How to Hike the Notch Trail in Badlands National Park

This hike is pure fun. It features a walk through a scenic canyon, a climb up a wooden ladder, and a brief walk along a cliff trail. The Notch Trail ends with a beautiful view of the Badlands.

Notch Trail Hiking Stats

Distance: 1.5 miles round trip
Difficulty: Easy
Total Ascent: 180 feet
Time: 1 hour

The Notch Trail

Step-By-Step Trail Guide

Getting to the Trailhead

Park in the large parking lot for the Window, Door, and Notch Trails. It is best to park at the southern end of the parking lot, since this is where the Notch trailhead is located.

On the Trail

At first, it’s a flat, leisurely walk through a wide canyon. The farther down the trail you walk, the more the walls close in around you.

After a few bends in the trail, you arrive at the wooden ladder. This ladder climb is the trickiest part of the hike but it’s also the most fun.

From the top of the ladder, follow the trail to the left. This is the cliff section of the hike. Briefly, you will walk along a narrow ledge with a drop-off on one side. The ledge is about 6 feet wide. If you have a fear of heights, you can either stay as close as possible to the side wall, or take the detour through the canyon (keep reading to learn more about the detour).

Once the cliff section ends, you will walk up through the canyon until you get to “The Notch,” a cut-out in the walls. From here, you can look out over the Badlands and you will be able to see the Visitor Center, campgrounds, and part of the Cliff Shelf Nature Trail.

To finish the hike, retrace your steps back to the parking lot.

Optional Route through the Canyon

If you don’t think you can handle the ladder climb or the cliff walk, you can still do this hike.

Rather than climbing up the ladder, you can continue on the trail through the canyon. For a short distance, this trail meanders through the canyon and later meets up with the Notch Trail, just beyond the cliff section.

View of the trail from the cliff. The white line is the main trail. The red line is the optional detour to avoid the ladder and the cliff walk.

More Hikes in this Area

Four walks/hikes start from the same parking lot.

The Notch Trail is the most fun and starts at the southern end.

The Window trail is located next to the Notch trailhead. Just .25 miles long, the trail ends at the Window, a viewpoint of “the Wall” and the pinnacles and spires that make the Badlands so famous.

The Door Trail starts at the north end of the parking lot. It is 0.75 miles long, starts off as a boardwalk trail, and then descends down into a field of fossil beds, with views of the pinnacles and spires of the Badlands.

The Castle Trail starts across the street from the parking lot. This is a 5-mile, point-to-point trail that ends at the Fossil Exhibit Trail. You can walk the entire distance, or just walk a mile and a half down the Castle Trail to hike into the grasslands of Badlands National Park. Get full details on the hike here.

If you have any questions about hiking the Notch Trail, let us know in the comment section below.

More Badlands & South Dakota Travel Guides

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HIKES IN BADLANDS NP: 10 Great Hikes in Badlands National Park
SOUTH DAKOTA ITINERARY: One Week in South Dakota: Black Hills & the Badlands
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CUSTER STATE PARK: Custer State Park: Best Hikes, Best Scenic Drives & Best Things to Do
US NATIONAL PARKS: The Complete Guide to the US National Parks