notch trail

We hiked this short trail the first week of September. We were the only ones on the hike. I would wear proper hiking shoes as at times it was quite strenuous. It took us about 25 mins to complete the hike. (round trip). Very nice view at the end. The ladder might look challenging but if you take your time you will be fine. This place can get really hot - even in September it was around 88 degrees (31C) so do take some water with you.

We just recently hiked the Notch Trail with snow on the ground. Area can be a little tricky if there is ice. We did not think it was a hard trail to hike. I was able to hike the trail (in the snow) with tennis shoes. The view is excellent! Take a camera with you to capture the wildlife and the scenery.

A fun hike with great views and a good, close up look at some of the wonderful formations in the park. Have to climb a steep ladder to access the hike, so not for the feint of heart, but not too strenuous and not very long

Wouldn't call it moderate/strenuous except for the ladder maybe. Definitely don't need "sturdy boots" as the sign warns. Great hike though! Views are magnificent.

There are not a ton of designated hiking trails in Badlands National Park; we opted for the Notch Trail for it seemed interesting. We didn't see any wildlife on the trail, but did see quite a few people on a Saturday afternoon in September. The ladder portion wasn't too bad - just take your time and let others go ahead if you are a slower one...I had the bad fortune of having a group of four people come to the bottom and have to wait while I took my time going down (down was more difficult than up). Past the ladder, there were a few spots of ups/downs on the rocks - but nothing too difficult. At the overlook, towards the left it was miles of wilderness...to the right was the road/visitors center - a little too civilized. A great shorter hike in the park - have fun!Bring some water - there is a lot of sun. There were pit toilets further down the parking area at the trailhead.Note that you can see the end of the Notch Trail from the board-walked area of the Cliff Shelf Nature trail. If you are not a primitive hiker, you can get a very similar end-view from the upper areas of the Cliff Shelf trail.

I really enjoyed the hike , great views at the top. Another reviewer had said it was fine for children, well my kids hike a lot and coming down the ladder was a bit much for my 5 year old who ended up with a piggy back ride down the ladder. My 10 year old was fine, but my 8 year old looked a little spooked also :). Still you must hike in this park. You don 't get the same experience driving through it!

Great hike to get you started in the badlands. Most hikes we found here are short. This is one of them. The most important thing to remember being here is it can get hot. We were here in July and it can crank up to over 100 degrees by mid day. Just because it is a short hike does not mean leave your water in the car.

This might be our favorite hike in the Badlands. There are other trails that we love, like the Cliff Shelf, but that's more of a walk, with some of it being on a boardwalk and steps. The Notch Trail is a primitive trail and it feels like you're on the moon with nobody else around. The rope ladder is a favorite portion of this trail as is, of course, "the notch" overlooking the Cliff Shelf area and visitor center below. You can see for miles and miles; the view is spectacular.

My friends and I are in are mid 20s and this hike was very easy for us. If you are older the ladder and hike may be strenuous. The terrain is very dry and hot in August, so bring lots of water and sunscreen. Also, go early to beat the crowds! Like 7am. Especially, if you want to take photos. No one wants tourist in their scenic nature photos. The Badlands is a beautiful place and I recommend that everyone check it out at least once!

This is a fun short hike that has one or two challanging sections, but other than that is a lovely walk through some beautiful badlands.It says it should take 1 1/2 to 2 hours, but we were back to the starting point in about 40 minutes.

A moderately strenuous climb leads to a spectacular view of the Badlands. This trail is NOT for anyone who is afraid of heights.

Great trail but not for those with a fear of heights. Don't let the ladder psyche you out - it's not that bad. Bring a lot of water as the sun just bounces off all the rock. The view at the end of the trail is Awe-Inspiring.

All three hikes are nice but my favorite was the notch trail. First you walk through the canyon bottom up to the ladder. I was a bit apprehensive after reading about the ladder but it was quite easy going up and almost as easy going down. The rungs are a little far apart but my 12 year old didn't have any trouble. The whole hike took us about 35 minutes.It was very hot, 104 the day we hiked and although we each took a bottle of water, we found it wasn't enough. The entire hike is exposed to the direct sun except for a few brief areas with a tiny bit of shade. Be prepared with sunscreen and water if it's hot.The rangers also warned us not to do the hike if the trail is wet (after a rain). After you get up the ladder, you walk for about 100 yards along the cliff edge and it would be treacherous when wet.There was one section where there was a trail marker near the last hill, but no indication whether to go left or right. We went right.This is an excellent hike for all ages although you will want to keep an eye on younger ones or keep them close for the section just after you climb the ladder and at the overlook.Highly recommended, this was my favorite hike in Badlands.

The three short hikes that are accessible to most people are all worth doing. You don't need to be an expert hiker or take 5 gallons of water

If you hike at all, the ladder will be a fun diversion. Did all the hikes in the park and then some on our own in a creek bed. Most were just wondering across a flat, hot prairie. The Notch Trail we did the morning we left. It was fun scrambling up and even down the ladder. Wouldn't do it in flip flops though like some on the trail.