions

Similar to the Window Trail, the Door Trail is a quick and easy walk down a boardwalk. But while the Window Trail just has a “window” to the Badlands, the Door Trail offers a “doorway” to walk into the Badlands.

Once you enter this opening into the Badlanda, you can get up close with the landscape. Here is where we really felt like we were transported to Utah, a movie set, or even Mars! This final portion of the trail is not an actual, marked pathway, but there are numbered poles to help you not get lost and find your way back.

Both the Window and Door Trails are great, but the Door Trail is definitely our favorite of the two, if you only have time for one!

Miles: 1.3 miles
Elevation: 131 feet
Trail map & current conditions

Of all of the hikes in Badlands National Park, our absolute favorite is the Notch Trail! It is easily one of the most unique trails we have ever been on. Plus it’s super short for amazing payoff!

Throughout this hike you will explore the Badlands up close. You’ll walk right between them, next to them, and on them. It’s an immersive experience!

However, the best part is the trail’s claim to fame, a log ladder! To continue on the trail, you will have to climb up this ladder. 

Don’t worry, it’s not as daunting in person as it may look in photos. But it can be a bit wobbly, so be sure to use all of your limbs to stabilize yourself as you climb. Climbing up this ladder was the highlight of our time at Badlands. We have never experienced anything like it on the other hikes in Badlands National Park or anywhere else for that matter!

Miles: 4 miles
Elevation: 114 feet
Trail map & current conditions

For a super flat trail with a great variety of views, the Medicine Root and Castle Trail Loop is one of the best hikes in Badlands National Park. With very little elevation gain, any hiker can complete this 4 mile loop.

We recommend going clockwise on the trail, starting with Medicine Root and ending with Castle Trail, as Castle trail is definitely more interesting! Saddle Pass at the junction of the two trails has the best views along this hike to be sure not to miss it.

Following the trail can be difficult in spots, so we highly recommend having AllTrails+ and downloading the map in advance. This way you can follow along on the app to be sure you won’t get lost.

Miles: 10.5 miles
Elevation: 314 feet
Trail map & current conditions

For a longer hike in Badlands National Park, look no further than the Castle Trail. It’s the longest maintained trail in the park. And while you can complete part of it in the loop trail we mentioned above, this route continues much further as an out and back trail instead.

Despite the trail length, the trail is very flat and leads through vegetation and formations of the Badlands. It’s a bit more off the beaten path from the popular tourist spots, giving you the chance to feel like you’re in the wild.

This hike does include some of the other best hikes in Badlands National Park and there are a couple options on how to complete it. So for a deeper dive into what to expect, check out our detailed guide to hiking the Castle Trail!

Miles: 21 miles
Elevation: 918 feet
Trail map & current conditions

The Sage Creek Loop is the longest of the best hikes in Badlands National Park. However, it’s quite a bit different, as it’s an unmaintained, off-trail route.

And while the hike itself is relatively flat, due to its length and not being a true trail, it is considered difficult and should only be attempted by experienced hikers and those seeking an adventure. It is also crucial to download the AllTrails+ map for this one!

If you choose to tackle this hike, you’ll be rewarded with tons of wildlife. You can spot bison, coyotes, deer, prairie dogs, and more! Plus you’ll really feel like you’re out in the middle of nowhere and will likely see very few other visitors.

Note: Starting at mile 18 (if going clockwise) is incredibly steep and can be dangerous. Go slow and make sure to wear proper footwear.

Before you explore the best hikes in Badlands National Park, here are the most important tips to know about visiting the park.

Stay away from wildlife

There’s tons of beautiful wildlife that live in Badlands National Park, including bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, and more! As well as rattlesnakes. Always be alert and NEVER approach or feed the wildlife.

Dogs are not allowed

Along with most of the national parks in the country, dogs are not allowed on trails at Badlands National Park. They are typically only allowed in places cars can go, like campgrounds and roads, including backcountry dirt roads. Traveling with your dog? Learn what we do with Kona if she cannot join us during our travels. 

Download maps beforehand

Cell service is pretty non-existent in the park, so we highly recommend downloading AllTrails maps before you go. You will need an AllTrails+ membership to do so, which is $30 a year and so worth it! To get 30% off use our code aplusk30 (you must redeem this code on the website, not the app)!

Want to get 30% off an AllTrails Plus membership? Use our code aplusk30 (you must redeem this code on the website, not the app)!

We use AllTrails Plus on every single hike and it is the most helpful hiking tool out there! Some of the features we love are offline maps (so we can navigate even without cell service), wrong-turn alerts, and its 3D maps feature, so we can get a feel for trails before we hike.

Leave time for traffic jams

Construction and wildlife commonly form traffic jams in the park. Make sure you aren’t in a hurry when driving around, and have extra time in your Badlands itinerary!

Beware of wet ground

When the Badlands are wet, they are very slippery and you will get tons of clay stuck to the bottom of your shoes! If you plan to visit during rain, we’d suggest sticking to the paved or boardwalk trails.

Get the America the Beautiful Pass 

It costs $30 per vehicle ($25 for motorcycles) to enter Badlands National Park, which covers 7 days. However, we highly recommend getting the America the Beautiful pass. Which is $80 per year and will get you into any National Park, monument, or forest for free.

Visiting multiple National Parks? We highly recommend getting the America the Beautiful pass, which costs about $80 per year and gives you free access to over 2,000 federal recreation sites, including ALL National Parks.