Hiking the Amazing Notch Trail, Badlands National Park

The Notch Trail is our favorite hike in Badlands National Park!

The trail has amazing views the entire hike and there is a thrilling aspect as the trail climbs a ladder and then follows along the edge of a cliff to the final Notch at the end. Hiking the Notch Trail, Badlands National Park should be at the top list of things to do in Badlands National Park.

We hiked this trail at sunset since the July high temperature for the day was over 100. This was a fabulous choice as we only saw a few other people and when we returned to the parking lot, we had time to check out the Door and Window Trails as well.

Overview of the Notch Trail, Badlands National Park

Wondering which is the trail with the ladder in Badlands National Park? This is it! The highlight of the trail is the 50 rung ladder, however, this trail has plenty to offer! It is a relatively short and easy hike with just a little elevation change, and you can easily make the hike longer by adding on some of the other hikes that leave from this same trailhead.

Distance: 1.3 miles (1 hour)

Difficulty: Moderate

Elevation: 125 feet

Finding the Trailhead for the Notch Trail Badlands National Park

The trailhead leaves from the same parking lot as 3 other trails: the Door, Window, and Castle Trails. This parking lot is just inside the Southeast Entrance to Badlands National Park. The trailheads are all well marked and easy to find. The Trail starts on the South End of the parking lot and begins on a dirt path (not a boardwalk).

The trail is easy to follow and mostly flat.

The Notch Trail Details

The trail starts on a dirt path that winds into the canyon. The mostly flat trail follows the canyon through patches of juniper and brush. Within about 0.3 miles the trail gets to a ladder.

The ladder is not free-hanging – in fact, the ladder is mostly leaning against the hillside but offers a fun and relatively easy way to get up the steep hillside. There were a few rungs at the top that were pulled a bit away from the hillside but were still not nearly vertical.

The ladder has about 50 rungs and since only a few people can climb up or down at a time I imagine on busy days there could a bottleneck of people at this part of the hike. Since we were there really early in the morning, we didn’t need to wait for anyone and could just go up.

After you make it to the top of the ladder, the trail turns to the left and you follow the top of the cliff as it makes it’s way further into the canyon. The trail is easy to follow, but there were a few spots that made me nervous and I wouldn’t want to do this hike with young kids or someone who is afraid of heights. When you get to a split in the canyon, stay to the right (it was fairly obvious) and follow the trail until it ends at the Notch.

At this point, you will be standing on the edge of a cliff that opens up to the view to the south with sweeping views of the rocks below. Once you’ve enjoyed the view, it’s time to head back down the trail. The trail itself is an easy walk and I only gave the hike a moderate difficulty rating for the ladder and exposure.

After you get back to the trailhead, if there is time, take a few moments and do either the Door Trail (1 mile) or Window Trail (1/4 mile). These short and easy trails are very kid-friendly and are a great addition to the Notch Trail hike. You can also hike the Castle Trail (which is what we did) from this parking lot.

When to Hike the Notch Trail in Badlands National Park

The best time to visit Badlands National Park is in the spring, summer, or fall months. If you are visiting in the summer, you can expect hot temperatures and thunderstorms in the afternoons so you are best off hiking the Notch Trail early in the morning or late in the day. The day we visited was over 100 degrees, but when we hiked the Notch Trail at sunrise, it was clear and dry with temperatures in the 70s.

Since the trail is exposed, I would not want to hike this trail in poor conditions (including heavy rain and ice/snow). You can see any closures or updates on the National Parks Website.

Looking for other things to do in Badlands National Park?

• A Badlands National Park Itinerary: The Perfect Way to See the Park in 1-Day
• Hiking the Castle Trail Badlands National Park: One of the Best Hikes in this NP
• 11+ Amazing Things to do in Badlands National Park