Notch Trail | The Best Hike in Badlands National Park
When you think of Badlands National Park the first thing that comes to mind is probably not hiking. That is not to say that Badlands does not have great hiking because it does, but it is not the first thing you immediately think of when you think of Badlands. Badlands has amazing geological formations, wildlife, history, culture, and so many other amazing things to see and do. My goal is to change your mindset on hiking in the Badlands and I am going to do it by telling you all about Notch Trail.
If you only have one trail you can hike in Badlands my suggestion is to hike Notch Trail. The hike is 1.5 miles out and back trail with about 127 ft of elevation. It is labeled as moderate on most hiking trail apps and we will explain why a little later. Now for starters, this isn’t the longest or most difficult trail in the park. At only 1.5 miles it's fairly short and easy overall outside of a few minor details to know before you do it. The reason I love this trail so much is that it gives you everything you are looking for when it comes to Badlands National Park. You get to walk right through the amazing geological formations you see all along the beautiful highway through the park. You get an amazing view of the park at the end of the trail. Lastly, you get an opportunity to climb stairs built into the side of a rock wall. Yes, you heard that right.
This leads us to describe the reason this hike is labeled as moderate. About halfway in you come across a portion in the trail where you are met with a staircase, but it's not your typical staircase. In essence, you have to climb up these steps and it is not for the faint of heart. I am not saying you can't do it, I am just saying if you're scared of heights, have terrible knees, or don’t like climbing things make sure you know ahead of time. With that said, this is my favorite part of the entire hike. How cool is it to be able to climb steps in the wild surrounded by amazing scenery? It puts a great perspective on adventure hiking and leaves you with a memorable experience. We had so much fun cheering each other on as we all climbed up the ladder.
Once you pass the ladder you aren’t completely in the clear as the next portion puts you up in the rocks and the trail graphs into the side of the rock formations. Be careful during this portion as it can be easy to slip and you don’t want to fall as it would be a rough drop. I would advise having good sneakers at the least. My suggestion is to have a good pair of hiking shoes though. I would avoid Chaco’s or sandals for this hike just because the last part can be slippery on the rock trail. The initial portion of the hike is very chill as you’re pretty much hiking in the sand so it's not difficult or hard but the latter portion is where gear comes into play.
Once you reach the end of this portion of the trail it gives you the best view. Just look at this? This is what Badlands is all about. The vast openness of the plains as they reach up and touch these gorgeous rock formations. The spots of green that pop into the environment gives it a whole new texture. It really is in my eyes one of the most underrated national parks. Sadly when we reached this portion we realized one of our camera’s SD cards was corrupted and we lost all the footage but we were able to salvage what we had from other cameras. Just a little reminder to always check your gear! As sad as the lost footage was, the view helped with the sting. Any day being outside and being in nature is better than any day in the office so there wasn’t much to complain about. The stretch back is just returning from where you came from so be prepared to climb back down the ladder and be careful with those slippery rocks. This will lead you right back to the parking lot and onto the next adventure in the park.
We estimate you will want 1-2 hours for this trail. The best spot to take a break is at the end with the view. You could have a nice snack or chill for a few minutes for the view. Outside of that, there aren’t a ton of stops on the trail.
We like to give our readers the overall pros and cons of the hikes we do so you know before going. So without further ado here are our pros and cons for Notch Trail
Overall Pros
Manageable hike for most skill levels
The staircase is a super unique and fun experience
The view at the end is grand
Makes you feel like you’re adventuring in the park
Gives you a true feel for what Badlands is all about
Easy parking and access right off the main road
Overall Cons
Not a super long hike if you are more into longer hikes
Can be crowded depending on when you go
Can be muddy and tough to hike in the rain
Overall Rating 4.7 out of 5
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Until next time Journeyers, remember tomorrow is too late!