Notch Trail is one of the most adventurous and recognizable hikes in Badlands National Park. The short route winds through an eroded canyon, reaches a steep cable-and-log ladder, climbs onto a narrow ledge, and finishes at a natural opening known as the Notch, where hikers are rewarded with a broad view across the White River Valley.
At only about 1.5 miles round trip, Notch Trail may sound like an easy walk. The mileage is misleading. The famous ladder is steep, sections beyond it run beside exposed drop-offs, loose gravel can make footing uncertain, and the badlands clay becomes dangerously slick during and after rain. The National Park Service rates the trail moderate to strenuous and specifically advises against it for anyone with a significant fear of heights.
When conditions are dry, the hike is one of the best short adventures in Badlands National Park. It provides much more variety than most trails of similar length, beginning in an enclosed canyon before climbing dramatically above the surrounding formations.
Notch Trail also provides an excellent look at how quickly the Badlands landscape changes. From the canyon floor, erosion feels intimate and close. Walls rise beside the trail, gullies cut through soft sediment, and layers of ancient rock appear almost within reach. After the ladder, hikers suddenly emerge onto higher ground, where the landscape opens toward the prairie and White River Valley far beyond the Badlands Wall.
There is, however, an important current access issue.
🚧 Important 2026 Closure
As of August 31, 2026, Notch Trail is closed until further notice.
The National Park Service closed the trail and areas within 100 feet of the designated route so park staff can repair a section of the Notch Trail ladder that became a safety hazard.
Visitors should not enter the closed trail even if portions appear passable.
This guide describes the normal Notch Trail experience so it remains useful once the route reopens, but anyone visiting in 2026 should check current park alerts before making hiking plans.
Fortunately, the same trailhead area provides access to other excellent hikes, including Door Trail, Window Trail, and Castle Trail.
⚡ Notch Trail Fast Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Park | Badlands National Park |
| Trail | Notch Trail |
| Distance | About 1.5 miles round trip |
| Typical hiking time | About 1.5–2 hours |
| Difficulty | Moderate to strenuous |
| Trail type | Out and back |
| Famous feature | Cable-and-log ladder |
| Final destination | The Notch |
| Main view | White River Valley |
| Trailhead | Door and Window parking area |
| Terrain | Canyon, ladder, ledges, loose gravel and badlands formations |
| Fear of heights | Trail not recommended |
| Rain | Trail can become treacherous |
| Pets | Prohibited |
| Best conditions | Dry, mild weather |
| Current status | Closed as of August 31, 2026 for ladder repairs |
📍 Where Does Notch Trail Begin?
Notch Trail begins at the south end of the Door and Window parking area along Badlands Loop Road.
The same general area serves several of the park’s most popular hikes, making it easy to combine Notch with shorter trails when it is open.
Door Trail heads directly into the Badlands Wall.
Window Trail provides a short walk to an opening overlooking eroded terrain.
Castle Trail, the longest established trail in the park, also begins nearby.
This concentration of trailheads makes the Door and Window area one of the best places to spend several hours exploring the Badlands on foot.
🥾 What Is the Notch Trail Like?
Notch Trail can be divided naturally into three distinct experiences.
The first section follows an eroded canyon through the Badlands.
The second reaches the famous ladder and climbs onto higher terrain.
The third follows a ledge and exposed slopes toward the Notch overlook.
Each section feels different.
That variety is the main reason the hike feels much larger than its relatively short distance suggests.
A conventional 1.5-mile trail might be completed almost without thinking. Notch Trail requires attention to footing, ladder traffic, weather, and exposure nearly the entire way.
🏜️ The Canyon at the Beginning
The first portion of the route enters directly into the Badlands formations.
Rather than viewing the landscape from a scenic overlook, hikers walk between eroded slopes and walls.
The formations can appear almost delicate from a distance, but up close they reveal layers of compacted sediment shaped into steep gullies, spires, ridges, and channels.
The trail initially feels relatively easy.
That gentle introduction can make the ladder seem even more dramatic when it suddenly appears ahead.
🪜 The Famous Notch Trail Ladder
The ladder is the feature most people associate with Notch Trail.
It is constructed from thick wooden logs connected by steel cable, creating a flexible climbing structure that follows the steep badlands slope.
Metal posts anchor the upper portion into harder bedrock.
The ladder is considerably longer and steeper than an ordinary playground ladder.
When viewed from below, it can look intimidating.
When viewed from above on the return trip, the exposure may feel even stronger.
Hikers should use both hands, move deliberately, and avoid rushing.
👥 One Group at a Time
The National Park Service recommends caution when using the ladder, including allowing one group at a time to move through the steepest section.
This becomes especially important on busy days.
Traffic moving both directions can create congestion when hikers attempt to pass each other while clinging to the ladder.
If someone is already descending, wait below until the route clears.
If you are above the ladder preparing to return, allow climbers to finish before starting down.
A few minutes of patience is far safer than attempting to squeeze past another person.
👐 How to Climb the Ladder
Face the ladder and use both hands.
Keep three points of contact whenever possible—two hands and one foot or two feet and one hand.
Step on the wooden logs rather than attempting to rush across multiple rungs.
Avoid carrying anything in your hands.
Cameras, phones, water bottles, and trekking poles should be secured so your hands remain free.
A small backpack works much better than carrying loose equipment.
The ladder is not technically difficult for most hikers comfortable with heights, but it deserves respect.
↘️ Coming Down Can Feel Harder
Many people find descending the ladder more intimidating than climbing it.
On the way up, hikers naturally look toward the slope.
On the way down, the open canyon below becomes much more visible.
The safest strategy is essentially the same as climbing: face the ladder, maintain three points of contact, and descend one rung at a time.
Do not turn around and try to walk down the logs as though they were stairs.
If someone in your group is uncertain, give that person time and space rather than creating pressure to move faster.
😬 What If You’re Afraid of Heights?
Notch Trail is not recommended for people with a significant fear of heights.
The ladder is only part of the issue.
Once above it, hikers travel across slopes and ledges with noticeable exposure.
Some portions have steep drop-offs and loose footing.
People with mild discomfort around heights may still enjoy the route, but anyone who becomes panicked near exposed edges should choose another hike.
There is no shame in turning around before the ladder.
Badlands National Park contains numerous excellent trails that do not require this kind of exposure.
🪨 Beyond the Ladder
The terrain changes after reaching the top.
The route continues across eroded formations and eventually follows a ledge.
Views become broader, but the trail also demands more attention.
Loose gravel can roll underfoot, and the slope may fall away sharply beside portions of the route.
This is not the place to walk while concentrating entirely on a phone or camera.
Stop in a secure location when you want to take photographs.
Look at the trail while moving.
⚠️ The Exposed Ledge
The exposed ledge is one of the reasons NPS rates Notch Trail moderate to strenuous despite its short distance.
The ledge itself is manageable for hikers comfortable with exposure, but falling would have serious consequences.
Walk at a normal controlled pace.
Give people ahead of you enough room.
If someone is approaching from the opposite direction, use a safe wider point to pass instead of crowding the outer edge.
Wind can also affect balance during stormy weather.
🌄 Reaching the Notch
The trail eventually reaches the feature that gives the hike its name.
A break in the Badlands Wall creates a natural opening overlooking the broad landscape beyond.
The dramatic White River Valley spreads below, providing a completely different view from the enclosed canyon where the hike began.
The contrast is the payoff.
You begin by looking at the Badlands from inside narrow formations.
You finish by looking outward across miles of open terrain.
That shift in perspective makes the Notch feel like a genuine destination rather than simply the turnaround point of a short hike.
🌾 The White River Valley
Beyond the Notch lies the White River Valley, part of the broad prairie landscape surrounding the Badlands formations.
From this elevated position, the transition between eroded badlands and grassland becomes much easier to understand.
Badlands National Park protects both environments.
The sharply eroded formations attract most photographs, but mixed-grass prairie covers a substantial part of the park and supports bison, prairie dogs, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, coyotes, birds, and many other animals.
The Notch overlook gives hikers an excellent visual reminder that the rock formations are embedded within a much larger Great Plains ecosystem.
🪨 Why Do the Badlands Look Like This?
The Badlands landscape formed through two broad processes: deposition and erosion.
For millions of years, sediment accumulated here under very different environmental conditions.
Ancient seas, rivers, floodplains, volcanic ash, soils, and other processes created successive layers.
Later, erosion began cutting into those deposits.
Rain, snowmelt, wind, gravity, freezing temperatures, and flowing water removed softer material, gradually producing the pinnacles, buttes, gullies, ridges, and walls visible today.
The formations are still eroding.
⏳ The Badlands Are Disappearing
Geologically speaking, Badlands formations are surprisingly temporary.
NPS estimates that the formations erode at roughly one inch per year on average.
At that rate, individual buttes and pinnacles have a geological lifespan of roughly one million years.
That sounds enormous in human terms.
Compared with the age of the rocks themselves, it is remarkably brief.
Every storm slightly changes the landscape.
A gully deepens.
A ledge collapses.
A fossil becomes exposed.
A slope moves downhill.
The scenery visible from Notch Trail is a temporary stage in a landscape actively dismantling itself.
🟤 The Brule Formation
Much of the classic Badlands scenery contains rock associated with the Brule Formation, deposited roughly 34 to 30 million years ago.
During that period, the environment was cooler and drier than during the time represented by some older park layers.
Savanna-like landscapes and river channels supported mammals that would look strange to modern visitors.
Oreodonts were especially common.
These extinct hoofed mammals left thousands of fossils throughout the White River Badlands.
Predatory nimravids—cat-like mammals sometimes compared loosely with saber-toothed cats—also occupied the landscape.
🟢 The Chadron Formation
Beneath the Brule Formation lies the older Chadron Formation, deposited roughly 37 to 34 million years ago.
The environment during much of this time was warmer and wetter.
Ancient floodplains supported animals including alligator relatives and large brontotheres.
Brontotheres were enormous hoofed mammals whose fossil remains are among the most dramatic discoveries from the Badlands.
The contrast between Chadron and Brule fossils helps scientists reconstruct a major climatic transition from warm, wet conditions toward cooler and drier environments.
🦴 Fossils Along the Trail
Badlands National Park is one of the world’s great fossil landscapes.
Erosion continually exposes new material.
That means hikers occasionally notice bones or teeth emerging from the formations.
If you find what appears to be a fossil, do not remove it.
Take photographs.
Record the location as accurately as possible.
Then report the find to a ranger or visitor center.
Moving a fossil destroys information about the geological context in which it was found.
A small fragment that seems unimportant may provide scientists with useful evidence when documented in place.
🚫 Never Collect Fossils
Removing fossils from Badlands National Park is illegal.
The same applies to rocks, plants, archaeological objects, and other protected natural or cultural resources.
The correct response to an interesting discovery is curiosity rather than collecting.
Leave it exactly where it is.
Some significant Badlands fossil discoveries have been made by ordinary visitors who noticed something unusual and reported it rather than taking it home.
Your photograph can become a souvenir.
The fossil belongs in the park.
🌧️ Rain Makes Notch Trail Dangerous
One of the most important Notch Trail warnings involves rain.
Badlands sediment contains clay that becomes extremely slick when wet.
A dry slope that provides reasonable traction can turn into something resembling grease after a storm.
The ladder is not the only concern.
The exposed ledge and steep formations beyond it can become treacherous during and after rainfall.
NPS specifically cautions against hiking Notch under wet conditions.
If rain has just occurred, choose another trail.
The view will still be there when the ground dries.
⛈️ Thunderstorms
Summer thunderstorms can arrive quickly.
Badlands National Park experiences occasional violent storms with lightning, hail, strong wind, and heavy rain.
Notch Trail is a poor place to be caught in one.
The upper route is exposed, while rain can rapidly transform the trail surface.
Check the forecast before starting.
If threatening clouds begin building while you are hiking, turn around rather than continuing simply because the endpoint seems close.
A short trail does not guarantee a short escape from bad weather when a ladder and narrow ledges stand between you and the parking lot.
☀️ Summer Heat
Summer can be extremely hot in Badlands National Park.
Temperatures frequently climb above 90°F and can exceed 100°F.
Shade is limited along much of Notch Trail.
The pale formations also reflect sunlight, increasing the feeling of exposure.
Begin early during hot weather.
Carry water even though the hike is relatively short.
Wear sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, and lightweight protective clothing.
Heat illness can occur on a 1.5-mile trail just as easily as on a ten-mile hike when conditions are extreme enough.
💧 Bring Water
The National Park Service recommends substantial hydration during hot Badlands weather, with overall daily needs potentially reaching about a gallon of water per person under strenuous summer conditions.
You will not necessarily drink that entire amount on Notch Trail itself.
The important lesson is not to dismiss water because the mileage appears short.
Climbing, heat, dry air, and direct sun can create dehydration quickly.
Bring enough water that you do not need to ration it halfway through the hike.
🌅 Best Time of Day
Early morning is generally the best time to hike Notch Trail during warm months.
Temperatures are cooler.
The Door and Window parking area is less crowded.
Light across the formations is softer.
Thunderstorms are also less likely than during the afternoon on many summer days.
Evening can be beautiful, but hikers should allow enough daylight to descend the ladder safely.
Although a headlamp is an excellent emergency item, Notch Trail is not a route most first-time visitors should intentionally plan to finish in darkness.
🌸 Spring
Spring can provide excellent hiking conditions, although weather changes rapidly.
April temperatures are usually much more comfortable than midsummer, while May brings greener prairie vegetation and wildflowers.
Rain becomes an important concern.
A spring storm may make Notch Trail too slick to hike safely even when the air temperature feels perfect.
Check recent as well as current weather.
The trail can remain muddy after the rain itself has ended.
☀️ Summer
Summer is popular but potentially difficult.
Long daylight provides plenty of time for exploration, yet midday temperatures can become intense and thunderstorms may develop.
Start early.
Avoid the trail if heavy rain is expected.
Carry more water than you think you need.
The combination of heat, loose gravel, and exposure makes Notch less forgiving than its mileage suggests.
🍂 Fall
September and October can be among the best months for Badlands hiking.
Temperatures gradually cool, humidity is generally low, and the prairie changes color around the formations.
September can still produce hot afternoons.
October nights may become quite cold.
Layered clothing works well because temperature differences between morning and afternoon can be substantial.
❄️ Winter
Winter can transform Notch Trail completely.
Snow highlights every ridge and gully, creating some of the park’s most dramatic scenery.
The problem is traction.
Snow, ice, and frozen ground make the ladder and exposed ledges much more dangerous.
NPS describes Notch as treacherous during or after heavy snow as well as rain.
Traction devices may help on some park trails, but they do not eliminate the hazards of an icy exposed route.
If conditions are questionable, choose an easier winter hike.
👟 What Shoes Should You Wear?
NPS recommends sturdy hiking boots with good traction and ankle support.
Trail-running shoes with aggressive soles may also work well for experienced hikers under dry conditions.
Avoid smooth-soled casual shoes.
Loose gravel can make descending particularly awkward, and wet badlands clay overwhelms the traction of many shoes.
Good footwear cannot make a wet Notch Trail safe, but poor footwear can make a dry trail considerably harder.
🎒 What to Bring
For a normal dry-weather hike after the trail reopens, carry water, sun protection, sturdy shoes, and a small day pack.
A basic first-aid kit and headlamp are sensible additions.
Secure cameras and phones so both hands remain available for the ladder.
Trekking poles may help on parts of the route but become awkward on the ladder, so they need to be collapsible or stowable.
Binoculars are worthwhile if you enjoy scanning the White River Valley for wildlife.
🐍 Prairie Rattlesnakes
Prairie rattlesnakes live in Badlands National Park.
They generally avoid people but may shelter beneath vegetation, rocks, boardwalks, stairs, or overhangs during hot weather.
Never place hands blindly into cracks.
If you hear a rattle, stop moving long enough to determine where the snake is.
Then slowly increase the distance.
Do not attempt to pick it up, move it, or provoke it for a photograph.
Rattlesnakes are predators that help control rodents and form part of the natural Badlands ecosystem.
🐏 Bighorn Sheep
Bighorn sheep inhabit the rugged formations of the park and may occasionally be seen from hiking routes and nearby roads.
Their tan coloring blends exceptionally well with eroded Badlands slopes.
Look for movement along ridgelines and steep formations.
The park requires visitors to remain at least 100 feet from large wildlife, including bighorn sheep, bison, deer, and pronghorn.
For a broader guide to the park’s animals, see Wildlife of Badlands National Park: Bison, Bighorn Sheep, Prairie Dogs & More.
🦬 What About Bison?
Bison are much more commonly associated with the western grasslands and Sage Creek area than the Notch Trail corridor, but encounters are possible elsewhere in the park.
Never approach one.
Bison can run faster than 30 mph and can cause severe or fatal injuries.
Remain at least 100 feet away and move farther back if an animal changes its behavior because of your presence.
A telephoto photograph is far better than a close encounter.
🐕 Are Dogs Allowed?
No.
Pets are not allowed on hiking trails in Badlands National Park, including Notch Trail.
Pets are generally restricted to developed areas and locations open to motor vehicles, where they must remain leashed according to park regulations.
Do not leave a pet unattended in a vehicle during hot weather.
Summer temperatures can turn a parked vehicle dangerous within minutes.
👨👩👧 Is Notch Trail Good for Kids?
That depends much more on the child than on age alone.
Active children comfortable with climbing, heights, and following instructions may love the ladder.
Others may become frightened once they see the exposure from above.
Parents should consider whether a child can climb independently while maintaining secure contact with the ladder.
Carrying a small child on the ladder is not a reasonable substitute for independent ability.
Children also need close supervision near exposed ledges.
Families uncertain about Notch have excellent alternatives nearby on Door Trail and Window Trail.
😟 Who Should Skip Notch Trail?
Notch is probably not the right hike for:
- Anyone with a strong fear of heights
- Visitors uncomfortable climbing a steep flexible ladder
- People with balance problems that make exposed ledges hazardous
- Hikers wearing inappropriate footwear
- Anyone attempting the route during or shortly after rain
- Visitors caught in thunderstorms, high winds, snow, or ice
- Families with children who cannot safely negotiate the ladder independently
Choosing another trail is not missing out.
Badlands offers numerous outstanding hikes without ladders or significant exposure.
🚶 Door Trail as an Alternative
Door Trail begins from the same parking area and is one of the easiest ways to walk directly into a Badlands landscape.
The route begins with an accessible boardwalk before continuing into more rugged terrain beyond the maintained portion.
Visitors who want dramatic geology without the Notch ladder may find Door Trail a much better fit.
It also makes an excellent companion hike once Notch Trail reopens because the two routes reveal different perspectives on the Badlands Wall.
🪟 Window Trail
Window Trail is even shorter.
The accessible path leads to a natural opening in the Badlands Wall overlooking a deeply eroded canyon.
At only about a quarter mile round trip, it provides a substantial view for very little effort.
Families, travelers with limited mobility, and visitors waiting for cooler weather before beginning another hike can easily add Window Trail to a stop at the Door and Window parking area.
🏰 Castle Trail
Hikers wanting more distance rather than more exposure can consider Castle Trail.
At roughly 10 miles round trip, it is the longest established trail in Badlands National Park.
The route passes formations and mixed-grass prairie while remaining much more gradual than the dramatic ladder climb on Notch.
Castle and Notch provide completely different experiences.
Notch concentrates adventure into a short distance.
Castle rewards endurance and time.
🧭 Stay on the Trail
Notch Trail is one of the official Badlands routes where staying on the designated path is particularly important.
The upper portion crosses terrain where wandering can lead hikers onto unstable slopes and cliffs.
Informal shortcuts also increase erosion and damage vegetation.
The park does allow more open exploration in certain other Badlands locations, but that freedom should not be interpreted as permission to bypass safety closures or leave a designated route where NPS specifically asks visitors to remain on trail.
🪨 Don’t Climb Fragile Formations
The formations can look solid, but much of the Badlands consists of soft sedimentary material that erodes readily.
Edges may crumble unexpectedly.
Do not climb pinnacles simply because they look easy to reach.
Avoid kicking material downhill or intentionally breaking pieces from exposed layers.
Notch Trail already provides enough climbing without turning fragile formations into improvised scrambling routes.
📷 Photographing Notch Trail
The ladder naturally becomes the most photographed feature.
From below, it creates an excellent sense of scale against the formations.
From above, the ladder reveals the steepness of the climb, but photographers should never block access or stand where they interfere with other hikers.
The final Notch overlook works best for wide landscapes across the White River Valley.
Morning and late-afternoon light add depth to the formations by emphasizing shadows in gullies and ridges.
Stop in secure locations before using a camera.
Do not walk backward near exposed edges while looking through a screen.
🌅 Sunrise Photography
Early morning can be exceptional.
Low light emphasizes the texture of the formations, while the White River Valley gradually emerges from shadow.
The cooler temperature also makes hiking much more comfortable during summer.
If starting before sunrise after the trail eventually reopens, carry a headlamp and be certain you are comfortable climbing the ladder in low light.
For most first-time hikers, beginning shortly after daylight is a better balance between photography and safety.
🌇 Late-Afternoon Light
Late-afternoon light can deepen the warm colors of the Badlands, but timing becomes important.
The trail’s ladder and exposed sections are much easier to negotiate while visibility remains good.
Allow enough time to return to the parking area before darkness.
A beautiful sunset is not worth descending an unfamiliar cable-and-log ladder when you can barely see the next rung.
⏱️ How Long Does Notch Trail Take?
NPS recommends allowing approximately 1.5 to 2 hours for the round trip.
Strong hikers may complete it faster, but there is little reason to rush.
Traffic on the ladder can create delays.
Photography adds time.
The final view deserves a few minutes of quiet observation.
Families and cautious hikers may take longer.
Think of two hours as a comfortable planning figure rather than a deadline.
📏 How Long Is Notch Trail?
National Park Service pages have listed the trail at roughly 1.25 to 1.5 miles round trip, with the dedicated trailhead and official hiking overview commonly describing it as approximately 1.5 miles.
Either way, this is a short trail.
Its challenge comes from terrain rather than mileage.
That distinction matters when comparing it with other hikes.
Someone who regularly walks several miles on level ground may still find the ladder and ledge far more demanding than expected.
🩹 Why Notch Sees Injuries
The National Park Service describes Notch as one of the park’s most popular trails and notes that it also sees a high number of injuries.
The reasons are understandable.
Short mileage encourages visitors who may not realize how adventurous the trail becomes.
Loose gravel complicates descents.
Rain creates slick clay.
People become distracted by photographs.
The ladder introduces both height and traffic congestion.
None of these makes Notch an unreasonable trail when dry and properly maintained.
They simply mean it should not be treated like an easy sightseeing path.
🚧 Why the 2026 Ladder Closure Matters
The current closure demonstrates exactly why park staff regularly inspect trail infrastructure.
The ladder is exposed to weather, erosion, thousands of hikers, and continual movement against a landscape that itself is actively changing.
When a section became a safety hazard, NPS closed the entire trail beginning August 31, 2026 so repairs could be completed.
Visitors may understandably be disappointed, especially if Notch was a centerpiece of a trip.
Respecting the closure protects both hikers and the employees conducting repairs.
Do not attempt to bypass it from another direction.
🗓️ Planning Around the Closure
Until NPS announces that Notch has reopened, consider using the Door and Window area as the beginning of a different hiking day.
Walk Window Trail.
Explore Door Trail.
Continue onto Castle Trail if you want more mileage.
Cliff Shelf Nature Trail provides another short option nearby, combining boardwalks, stairs, junipers, and chances to see wildlife.
The Badlands landscape is too large and varied for one closed trail to ruin a visit.
⭐ Is Notch Trail Worth Hiking When It Reopens?
Yes—if you are comfortable with heights and the trail is dry.
Notch Trail is memorable because it refuses to behave like an ordinary short hike.
It begins quietly in a canyon.
Then the ladder appears.
You climb steeply from the canyon floor, move across higher badlands terrain, negotiate exposed ledges, and finally reach an opening overlooking the White River Valley.
In little more than a mile, the landscape shifts from enclosed to expansive.
The geology changes scale.
The prairie suddenly appears beyond the formations.
The route feels adventurous without requiring technical climbing equipment.
That combination is why Notch has become one of Badlands National Park’s signature hikes.
The ladder is unquestionably the famous part, but it should not overshadow everything else. The changing perspective on the Badlands Wall, exposed sedimentary layers, possibility of fossil discoveries, prairie beyond the Notch, and extraordinary evidence of erosion are what make the hike more than a novelty climb.
Once the 2026 repair work is complete and NPS officially reopens the trail, arrive early, check the weather, wear shoes with good traction, carry water, and take your time on the ladder.
If heights make you uncomfortable, choose another hike.
If rain has turned the formations slick, come back another day.
And if you happen to notice a fossil emerging from the eroding rock, leave it exactly where millions of years of geology placed it, photograph the location, and tell a ranger.
Notch Trail is exciting precisely because the Badlands landscape is steep, fragile, exposed, and constantly changing.
Treating those qualities with respect is the best way to enjoy it.
🔗 Related Articles
- Badlands National Park
- Wildlife of Badlands National Park: Bison, Bighorn Sheep, Prairie Dogs & More
📚 Sources & Further Reading
- National Park Service — Hiking in Badlands National Park
- National Park Service — Notch Trailhead
- National Park Service — Notch Ladder
- National Park Service — Notch Trail Closure for Repairs
- National Park Service — Hiking the Badlands
- National Park Service — Safety
- National Park Service — Weather
- National Park Service — Geology & Paleontology
- National Park Service — Geologic Formations
- National Park Service — What to Do If You Find a Fossil
- National Park Service — Badlands National Park
