Hiking the Window and Door Trails in Beautiful Badlands National Park

Looking to explore more of Badlands National Park?
Check out the incredible Notch Trail next door, or head further into the park to visit the Fossil Exhibit Trail.

CURRENT INFO

Find more information and maps for the Door and Window Trails on the AllTrails website. General hiking information and more is also available on the National Park Service Website. If you’re planning a trip to Badlands National Park and the Black Hills of South Dakota, I recommend the book Moon South Dakota’s Black Hills: With Mount Rushmore & Badlands National Park by Laural A. Bidwell.

GOOD TO KNOW

• Badlands National Park charges a $30 entrance fee per car, valid for seven days. Pay at the park entrance station.
• If you have an America the Beautiful pass (or other national parks pass), this covers the entrance fee for Badlands National Park. You can purchase a pass online, or from a park entrance station. Some individuals, including veterans, fourth graders, and seniors, may qualify for a free or reduced price pass. You can also purchase a $55 pass valid only for Badlands National Park. Personally, I recommend the America the Beautiful pass, because it covers entrance fees for all national lands, not just national parks, including trailheads on National Forest land.
• The parking lot for the Window and Door Trails is right off Highway 240, the main road through Badlands National Park. It also serves as the trailhead for several other popular hikes.
• Arrive early to avoid crowds. In summer, this also avoids the hottest part of the day.
• Restrooms and drinking water are available at the trailhead.
• Pets are not allowed on trails in Badlands National Park.
• Bring water, shade hats, and sunscreen. Although these trails are short, they are exposed and summer temperatures can be high.
• Wear shoes or boots with good traction if you plan to hike beyond the boardwalks. Badlands National Park is an open hiking park, which means you can hike anywhere — on trail, off trail, you get to choose! Have fun, but stay safe and watch out for those around you as well.
• For a longer hike, try the Notch Trail. The Notch Trail shares the same parking lot as the Window and Door Trails, and the trailhead is located just south of the Window Trail. This adventurous short hike offers many more opportunities to climb and explore.
• Always follow Leave No Trace principles.

HIGHLIGHTS

Both the Window and Door Trails offer easy access to incredible views and serve as a springboard for further exploration. While both trails are quite popular, the ability to wander off trail wherever you like offers the chance to experience the Badlands on your own terms. Whether you stick to the boardwalks or scale the cliffs, the otherworldly landscape will amaze you.

THE KIDS TAKE

Hiking in the Badlands is all about exploring, and if your kids are anything like mine, that’s exactly what they want out of a hike. Let them have fun climbing, but be sure to set some ground rules to ensure they stay safe. Pro tip: stop by the visitor center to pick up a Junior Ranger booklet before starting your hike.

Keep an eye out for unexpected nature sightings. We were delighted to find cliff swallows nesting under the eaves of the restrooms. Hungry chicks cheeped incessantly while their parents swooped in to feed them.

WHILE YOU’RE HERE

Badlands National Park can easily fill a whole day or more. From the same parking lot as the Window and Door Trails, check out the fun and fascinating Notch Trail. Follow Highway 240 west to check out the Fossil Exhibit Trail, numerous roadside viewpoints, and Roberts Prairie Dog Town.

Be sure to stop by the Ben Reifel Visitor Center for more information, ideally at the start of your day. Campers can stay next door at Cedar Pass Campground, while those looking for a few more creature comforts will appreciate the Cedar Pass Lodge cabins. In either case, you’ll be treated to stunning views of the Badlands from your home base.

Our adventure in Badlands National Park began with a hike along the Notch Trail, and now we were hungry for more. Hungry for more sandwiches, that is. After all, it was lunch time, and we could use a little something to fortify us for further explorations.

Following a simple meal, we headed down the the Window Trail, a short boardwalk that hardly counts as a hike. But whether or not it qualifies as a hike is hardly the point. This accessible path leads to a stunning overlook in the heart of the Badlands.

Step out onto the balcony and gaze out the “Window”, where a grand view of the otherworldly landscape of the Badlands awaits.

Closer at hand, the rocky mounds near the viewpoint are a great place to explore. My kids hardly noticed the view; they were ready to climb, and this spot provided just the right challenge for them. It was a little tricky ascending (not to mention descending) some of the steep rock walls. Scree coming off the erosive mudrock requires extra care to traverse.

Both boys made it to the upper level, where they found their own nooks and crannies in which to hide. Heck, even us adults climbed up for a closer look. We couldn’t let the kids have all the fun!

Once we had our fill, we carefully picked our way back down the rocks. Now on to the next adventure!

After exploring the Window Trail, we walked the length of the parking lot to reach the Door Trail. Here, another boardwalk leads to an opening onto a flat rock shelf. Yes, it’s a door into the Badlands!

As with the Window Trail, even if the boardwalk is the only part you do, the Door Trail is well worth the short walk. The view here is distinctly different from the Window Trail, and looks out over an endless maze of shallow ravines through the rock.

For those who are up for more, step through the door to explore these ravines for yourself. Follow the yellow poles planted in the ground to continue to the end of the Door Trail. The poles are numbered, and once you reach one pole, the next pole will be visible just a little further off.

Of course, you don’t have to follow the assigned route if you would rather make your own. It’s open hiking here in the Badlands! As you wander, take a moment to turn around and take in the view behind you. Craggy peaks rise behind the boardwalk, creating a good landmark to reference as your wanderings take you further.

The kids were most interested in exploring the area just beyond the boardwalk. Michael, on the other had, was eager to continue the trail. After spending some time with the kids, I decided to follow his lead. As I neared the end of the trail, the landscaped shifted. The ravines deepened, and rocky barren hills, striped in rust brown, rose from the depths.

In case you were wondering, this is the official end of the Door Trail. You can explore beyond this point, but the steep cliffs make it much more difficult. Take in the view, then turn around to head back to the boardwalk. The route isn’t long, and it takes about 20 minutes to walk out and back.

I gathered up the kids, and together we headed back to the boardwalk. By now they were ready to move on, ready for a break as we continued our drive through Badlands National Park. I took a few final moments to appreciate the view from the end of the boardwalk before heading back to the parking lot.

We came, we saw, and we climbed. For anyone visiting Badlands National Park, I hope you can do the same. Or, if climbing isn’t for you, definitely come and see. Together, the Door and Window Trails offer a chance for everyone to experience the wonder of Badlands National Park.