Notch Trail (Badlands) Hiking Guide

The Notch Trail is the Badlands hike people remember: a walk up a canyon, a climb of a log ladder strapped to the wall, then a ledge to a gap with a view across the White River Valley. Right now it is closed while the park repairs the ladder, with no reopening date announced. Here is what the trail is like and what to do instead until it reopens.

permit requiredno dogs
Difficulty
moderate
Distance
1.2 mi
Elevation gain
108 ft
Trailhead
Interior
log-and-cable ladder up a badlands wallledge walk to a view of the White River Valleyeroded canyon
springfall

Permit: Badlands National Park charges an entrance fee: $30 per private vehicle, $25 per motorcycle or $15 per person on foot or bike (16 and older), each valid 7 days at Badlands only. The park annual pass is $55, and the America the Beautiful pass also covers entry. Payment is by card only.

The Current Closure

On August 31, 2026 the park closed the trail and everything within 100 feet of it until further notice so crews could repair a section of the ladder that had become hazardous. The closure was still on the park's alerts list in early October, and AllTrails shows the trail as closed. The park has closed the Notch before for ladder-area work, including loose-rock mitigation in 2024, and reopened it afterward. Check the park's alerts before you drive out.

The Route When Open

The park lists the Notch at 1.5 miles round trip and rates it moderate to strenuous; AllTrails maps it at 1.2 miles with 108 feet of gain. It starts at the south end of the Door and Window parking area and winds up a canyon to the ladder, which the park describes as steel cable and thick logs pinned to the bedrock at the top. Above the ladder a narrow ledge leads to the Notch itself. The park warns of drop-offs, says it is not for anyone afraid of heights, and calls it treacherous during or after heavy rain.

What to Hike Instead

The Castle Trail leaves from the same parking area and runs five miles one way across the formations to the Fossil Exhibit Trail, and the Door Trail, also from that lot, follows a boardwalk through a break in the Badlands Wall. The park's open-hike policy lets you explore off trail too, but it cautions that badlands slopes are easier to climb up than down and that cell coverage is poor in the backcountry.

Heat, Water and Weather

There is no shade in the canyon. The park recommends two quarts of water per person for every two hours of hiking, plus a hat, sunscreen and rain gear, because storms build quickly. Sturdy shoes help with cactus spines and rattlesnakes. Spring and fall are the comfortable seasons; summer middays on the exposed rock are hard work.

Fee, Dogs and Rules

Entry to Badlands costs $30 per private vehicle for seven days, paid by card at the Northeast, Pinnacles or Interior entrance stations or online. Pets are not allowed on any Badlands trail, including this one; they may only go on roads and in developed areas such as campgrounds. Leave fossils, rocks and plants where you find them; collecting is illegal in the park.

Hiking tips for Notch Trail (Badlands)

  • Check the Badlands alerts page before driving out; the trail is closed until further notice.
  • Don't slip past the closure signs; the order covers everything within 100 feet of the trail.
  • When it reopens, wait your turn at the ladder and climb one group at a time.
  • Avoid the ledge during or right after rain; the park calls the trail treacherous then.
  • Carry two quarts of water per person, even for this short hike.

Nearby trails to explore

  • Castle Trail (Badlands)
  • Lookout Point and Centennial Trail Loop (Wind Cave)
  • Sunday Gulch Trail

Hike this trail with TrailMates

When the Notch reopens, the ladder is a lot more fun with friends cheering you up it. Use TrailMates to find hikers in the Black Hills and Badlands planning a trip. Download the TrailMates app to connect.