More explorations of the gorgeous Badlands National Park!
Badlands National Park is truly spectacular. The scenery is just very dramatic. I’m a big fan of dramatic landscape and only writing one post on Badlands was not enough for this gorgeous landscape. This post is covering my second day in Badlands! (Check out Day 1.)
I started hiking pretty early in the morning, because the first trails were the most popular in the park. Badlands was really busy when I visited. However, there are only a handful of designated trails for people to hike. So, they get crowded fairly fast. Walking off trail is allowed at Badlands, but I’m accident prone, so I skipped that.
The first trail was the Door Trail, which is near the Northeast Entrance to the park. The parking lot for this trail is also the parking lot for a couple of more trails. Very convenient.
Jana Irving A ridge ruins parallel to the road.
Jana Irving The trail takes you through a pass that leads to this very badlandy view.
Jana Irving The dramatic badlands continue for a while.
Jana Irving The sunny side of the ridge.
Jana Irving Part of the trail is a boardwalk that brings you to the previous views. There is also a trail that heads out into the badlands marked by posts.
Jana Irving It’s a very long, dramatic ridge.
Jana Irving Looking back at the ridge. “The Door,” in which the trail passes, is the deep notch on the left.
Jana Irving This was a fun trail.
Jana Irving Back on the other side of the ridge to start the Window Trail.
Jana Irving It’s a super short trail to a wonderful view of the badlands.
Jana Irving Now for the Notch Trail, a much harder trail. Well, it’s only hard in one section. Otherwise, it was a breeze.
Jana Irving The trail passes through a ravine…
Jana Irving To the sketchiest ladder I’ve ever found in a national park.
Jana Irving You have to go back down the same ladder, too. I’m still surprised I did it. Not really a fan of ladders.
Jana Irving Gorgeous views from the top!
Jana Irving The trail follows the ravine and another somewhat sketchy section.
Jana Irving Gorgeous. Definitely worth the climb up the world’s sketchiest ladder.
Jana Irving Definitely worth it.
Jana Irving Past the ravine, the ridge landscape gets interesting.
Jana Irving View from “the Notch.” I found the ravine more gorgeous, honestly.
Jana Irving I went a bit off trail here. I should have veered left here, but I went straight.
Jana Irving Erosion is amazing.
Jana Irving This trail was super neat.
Jana Irving I was not expecting to see a rabbit up here. I hadn’t even headed down the ladder yet.
Jana Irving View of the ridge from the Cliff Shelf Nature Trail. “The Notch” is up there somewhere.
Jana Irving The badlands being dramatic.
Jana Irving Gorgeous.
Now for the last trail, also the longest. I started from the East end of the Castle Trail and looped back via the Medicine Root Trail. I did a section of the West side of the Castle Trail on Day 1.
Jana Irving The landscape is a bit different along these trails. It has a lot more prairie versus badlands.
Jana Irving Still awesome.
Jana Irving It does get badlandy fairly quick, though.
Jana Irving Rough but fun terrain.
Jana Irving I highly recommend wearing sunglasses on this trail. The ground is very reflective.
Jana Irving There is also no shade anywhere.
Jana Irving The badlands being dramatic again.
Jana Irving A very eroded area.
Jana Irving The last bit of the real badlandy section.
Jana Irving I climbed up here for some reason.
Jana Irving The Medicine Root Trail stays mostly in the prairie.
And now for some random wildlife pictures I took after hiking.
Jana Irving Sooooo cute!
Jana Irving Random bison. Bison like to hang out in prairie dog towns.
Jana Irving Another bison rolling around in some dirt.
Jana Irving Last prairie dog picture.
Jana Irving Pronghorns.
Badlands National Park may be in the absolute middle of nowhere South Dakota, but it is definitely worth the drive.
Check out my next update where I explore the Ozarks of Illinois!
or
Start at the beginning of this northwest Midwest road trip!
