The Castle Trail is the longest in Badlands National Park, but can be broken up with three distinct trailheads. Medicine Root connects with Castle Trail at Saddle Pass and Old Northeast Road creating a loop of about five miles. The terrain is mixed grass prairie and arroyo, with views of the Badlands pinnacles throughout. Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife. It is abundant. Hope for a dry day when hiking in the Badlands. Mud is quick to form and very goopy. My brother Dave and I hiked this loop on Monday, May 28, 2018 beginning at 8:30AM and finishing about 1:15PM. Our plan was to hike the loop clockwise, starting at the Old Northeast Road trailhead, then add a tail to the loop by continuing on Castle Trail toward the Window and Door.

A few days earlier we hiked the western portion of Castle Trail to Saddle Pass. It was our intention on this day to check out the central area of the prairie, including Medicine Root Trail. This portion of Castle Trail also goes to Saddle Pass where it picks up Medicine Root.

We were a bit apprehensive on our way to Badlands National Park, because just like our previous visit, there had been a rain storm the night before. The Badlands become pretty much unhikeable when very wet. The clay that forms the foundation becomes very soft and adheres to everything it touches. When we arrived at the trailhead, there were puddles, but the ground surface seemed to be reasonably firm. Perhaps this would work out after all.

We started out on Castle Trail heading west. Unfortunately, for the first half mile, a line of power poles dominates the landscape as it takes electricity to the Visitor Center and to the campground. Once past that, the trail approaches the edge of the Badlands Wall, past deep arroyos that demonstrate the power of erosion.

It’s a barren landscape here with very little grass, unlike the other side of the loop. It can be difficult to follow the trail across this landscape. Fortunately the Park Service has recognized that, and strategically placed red stakes to aid with navigation.

The next mile the path weaves through a maze of spires, buttes, sod tables, and fins interspersed with open prairie. The spires are to your left (south), while the prairie is on your right (north). I should note the Castle Trail is fully exposed to the elements. There are no trees. There is no shade. If it rains, you will get wet. So come prepared. Sunscreen and a hat are a must, and it’s best to have rain gear with you just in case.

At about 2.2 miles you arrive at Saddle Pass, and an opportunity to view the south side of the Badlands Wall. There is a great overlook of the colorful spires erupting from the valley floor 200 feet below, as well as long distance views of the White River Valley and the faraway community of Interior.

We happened to arrive when there was a busload of school kids climbing up the pass from below on this Memorial Day holiday. They all wanted to show their friends how high they could climb by scaling the tallest spires and pinnacles. After awhile though, the screaming that went along with that got a bit tiresome, so Dave and I moved on to the Medicine Root Trail.

This is the view looking south across the White River Valley from Saddle Pass.

Medicine Root heads in a northeasterly direction for a half mile as it takes you away from the Badlands Wall and deep into the prairie grassland. The trail marker stakes are now green to match the prairie. There are places out here where grass is all you can see in every direction. With grass also comes wildflowers. We came across patches of daisy fleabane, goatsbeard, and a meadow with hundreds and hundreds of primrose.

Medicine Root is also a bit more secluded. We did happen upon the occasional hiker, but nothing like the Castle Trail. Frankly, there isn’t as much spectacular scenery to see over here, but it’s still different from mountain greenery that I’m used to back home. Perhaps that’s the reason fewer folks come this way.

Eventually the trail turns more to the east and continues across open prairie. At one point we came to a place where the trail dropped into a wide, grassy arroyo and we quickly discovered how much water had fallen in the recent storms. While you couldn’t see it beneath the grass, there was at least 2-3 inches of standing water in the arroyo.

We quickly looked for a place to easily climb the arroyo wall and get back up on dry land, ending up on opposite sides of the arroyo for a few hundred yards or so. As we continued, we encountered other areas that were somewhat swampy too, kind of tip-toeing our way through. Soon after, we also found a handful of trees, the first we’d seen all day.

After about a mile and a half on Medicine Root the trail turns southeasterly and you can once again see the spires and pinnacles of the Badlands Wall… and also the power poles that follow Old Northeast Road.

The final half mile of the loop is alternating grass and clay, grass and clay, as we got back to the car and took a break. The air temperature was warming, so I shed one layer, ate a snack, and sat down for awhile. Our plan now was to continue east on the Castle Trail, heading toward the Door and Window area.

This section of Castle Trail is on the east side of Old Northeast Road and immediately crosses a wood and iron footbridge over a wash. You walk around a series of Badlands pinnacles and are then hidden from the road. We passed a few other hikers coming in the opposite direction who gave us a tip that there were bighorn rams ahead.

As you can imagine, that excited me, so I picked up my pace. We had seen the ewes and lambs on a previous day, but this would be our first opportunity to check out some rams. Half a mile later, there they were, gently taking a siesta on the rim of an arroyo. We took lots of pictures, then left them alone as we continued eastward.

One of three bighorn rams we encountered along the eastern section of Castle Trail.

As you continue eastward on Castle Trail, the grass of the prairie goes away, and you wander in, around, and among the Badlands pinnacles and spires. At one point we reached an area where there was nothing but clay. Based on our previous experience with the Badlands mud, we were quite grateful that there hadn’t been more rain the night before. This place would have been impassable.

When we got to a point where we could see the major parking lot at the far eastern end of Castle Trail, we decided to turn around. When we got back to the grassy arroyo, the bighorn sheep had moved on, but it didn’t take long for us to find them… or should I say for them to find us.

It seemed as if they were following us. Everywhere we went, they came along too. If we crossed an arroyo, so did the rams. If we stayed up on the prairie grass, so too the bighorns, as they would pause and graze for awhile. At one point, as we rounded a turn in an arroyo, there they were no more than 50 feet away. That’s the photo at the top of this post.

They never acted threatening, nor of course did we. It just seemed that we were all heading in the same direction. Finally, after a quarter mile, they peeled off and began climbing one of the pinnacles off to the south. I’ve seen a lot of wildlife in my time hiking. This may have been one of the most interesting, and enjoyable, encounters.

We were almost back to the car now, passing a few hikers going the other way. We returned the favor and notified them to watch for the rams ahead. After a very overcast morning, the sky was beginning now to finally clear. We could actually see blue, a nice ending to a very pleasant hike.

Summarizing the Castle/Medicine Root Loop, this is one that doesn’t require much exertion. It’s pretty much level the whole way around the loop. If six miles is a little too much, you can make it shorter in a number of ways. You can also hike the full length of Castle Trail and back at about 10.5 miles if that’s your thing. Be prepared for weather changes, and cover your skin to prevent sunburn. There’s lots to see along this route, so take your time and enjoy.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

Back in the 1960’s when I was in my mid-teens, my family took a cross-country western vacation that included stops at many of the scenic and picturesque national parks along the way. Included among those was Badlands National Park, the first stop on our trip.

I remembered all my adult life the fascination I had with the Badlands, and promised myself I would return some day when I was better able to appreciate what I was seeing. It took 50 years, but I made it.

The welcome wasn’t particularly pleasant as we encountered flash flooding and sloppy Badlands mud as detailed here, but when things calmed down I was no less awestruck than I had been as a youth.

My brother Dave and I hiked quite a bit while we were there, but some of the most delightful landscapes were seen while we were simply driving the loop road waiting for things to dry out.

I was especially impressed with the Yellow Mounds area of the park, a chromatic masterpiece of earth and sky. The wildlife was plentiful, particularly bighorn sheep. We even got to see the brand new 2018 lambs as they came out to play in public along the bluffs that parallel the roadway.

There will be other reports about hiking within Badlands National Park, but here I just wanted to share a few photos that will perhaps entice you to include South Dakota whenever you are out exploring. Don’t wait 50 years. Enjoy!

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

There are three short trails that share the same trailhead on the far eastern section of Badlands National Park. The Window and Door Trails are boardwalks that explore the spires and buttes of the Badlands Wall. Notch Trail passes through the Wall and offers a great view of the White River Valley. There is even a fun rope ladder that takes you to the canyon rim as you head to the “Notch.” Some of the best views of The Badlands can be found on these short trails. My brother Dave and I hiked Notch Trail on Wednesday, May 23, 2018, and Door and Window on Monday, May 28th. Each were something we did at the end of longer hikes to fill out the day.

These three trails are on the right hand side of this map.

Notch Trail

Notch Trail begins by wandering through a canyon, surrounded by buttes and pinnacles on each side. About half way through you reach a rope and log ladder on your right that climbs to the rim about 40 feet above the canyon. The first half of the ladder can be walked, but as it steepens, getting on all fours is required to maintain balance. It really isn’t particularly dangerous.

Once on the rim, there is some exposure to the edge. Pay attention, and watch your step, as you don’t want to tumble into the canyon. Those with height fear may have a little trouble here.

After three quarters of a mile you reach the “Notch,” a dead end of the trail. From this vantage point you can see far away into the White River Valley and toward the small town of Interior, located just outside the southern boundary of the park. Later, as you continue south on the Badlands Loop Road, pause at the next pullout and look back over your left shoulder to see the “Notch” perched up on the cliff.

This is an out and back hike, so return is via the same pathway. It’s a little more difficult getting down the ladder, just because you’re backwards.

Door Trail

A wheelchair accessible ¼ mile boardwalk leads through a break in the Badlands Wall known as the “Door” and to a view of the Badlands. If you aren’t bound by a wheelchair, though, you should definitely continue out onto the clay surface beyond the boardwalk.

Follow the numbered stakes for an additional quarter mile into the heart of the maze of arroyos for the best views. While not the most colorful spires in the park, I think this section of the Badlands Wall is the most intricate and detailed. Definitely one of the best views to be found.

Window Trail

This very short trail leads to a natural window in the Badlands Wall with a view of an extremely eroded canyon. This one is also on a boardwalk for wheelchair access.

WARNING The Badlands has a very arid climate with no trees for shade. Summer in particular can get quite hot in the afternoons, so carrying plenty of water and slathering on the sunscreen are important precautions. A hat and sunglasses are also recommended. Watch for quick moving storm clouds and take rain gear if the sky looks threatening. Sturdy boots will help protect your ankles from cactus spines, and from the mucky mud that forms after a thunderstorm. Otherwise, have fun!

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

Our evening arrival to Badlands National Park coincided with a torrential storm that brought rain, wind and hail to the region. We learned the next morning that the campground was flooded, as was every arroyo in the park. We soon learned that the soft clay of the Badlands terrain does not mix well with lots of rain. Think quicksand — you sink inches with each step — thick, goopy mud that sticks to your shoes like glue. My brother Dave and I attempted to hike the Saddle Pass Trail to join the Castle Trail at Badlands on Wednesday, May 23, 2018 beginning at 7:30AM. In no time our plans changed, as the clay mud was simply impassible. Instead, we killed some time sight-seeing, and waited for the afternoon sun to begin to dry the muck. So beginning about 1:00PM we hiked the trail in the opposite direction, starting at the west trailhead for the Castle Trail.

Dave and I arrived in Wall, South Dakota just past dinner-time, checked into our motel, and headed to The Badlands National Park excited for some great sunset photos. Instead, we were greeted with 40 mph wind, stinging rain, crazy lightning, and a black pall on the entire night sky. Welcome to The Badlands.

While our evening excursion was a bust, we were up early the next morning ready for some great hiking in South Dakota. Little did we know that the storm lasted most of the night, causing flash flooding and general mayhem. At the trailhead we encountered a woman in an RV who had stayed the previous night at the nearby park campground. She reported large hail twice, and flooding of the poor tent campers who most certainly didn’t sign up for that.

At the trailhead for Saddle Pass Trail, a footbridge crosses the arroyo. There was still brown water flowing. The walls of the bridge were packed full of desert scrub debris that had washed through the arroyo from flash flooding that must have been many feet above the level of the bridge. Incredible. The trailhead sign even says, “this short, but steep trail is not recommended when wet.” After navigating our way through the debris across the bridge, we found out why.

The wet clay looks innocent enough — still a smooth surface. Dave took the first steps and realized immediately he was in one giant mess. His boots sank into the mire nearly to his ankles. I tried going in a different direction on the other side of the bridge with the same unfortunate result.

Now what? There was a grassy area to the east a hundred yards, so we tried accessing the trail from that way (see the picture at the top of this post). At least it was passable, but there was still quite a bit of standing water.

We made it around the worst of the mud and began the climb up the Badlands Wall to Saddle Pass. Another couple guys arrived about the same time and tackled the trail with us. We soon found out it wasn’t any better. The mud wasn’t soft like near the wash, but we might as well have been on ice. Seemingly for every step forward up the hill we would slide two steps back on the extremely slick mud. This was untenable.

Each step on the very slick clay must be strategically planned.

So we surrendered. The mud won. We tip-toed our way back to the car and spent 10 minutes cleaning our boots, drove back to the Visitor Center, and asked the friendly rangers how long it takes to dry. If there’s wind, he said, maybe only a matter of a few hours. The good news was that there was a bit of a breeze, and the temperature was warming. This lifted the morning fog and left an overhanging cloud layer.

We came up with a different plan. We would drive the loop road sight-seeing for awhile, then check out the other end of our planned hike at the western Castle Trailhead, hoping for dry or drying turf. The plan worked. After a few hours of picture taking and a picnic lunch, the trail was passable by 1:00. So off we went.

We did encounter just a bit of remaining mud, and a few puddles, but overall the breeze had done a nice job of drying the clay.

Castle Trail is the longest hiking trail in Badlands National Park, stretching a total of five miles from west to east. We only planned to go as far as Saddle Pass, just two miles, and tackle the eastern portion of the trail on another day.

The arroyos, or washes, that snake through the Badlands mesa are omnipresent and provide a natural drainage system for the otherwise level prairie that is the heart of the national park. The clay spires or pinnacles surround this grassland and make good markers for how far you have walked, and how far you have yet to go.

The climate seems arid, but there is obviously enough water to carve the arroyos, and to provide habitat for the very green grass and the occasional wildflowers. There really aren’t many places elsewhere in America that are quite like The Badlands. The appearance is somewhat similar to some of the redrock formations and hoodoos in Utah canyon country, but that is mostly sandstone. The hills and buttes here are made of clay.

The ecosystem on the prairie is diverse, with clay and sand, grasses and wildflowers, and water carving the arroyos.

At the two mile mark is a junction of trails, including the Saddle Pass Trail that we tried (and failed) earlier in the morning. There is also the Medicine Root Trail that makes a loop of the eastern portion of Castle Trail. That would be a hike for the coming days. For today though, we just went to Saddle Pass to examine the view we had missed out on in the morning by not being able to climb the Badlands Wall.

Now, some seven hours later, there were plenty of people coming up Saddle Pass Trail with ease, completely unaware what we had been through just a matter of hours before. Quite remarkable. In this case, the early bird didn’t get the worm. We got dirty instead.

There was quite a change at Saddle Pass. There was blue sky instead of fog. We could see for miles into the interior of the park, rather than just a few feet through the gloom. I had waited decades for a return to The Badlands, a place I barely remembered from my youth. The previous night and this day got off to a rocky start, but maybe this was going to turn out ok after all.

The two-mile stroll back flew by. I had a new spring to my step. Dave and I could tell things were getting better. We still had 20 days of adventure ahead of us, and a now positive vibe to enjoy it with.

In summary, our day didn’t go quite as planned, but still ended up with a nice introduction to Badlands National Park. Trails at the mesa level are quite easy. The Saddle Pass Trail (that we could not complete) is the only trail rated strenuous, but even it is short. The message I want to leave you with is this: as you should in most remote environs, beware of the weather. It can change things in a hurry. The Badlands is unhikeable when it’s wet, but a lot of fun when it isn’t.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.