Parking
Use the designated Saddle Pass Trailhead parking area off Badlands Loop Road (SD-240). An information kiosk is at the access.
Overview
About Saddle Pass Trail
Why go
- A short route reaches the Badlands Wall and a wide valley view.
Heads up
- Steep, loose footing makes the descent tougher than the climb.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Badlands map
Full mapElevation2,415–2,621 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
1 active Badlands alert
- ClosureNotch Trail closed for ladder repairsNotch Trail and all areas within 100 feet of the designated trail are closed; do not enter the closure area.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Badlands Tour Guide
Your drive to Saddle Pass Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Badlands National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Badlands audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Saddle Pass Trailhead0:00 / 0:26
“You're coming up on Saddle Pass Trailhead, the start of a short but strenuous climb to a White River Valley view.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Badlands Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Kylie's Saber-Tooth Discovery
- The Porcupine's Soft Start
- Cedar Pass Campground and Amphitheater
- Medicine Root Trailhead
- 116 audio storiesacross Badlands’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Bison, Bighorn Sheep, Prairie Dog, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 11 trails, 34 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“We recently toured Badlands, Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore and more! We learned so much from this app as we toured each of these sites. The audio tours are worth the money.”
Trail guide
Hiking Saddle Pass Trail
What you’ll hikeSaddle Pass is a 0.68-mile round-trip out-and-back from the trailhead on Badlands Loop Road.
Saddle Pass is a 0.68-mile round-trip out-and-back from the trailhead on Badlands Loop Road. It begins with a short, nearly level approach, then climbs the Badlands Wall to a ridge overlooking the White River Valley. Allow about 40 minutes for the climb and return. The mileage is small; the grade is not.
The climb and viewThe steep pitch begins after roughly the first tenth of a mile.
The steep pitch begins after roughly the first tenth of a mile. The path winds between pale, eroded mounds, then eases onto the ridge. At the top it meets Castle and Medicine Root trails. If Saddle Pass is your goal, turn around at that junction and retrace the same route; continuing turns this short spur into a much longer hike. The main payoff is the open view across the White River Valley.
How steep is it?The tread is loose enough that the descent can feel harder than the climb.
The tread is loose enough that the descent can feel harder than the climb. Published elevation figures disagree: terrain elevations put the rise near 200 feet, while the park lists about 300 feet. Treat either figure as approximate and expect a strenuous climb for such a short walk.
Weather and accessThe ground can be treacherous during and after rain, and extreme heat can make the climb…
The ground can be treacherous during and after rain, and extreme heat can make the climb dangerous. Dogs aren’t allowed on park trails. Start at the Saddle Pass Trailhead parking area beside Badlands Loop Road (SD-240); an information kiosk is at the access. No water, food, or toilet was identified at the trailhead.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Badlands
760 sightingsBisonMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
1,061 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
906 sightingsPrairie DogMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
333 sightingsPronghornMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
304 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
87 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Badlands. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
