Scenic hiking trail that takes about an hour.See more
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Tripadvisor
4.5/5 · 406 reviews
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Scenic
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Jul 26, 2024
The Notch trail is a great trail that takes you through a notch in Badlands National Park. It is very cool and takes you along walls of rock, tall grass with rattlesnakes, and even on a tall ladder t… Full review by Jack S
Jul 3, 2024
This is an amazing trail with a worthwhile breathtaking view at the top! The total length out and back is around 1.5 miles and there is an elevation increase with a rope and log ladder to climb and d… Full review by JerriAL1
May 28, 2024
Older teen boys loved this and 50–year old parents in moderate physical shape were able to keep up. Weather was in low 70s so that helped. Full review by Suzie P
Will be hiking with a 1 year old and 2.5 year old. Will probably have them in hiking backpacks. Think we will manage on the log ladder with them in the packs? We are experienced hikers and hike with them in the backpacks all the time. Just don’t know how steep this ladder is!
A:
Ladder is pretty steep but I did see others with small kids just be careful
About 30 or so steps, though I wasn't really counting. :) The real steep ones are only the last few. I am not the most fit person you'd ever meet, but I managed... (My quads were …
About 30 or so steps, though I wasn't really counting. :) The real steep ones are only the last few. I am not the most fit person you'd ever meet, but I managed... (My quads were screaming the next couple of days, however)
Hello, Hello! I am making plans to visit the area in a couple of weeks and noticed Notch Trail might offer a great hiking opportunity for me and my two children, ages 9 and 13. The pictures travellers have posted of the Rope Ladder make it look *VERY* steep!!!! My 9 year old is not very athletic and I wonder if it would be a discouraging experience for her. Do people use the ladder for both ascending and descending? Are there other ways to make it to the top without using the ladder? Is the trail out-and-back, or a loop? How early can we get started on the trail if we would like to avoid the mid-day heat and keep the hike to the earlier part of the morning? Thank you so much for your help! TFA
A:
The ladder is steep but manageable if the kids take their time. There was a large group ahead of us that was extremely slow with the ladder, so we scrambled up a trail that was …
The ladder is steep but manageable if the kids take their time. There was a large group ahead of us that was extremely slow with the ladder, so we scrambled up a trail that was parallel to the ladder, so you can choose. My youngest son and my husband are not athletic and both did well. The trail really is worth it and it was an out and back.
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