A Fantastic Half-Day Loop Hike In The Badlands With Kids
Badlands National Park doesn’t actually have that many of hiking trails, something I was surprised to discover when we were planning our trip there. The NPS website only lists 8 official trails in the park and 5 of those are under a mile long.
We wanted a good loop hike of around 4- 7 miles on an official trail. (While you can walk anywhere in Badlands, I wasn’t keen to go bushwhacking with the kids). We settled on making a 4.8 mile loop by combining 3 trails in the park: Saddle Pass, Medicine Root Trail, and Castle Trail into a lollipop loop (or lariat if you prefer that term).
We really enjoyed this hike as we found that not only was the scenery beautiful but the variation over the 4.8 miles was more than I would have thought. There’s rock scrambling, strolling through the prairie, as well as fantastic views out over the classic rock formations of the Badlands all in this one hike.
If you are looking for a great day hike in Badlands National Park, the Saddle Pass, Medicine Root, and Castle Trail loop hike was our favorite.
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If you are looking for shorter hikes, check out
For ideas of what to do in this part of South Dakota, read 6 DAYS IN SOUTH DAKOTA: A BLACK HILLS AND BADLANDS VACATION ITINERARY
Trail Details And Description
- 4.8 miles long in a lollipop/ lariat loop
- 2.5 hours hiking time
- moderate difficulty, +311 ft elevation gain
PROS– great views, peaceful stretches of prairie walking, fun rock scrambling
CONS– very little shade, Medicine Root can be a little boring if you don’t like prairie, Saddle Pass would dangerous to climb up (or especially down) in rainy or icy conditions
We started up Saddle Pass at 9am on a weekday in early October and were back at the trailhead by 1130am. We saw a couple of other hikers, maybe 10-12 in all, so it was not busy, although in summer I can bet that is not the case.
It was about 60 degrees when we started and almost 90 when we finished. Not a cloud in the sky either so we definitely applied lots of sunscreen and took lots of water in our backpacks. You can walk close to the big rock formations to get a little shade depending on the sun position, but otherwise this is a very open trail.
The Saddle Pass trailhead parking lot is easy to find right off of Badlands Loop Road and is marked on all the park maps. It isn’t big though with about 7-8 parking spots and no amenities besides a trailhead sign. No toilet, no water fountain.
*Note- The mileage, time, and elevation are according to my Garmin watch. The trailhead sign says 4.2 miles for the loop, and two online blogs I found said 4.7 and 4.75 miles respectively. I have found my Garmin to be pretty reliable in the past for mileage so that’s what I am going with- 4.8 miles for this hike.
Start And Finish The Loop Hike On Saddle Pass Trail
Saddle Pass is a short 0.36 miles long but is a rock scramble up the classic rock formations of the Badlands. You’ll find a great view from the top though.
This is where all your elevation gain for this is really. Be careful hiking down Saddle Pass at the end of this hike as the steep, smooth surface of the rocks makes this trail a little bit slidey, even in dry conditions. (It would be an actual slide in the rain and I would avoid hiking this trail in any rainy/icy conditions.)
Photos From Saddle Pass Trail
Medicine Root Trail & Castle Trail- The Middle Section Of The Loop
Medicine Root Trail– 2.2 miles- a nice stroll through the prairie, very mild uphill toward the end
Castle Trail– 1.9 miles- an easy walk back along the edge of the plateau and looking down over the valley, some interesting rock formations in parts
You could do Castle Trail first instead of Medicine Root if you wanted as it doesn’t really make a difference. When you come to the intersection at the top of Saddle Pass trail you can take either trail by heading either straight (Medicine Root) or right (Castle Trail).
We did Medicine Root first because it was a little longer and I read that it was slightly more boring so we thought we would go ahead and get it done.
Also, Castle Trail heads east from the intersection with Saddle Pass trail and since it was morning when we hiked, that meant we would have been hiking into the sun. So Medicine Root first it was!
Photos From Medicine Trail
Photos From Castle Trail
Tips For Hiking This Trail With Kids
1. Bring water
And more water than you might think you’ll need, especially in summer. There was next to no shade on this trail and it was hot, even on an October day. I can’t imagine hiking the trail mid-day in July or August.
Flags at the park entrances and at the Visitor Center will keep you apprised of current heat stroke danger- yellow for moderate, orange for likely, and red for don’t even get out of your car. Pay attention to those.
2. Bring a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses
Whatever works for you to avoid sunburn. Again- no shade.
3. Go early or go late if you are here in the summer
Because, and let’s say it all together folks one more time, there is no shade on this trail. Also, the parking lot is not large so you are going to want to avoid busy times.
4. Wear good traction boots/hiking shoes (no sandals)
Saddle Pass is very steep in parts with loose dirt and several of us slid several feet coming down. This would be a very unfun trail in the rain or other slick conditions.
And rattlesnakes can be an issue in the tall grass when you get out to the more prairie part. Stick to the trail and watch where you step.
Where We Stayed In The Badlands
There isn’t a huge amount of choice in or near the park actually as this is a pretty sparsely developed area. There are probably more campgrounds/RV parks around here than hotels so that could be an option. Cedar Pass Lodge is the only lodging available in the park. Cedar Pass Campground is adjacent to it. Keep reading for a review of both of those places
Chain Hotels
If you want a chain hotel, your best bet is in Rapid City which is an hour drive away, although there are a few budget chains in Wall, SD.
We stayed in the Residence Inn Rapid City and the Fairfield Inn & Suites Rapid City while on our 6 day trip in the Black Hills and liked both of them (the Residence Inn slightly better than the Fairfield Inn). There is a huge indoor waterpark adjacent to these hotels if that would be something your kids would be excited about.
Cedar Pass Lodge In The Park Is Amazing
My number one choice for lodging is the cabins at the Cedar Pass Lodge. We spent the night here before this hike.
The lodge is only 1.8 miles from the Saddle Pass trailhead and takes less than 5 minutes to get there. We actually ran back to the lodge for a bathroom break because one of the kids forgot to go before we left. That’s how close it was.
OUR FULL REVIEW OF CEDAR PASS LODGE AND CAMPGROUNDS: Head here to read all the details from our stay, including pictures of our cabins and campsites.
Cedar Pass Campground
If you are camping, then the Cedar Pass Campground was next to the lodge and looked nice. Not a lot of tree cover for campsites so I can imagine it gets hot in the summer and I might worry a little about the wind as a tent camper.
Each campsite does have a sheltered picnic table but no fires are allowed. The sites don’t have any privacy from each other either but the views during the day and the stars at night would make up for a lot of the shortcomings.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for a moderately difficult hike that won’t take you all day and will keep the kids interested, the Saddle Pass- Medicine Root Trail- Castle Trail was a great hike that we enjoyed.
This is a fun trail that has a little bit of everything I liked about the Badlands. Except bison. I didn’t see any bison but that’s okay because I saw the elsewhere in the park.
Happy Trails! – Amanda
