Exploring the Badlands

Exploring the Badlands

The great thing about the Badlands is that there is something for everyone and you can make it what you want. If you only have time for quick stop, there is a trail that can be done in 15 minutes or less. If you are there longer, there are 4-8 hour hikes. There are also hikes for people of all expertise levels, including a paved trail that is wheelchair accessible. So no matter what, the Badlands have something for everyone! 

Sam and I were in the Badlands for just a day and a night so we wanted to get the most out of it by doing a longer hike that would last us most of the day. I did some research on TripAdvisor and the National Park Service page, in order to find what the best hikes were for us with our given amount of time and expertise level.

Castle Trail Combined with the Medicine Root Trail

***Highly Recommend 

We decided to do the Castle Trail but combine it with the Medicine Root Trail to make it longer and to make it a loop hike so we weren't coming back out the same way we hiked in. The hike is about 10 miles and can take anywhere from 4-6 hours. Below are some tips and my thoughts on the hike to help make it a little easier and more enjoyable if you do decide to do it!

Getting to the Trailhead: 

When you arrive there is a main parking lot (Door and Window parking area) where everyone is parked. Then there are a ton of people just taking pictures on cool rock formations. The trailhead is actually no where near where all the hype is! We learned this the hard way and searched for quite a while before realizing the trailhead is actually across the road on the other side of the street. So once you park, you will need to go across the road to find the start of the hike. You start the hike on the Castle Trail. 

The busy parking lot

The start of the trailhead across the road

Castle Trail/Medicine Root Loop Hike

Below are some things you need to know before adventuring off on this hike. *Note that we went in August and the temperatures were high 80s! 

• Bring a camel back and water bottles! It gets HOT and you will need a lot of water! There is no water on the trail! 
• Wear and bring sunscreen, you will need it!
• Bring a hat and sunglasses! 
• You go through some different terrain such as prairie grass, rocks, dirt, dust, etc. so hiking shoes are needed! I thought tennis shoes would be fine but I am sure glad I wore hiking shoes instead! 
• The trail is not very strenuous. It is fairly flat and easy but it is a long hike with no shade!
• There are many different types of views. You get to see meadows, prairie grass, as well as the the beautiful views of the rock formations. 
• Be prepared for the weather to change fast. When we started it was blue skies and sunny. On our way back it was getting ready to storm! 
• Pay attention to the trail markers! There is not a clear path, just markers showing you where to go. A few times we got lost simply because we weren't paying attention. It is easy to lose your way because old water streams can look like a path so use the markers not the landscape to guide you. 

From meadows...

to rocks...

and some stunning views!

Saddle Pass Trail

***Highly recommend 

At the end of the Castle Trail you can take a quick detour and do the Saddle Pass Trail. This trail is .25 miles but it is strenuous as it is climbs up the Badlands Wall and is pretty steep. If you are afraid of heights this might be a little scary, but not out of the question. I chose to slide down on my butt instead of hiking down, easier and safer! But it is definitely worth the quick detour as the views at the top are stunning and allow you to see all the canyons, caverns, and rock formations stretch out for miles. After this detour it is easy to jump right on Medicine Root trail back to the beginning! 

Window and Notch Trail

***Highly recommend 

We chose to do the Window and Notch Trail at sunset and we could not have picked a better time. The crowds were all gone and there were maybe 10 people on the trail compared to the 100 people in the afternoon. We did this trail wearing crocs and only a phone in hand! This trail is very easy and even wheelchair accessible. It is very different from views from the Castle Trail. This trail is what you think of when you hear of the Badlands. It makes you feel like you are on Mars! The Window Trail is only .25 miles round trip and the Notch Trail is 1.5 miles round trip. You can choose to do just one as the views are pretty much the same on both. However, you may feel so entranced by the views you won't want to stop!

Wall Drug

*Worth a quick stop

Wall Drug is a tourist experience, and worth a quick stop. You don't need to spend more than an hour here, as it is basically just a place to eat and shop but it is one of those things you have to do just to say you did it! There are many little stops with touristy items such as t-shirts, magnets, mugs, etc and of course places to eat. We ate in the big cafe after hiking all day. The cafe had great burgers and really cheap coffee! It is a nice quick stop and provides something to do at night or if nothing else a good place to stretch your legs as you continue on your drive! If you have an hour to spare I recommend stopping. 

Overall, my husband and I would give Badlands National Park 4 stars out of 5! We really loved exploring and hiking and the views were incredible! However, there are not very many trails and we felt like 1 day gave us enough time to see what we wanted to see. If you are visiting the Badlands and are not on a time constraint you could do 2 days, otherwise, 1 day should cover it!