GoLite Hex 3 Nest Tent Sioux Falls SD

Activities: Hiking, Snowshoeing

Info:
State: South Dakota
Location: Badlands National Park
Length: One-Way: 2.6 miles
Trail type: Out and Back
Best Season: Spring, Fall
Difficulty: Difficult
Usage: Light

Description: The Medicine Root Trail is an alternative loop that is accessible from the Saddle Pass Trail to the west and the Castle Trail to the east. While the Castle Trail leads through a stark and barren moonscape, the Medicine Root Trail passes through a relatively lush area of the Badlands. The Medicine Root Trail tends to be overgrown and can be difficult to navigate. The intersection of the Castle Trail and Medicine Root Trail does offer a steep butte that can provide shade at most times of the day and is a good dry place to rest. You should never hike the trail without equipment or a map. Getting disoriented on this trail is easy and if you get heading north you will be in a lot of trouble fast.

Activities: Hiking, Snowshoeing

Info:
State: South Dakota
Location: Badlands National Park
Length: Round Trip: 0.5 miles
Trail type: Loop
Elevation Change: 200 feet
Trail Surface: Boardwalk
Best Season: Spring, Fall
Difficulty: Easy
Usage: Heavy

Description: The Cliff Shelf Nature Trail is a 1/2 mile loop that winds through a wooded prairie oasis surrounded by the parched Badlands. There is a trail guide that is available for purchase at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center or at the trailhead. Walkers will wander in and out of small shaded areas and take advantage of boardwalks and a flight of stairs in place to protected fragile resources. Located 1/2 mile north of the Visitor Center, the trail does climb approximately 200 feet in elevation. The views of the White River Valley from this trail are incomparable. The parking lot is small and cannot accommodate long vehicles towing trailers. Warning: Digging and/or moving fossils or artifacts from their locations in the ground is prohibited by Federal law. This is taken very seriously in Badlands Park. Offenders are prosecuted. Fines range from $50.00 to $250,000 and in severe cases offenders have been jailed.

Activities: Hiking, Snowshoeing

Info:
State: South Dakota
Location: Badlands National Park
Length: One-Way: 0.2 miles
Trail type: Out and Back
Elevation Change: 200 feet
Best Season: Spring, Fall
Difficulty: Difficult
Usage: Heavy

Description: The Saddle Pass Trail is a very short trail, only 0.2 miles one-way, but very steep. This trail connects the middle of the Castle Trail and the Medicine Root Loop to the Badlands Loop Road. The trail is probably the hardest trail in the Park . It is very steep and the soil from the butte is loose and the trail is rock covered. The Saddle Pass Trail is impassable after rains. The trail is traveled by a lot of people, who are tempted by the seemingly easy 200 foot vertical ascent. However this trail is anything but easy. The reward to the hiker is a spectacular view from the top of the buttes to the south. The trailhead and parking area are located two miles west of the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. Warning: Digging and/or moving fossils or artifacts from their locations in the ground is prohibited by Federal law. This is taken very seriously in Badlands Park. Offenders are prosecuted. Fines range from $50.00 to $250,000 and in severe cases offenders have been jailed.

Activities: Hiking

Info:
State: South Dakota
Location: Badlands National Park
Length: Round Trip: 1.5 miles
Trail type: Out and Back
Best Season: Spring, Fall
Difficulty: Difficult
Usage: Heavy

Description: The Notch Trail is a 1.5 mile round trip trail that is not recommended for those with a fear of heights. Meandering through a canyon, this trail presents the hiker with the opportunity to climb a steep ladder and hike along a ledge to “The Notch” above the Cliff Shelf area. One of the best views of the White River Valley and the Pine Ridge Reservation rewards those who do complete the trail. The Notch Trail can be treacherous during and just after heavy rains. The trail begins at the south end of the Door and Window parking area and requires hikers to wear sturdy Hiking boots. A hat and sunglasses are also recommended. Warning: Digging and/or moving fossils or artifacts from their locations in the ground is prohibited by Federal law. This is taken very seriously in Badlands Park. Offenders are prosecuted. Fines range from $50.00 to $250,000 and in severe cases offenders have been jailed.

Activities: Hiking, Snowshoeing

Info:
State: South Dakota
Location: Badlands National Park
Length: One-Way: 5 miles
Trail type: Out and Back
Trail Surface: Maintained
Best Season: Spring, Fall
Difficulty: Moderate
Usage: Light

Description: The Castle Trail is the longest trail in the park at 10 miles round trip. The Castle Trail stretches from the Fossil Exhibit Trail to the Door/Window parking area. Primarily level, this path parallels some precipitous badlands formations. The Castle Trail will take you through a variety of terrain and in the early summer will have a lot of vegetation. The Medicine Root Trail makes a loop within the Castle Trail from any connecting trailhead. The Castle Trail is not heavily used and thus offers a chance for solitude and wildlife viewing. The terrain is relatively flat and open (with buttes and hoodoos all around), with little to offer for orientation for the first time hiker. If you do become disoriented on this trail, you should head due south, as you will run into the Park Loop Road. You should also keep an eye on the sky and bring rain gear as Badlands National Park is famous for it’s severe thunderstorms. Warning: Digging and/or moving fossils or artifacts from their locations in the ground is prohibited by Federal law. This is taken very seriously in Badlands Park. Offenders are prosecuted. Fines range from $50.00 to $250,000 and in severe cases offenders have been jailed.