Best Hikes in Badlands National Park

Badlands National Park in South Dakota is an alien-like landscape comprising multicolored jagged buttes, pinnacles, and mixed-grass prairies that give it its name. Besides its stunning topography, this 244,000-acre park protects an incredibly rich trove of fossils. In fact, one of Badlands National Park trails is dedicated to fossils of prehistoric animals that once inhabited this area. If you’re a wildlife fanatic, Badlands is a special home for bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, mule deer, and the critically endangered black-footed ferret, among other animals. 

One thing we’ve come to like about hiking any Badlands trails is the open hike policy. This means you don’t have to stay on the path the whole time unless stated otherwise.

Plus, Badlands hiking trails cater to all skill levels. Whether you’ve never hiked before or are interested in a more challenging, off-the-beaten-path adventure, Badlands delivers. Here are the 15 best hikes in Badlands National Park! 

Key Takeaways

• The Sage Creek Wilderness Loop is Badlands National Park's longest hike, at 22.8 miles. The Castle Trail comes second at 10 miles. 
• The best short hikes for families in Badlands National Park include the Window, Fossil Exhibit, Big Badlands Overlook, and the Cliff Shelf Nature trails.
• Sunrise and sunset are the best times to hike Badlands National Park trails for photo ops.
• Two days in the Badlands are perfect for combining several short trails and one long hike. 

KÜHL’s Top Badlands National Park Hikes

1. The Window Trail

• Length: 0.25 miles (round trip)
• Elevation gain: 10 feet
• Difficulty: Easy
• Time: 15-60 minutes
• Trailhead: Highway 240 

The Window Trail is a short and easy hike along Highway 240, about two miles northeast of the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. This is one of the best hikes in Badlands National Park if you’re short on time or non-adventurous but still want to get out of the car and experience the topography that makes Badlands so famous. 

The 0.25-mile boardwalk trail starts at a parking lot. It ends at an opening (like a window) in a wall with grand views of what can only be described as the Grand Canyon of the Badlands. 

2. Saddle Pass Trail

• Length: 0.25 miles (round trip)
• Elevation gain: 358 feet
• Difficulty: Strenuous 
• Time: 1 hour
• Trailhead: Highway 240

This is a short but strenuous hike up the Badlands Wall. It starts at a small parking lot off Highway 240, about 2.2 miles west of the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, and ends at the junction with the Castle Trail. The hike starts flat but gets super steep once you hit the wall. The loose gravel can be slippery, especially during descent. Shoes with reliable traction and a pair of hiking poles are highly recommended. Hiking the Saddle Pass Trail takes about an hour (out and back). But the views along the way and at the top are a worthwhile reward. 

3. The Door Trail

• Length: 0.75 miles (round trip)
• Elevation gain: 21 feet
• Difficulty: easy to moderate
• Time: 1 hour
• Trailhead: Highway 240

The Door Trail is considered the best hike in Badlands National Park because it literally ushers you into the Badlands. Unlike the Window Trail, which only offers landscape views, the Door Trail brings you up close and personal with the Badlands rock formations. The 0.75-mile (round trip) hike starts as an easy boardwalk but soon turns into a rocky plateau that requires comfortable shoes. Nevertheless, most hikers, including children, will have a blast. 

4. Medicine Root Trail

• Length: 4 miles (loop)
• Elevation gain: 118 feet
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Time: 2.5 hours 
• Trailhead: National Park Road off Highway 240

Unlike other Badlands National Park hikes that are mostly heavily occupied, the Medicine Root Trail gets relatively fewer hikers. If you prefer solitude and are looking for a slightly longer hike, this could be it.

The Medicine Root Trail traverses an expanse of mixed-grass prairie, which is the other major highlight of Badlands National Park. But it also provides incredible views of the outcrops in the distance. Most people connect it with the Castle Trail for a four-mile hike that takes roughly 2.5 hours. 

5. The Castle Trail

• Length: 4-10 miles
• Elevation gain: 200-400 feet
• Difficulty: Moderate to difficult 
• Time: 1-6 hours
• Trailhead: Highway 240

The Castle Trail is one of the best Badlands hikes if you wish to explore the park's backcountry but on a marked trail. This is also the longest hike in the park and offers different ways of hiking, depending on your interests and energy levels. You can hike the Castle Trail point-to-point from the Notch Trail parking lot to the Fossil Exhibit Trail or vice versa (5 miles). The second option for hiking the Castle Trail is to park at the Fossil Exhibit trailhead and hike to the Notch Trail parking lot before hiking back to your car (10 miles). You can also make it a loop by combining the Castle Trail with the Medicine Loop (4 miles). 

6. The Notch Trail

• Length: 1.5 miles (out and back)
• Elevation gain: 127 feet
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Time: 45 minutes 
• Trailhead: Highway 240

With a log ladder climbing the face of a badland wall, the Notch Trail is a must-have in any itinerary of the best hikes in Badland National Park. Other highlights of this trail include walking through a scenic canyon and hiking along a cliff.

The Notch Trail starts at the southern end of the Window, Door, and Castle Trails. While it’s short at 1.5 miles only (out and back), it’s not the best for people with balance issues or fear of heights. 

7. Fossil Exhibit Trail

• Length: 0.25 miles (out and back)
• Elevation gain: 13 feet
• Difficulty: Easy
• Time: 1-2 hours
• Trailhead: Highway 240 opposite the Castle Trailhead

Badlands National Park boasts one of the highest concentrations of fossils in the world. As the name suggests, the Fossil Exhibit Trail is the place to appreciate this wonder of paleontology. Don’t expect to see actual fossils. Instead, you’ll find fascinating fossil replicas housed in displays with interpretive signs. 

Families planning to go hiking in Badlands National Park should consider this trail, as it’s easy and has minimal elevation change. The Fossil Exhibit Trail is 0.25 miles long and on a boardwalk, making it accessible to everyone, including those in strollers and wheelchairs. 

8. Cliff Shelf Nature Trail

• Length: 0.5 miles 
• Elevation gain: 300 feet
• Difficulty: Easy
• Time: 15-30 minutes
• Trailhead: Highway 240

This is another highly recommended hike if you want to give your family of non-hikers an amazing walking experience. The 0.5-mile hike blends some nice rock formations and a juniper forest that offers an incredible birding site in the park. The trail also has a few interpretive displays to educate you on what you see.

The Cliff Shelf Nature Trail is mostly on a boardwalk with a railing. However, while it’s rated one of the best Badlands hikes for families, it has concrete stairs that make it less stroller-friendly. 

9. Sage Creek Wilderness Loop

• Length: 22.8 miles (loop)
• Elevation gain: 1300 feet 
• Difficulty: Strenuous 
• Time: 2-3 days
• Trailhead: Conata Picnic Area

Avid hikers looking for the most challenging trails in Badlands National Park should start here. The Sage Creek Wilderness Loop is a 22.8-mile backcountry hike through the heart of the Badlands. You’ll traverse a series of washes and ravenous grassland and see unique Badlands that 90% of this park’s visitors miss.

This is also one of the best hikes in Badlands National Park for watching wildlife, including bison, prairie dogs, and pronghorns. Parking for the Sage Creek Wilderness Loop is at the Conata Picnic Area. 

Note that the Sage Creek Wilderness Loop Trail is not marked. It’s best left to hikers who can comfortably rely on GPS and a compass to navigate. The hike takes 2-3 days, so pack all your hiking food and water. Use this camping checklist to ensure you don’t forget other necessary items. 

10. Sheep Mountain Table Road

• Length: 7.5 miles
• Elevation gain: 616 feet
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Time: 2-3 hours
• Trailhead: SD Highway 27 north of White River Ranger Station

The Sheep Mountain Table Road is a hidden gem straddling the border between the North and South units of the Badlands. This road branches off SD Highway 27 and continues five miles to a less crowded overlook with stupefying views stretching into the distance. Most people don’t go past the overlook. But those who cover the last 2.5 miles unlock even more staggering views of intricate and cliffy badlands.

The first five miles to the overlook are on a well-graded, gravel road accessible by most vehicles. However, the last 2.5 miles beyond the overlook require a 4x4 vehicle with high clearance. 

11. Deer Haven Wilderness Trail

• Length: 5 miles
• Elevation gain: 15 feet
• Difficulty: Easy
• Time: 2 hours to one night 
• Trailhead: Conata Picnic Area

This is an easy hike to a solitary plateau with an ever-green alcove of Juniper trees surrounded by a wall of Badlands. Deer Haven is a popular hangout spot for deer, hence its name. It’s also one of the coolest places to pitch a tent under a tree near the Badlands rock formations.

The Deer Haven Wilderness Trail is about five miles long from the Conata Picnic Area and back. Although easy, this hike is not marked, so bring a Badlands trail map you can understand and use to navigate. 

12. Cedar Butte Trail

• Length: 3 miles
• Elevation gain: -
• Difficulty: Easy
• Time: 1-3 hours 
• Trailhead: Sheep Mountain Road past Sheep Mountain Overlook

Cedar Butte in Badlands National Park is exactly what it sounds like - a tall butte with a forest of cedar trees atop. This used to be a sacred site for the Lakota people back in the day. Today, it’s one of the best trails in Badlands National Park if you want a moderately challenging hike with great views and thin crowds. 

The Cedar Butte trailhead is past the Sheep Mountain Overlook on Sheep Mountain Road, about 27 miles north of the White River Visitor Center. A Badlands National Park trail map will help since there’s no signage or marking. A 4x4 with high clearance is also necessary to get to the trailhead. 

13. Big Badlands Overlook

• Length: 0.2 miles (out and back)
• Elevation gain: 43 feet 
• Difficulty: Easy
• Time: 15 minutes
• Trailhead: Highway 240 near NE Entrance Station

The Big Badlands Overlook is a short out-and-back trail near the Northeast Entrance Station. The hike starts at a big parking lot off Highway 240. From the parking lot, you get on a wooden walkway to an overlook offering nearly 360-degree sweeping views of the famous Badlands formations. This is an easy hike with about 43 feet of elevation gain. It’s among the most popular hikes in the park, but you can still enjoy some solitude if you arrive early or later in the day. 

14. Burns Basin Overlook

• Length: 0.2 miles (out and back)
• Elevation gain: 36 feet 
• Difficulty: Easy
• Time: 20-30 minutes
• Trailhead: Highway 240

The Burns Basin Overlook is among the most recognizable sites in Badland National Park. The hike to this natural wonder is via an easy 0.2-mile out-and-back trail about a 30-minute drive west of the Castle Trail. From the overlook, you get unimaginable views of eroded rock formations and prairies that create a jaw-dropping background for photography, especially during sunrise and sunset. This is among the most popular hiking trails in Badlands National Park, meaning you’ll be sharing it with other hikers. 

15. Yellow Mounds Overlook

• Length: -
• Elevation gain: -
• Difficulty: Easy
• Time: 30 minutes
• Trailhead: Highway 240 

The Yellow Mounds Overlook should not be missed when hiking Badlands National Park. This stunning natural attraction is renowned for its strikingly beautiful yellow mounds with bands of purple, orange, green, and red.

It is one of the most accessible overlooks in Badlands, right at the parking lot. However, there are designated paths if you wish to immerse yourself in the surrounding beauty and get closer views of the mounds. 

What to Bring on Your Badlands National Park Hikes

Clothes 

What to include in your Badlands backpacking checklist will depend on the season and weather. The shoulder seasons of April/May and September/October are the best times to visit the Badlands for great weather. The insulated jackets in our men’s outdoor wear and women’s hiking clothing catalogs are a good way to gear up for the extreme cold. 

For summer visits, pack lightweight, wicking, and quick-drying clothing that will keep you dry and cool throughout the hike. 

Other essentials when hiking the Badlands

• Plenty of water
• Waterproof hiking boots 
• Breathable and comfortable hiking socks, preferably merino wool
• Sunscreen 
• Maps
• Sunglasses
• Insect repellent
• Water bottle
• Trekking poles
• Camera equipment
• First aid kit. Accidents happen in the Badlands due to its unstable terrain. Carry a well-stocked first aid kit to handle minor injuries. Use this first aid checklist to modify your pre-made kit. 

Tips for Hiking in Badlands National Park 

If you’re planning to hit Badlands National Park's best hikes this year, here are some tips to consider. 

Arrive around sunrise or sunset

Arrive an hour or two after sunrise or before sunset for the best photo opportunities of the Badlands. This is when the sun brings out the best color tones of the landscapes. Otherwise, the harsh midday sunlight will leave you with a bunch of too-bright and washed-out photos. 

Always carry water

Lack of water is one of the reasons this park was dubbed the Badlands. Even if you find water in the backcountry, the chances are that it won’t be drinkable due to its high sediment content. Regardless of the hike length, remember to carry enough drinking water for everyone in the group. 

Wear proper footwear

Loose rock, painful cactus spines, and the risk of stepping on prairie rattlesnakes are among the reasons you must ditch the flip-flops when hiking the Badlands. We recommend hiking boots or comfortable closed-toe shoes with decent traction and ankle support. 

Hike wherever you want, but… 

The freedom to hike wherever you want in the Badlands is one of the reasons it’s worth visiting. But it’s also why hundreds of people get lost in this landscape. If you plan to explore beyond the trail limits, bring a compass, a map, and GPS units. Most importantly, ensure you know how to use these tools comfortably to get around in the remote backcountry. 

Final Thoughts

That’s it - the ultimate guide for the best Badlands National Park hiking trails. Adventurous hikers shouldn’t fail to take advantage of this park’s open hike policy. The Badlands is a place where you can decide where to go and create your own stories, just like the mammoths, three-toed horses, and rhinos used millions of years ago. If you’re looking for more things to do in South Dakota and enjoy cycling, these mountain bike trails are another highlight of Mount Rushmore State.

Featured image: Mark Paul.