Parking
Use the Talkington Trail Roadside Pulloff on Scenic Loop Drive. This is the named access for the three-trail loop; parking capacity and fill pattern are not published.
Overview
About Jones/
Why go
- Jones and Paddock creek corridors frame a varied Badlands circuit.
Heads up
- It takes most of a day, and bison-braided tread can slow route-finding.
The Jones/Lower Talkington/Lower Paddock Loop is an 11.4-mile South Unit circuit through creek-cut badlands, linking the Jones Creek, Lower Talkington, and Lower Paddock Creek trails. Allow six to eight hours. Pick it when you want a long backcountry day; this is much more than a quick walk from the Scenic Loop Drive.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Theodore Roosevelt map
Full mapElevation2,244–2,536 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Theodore Roosevelt alerts
- ClosureRidgeline Nature Trail inaccessibleThe South Unit’s 0.6-mile Ridgeline Nature Trail is currently inaccessible because of a road collapse. Check current park conditions.Official details
- InfoPetrified Forest trailhead: use approved routeUse the approved legal route from I-94, Exit 10 toward Camels Hump Lake, and follow the clearly marked posts to the Petrified Forest trailhead.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Theodore Roosevelt Tour Guide
Your drive to Jones/
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Theodore Roosevelt 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 Theodore Roosevelt audio tourRecorded for this area
An Owl at the Burrow0:00 / 0:29
“At a prairie dog town in summer, look for a small owl standing on long legs beside a burrow. Burrowing owls nest underground, using holes left by animals such as prairie dogs.”
Plays near this trailhead in the Parkwolf Theodore Roosevelt Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Chorus Frogs at Coal Vein
- Badlands Overlook: A Landscape Hard to Cross
- Coal Vein Trail: The Ground Above the Fire
- Old East Entrance: A Gateway in a Prairie Dog Town
- 45 audio storiesacross Theodore Roosevelt’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Bison, Wild Horse, Wapiti, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 38 trails, 35 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Jones/
Stay on the marked lineThe circuit uses connecting trail segments, including the Badlands Spur, to join its named…
The circuit uses connecting trail segments, including the Badlands Spur, to join its named creek trails. Bison can braid faint tread into parallel paths, so keep the next marker post in view where tracks divide. The park's overview brochure warns that it is not suitable for trail navigation; get the detailed trail map at the visitor center before driving out to the Talkington pull-off.
Bring all your waterThere is no dependable potable water on the route.
There is no dependable potable water on the route. Natural water in the park is not potable, so carry what you need for the full day. Pets are not allowed on park trails. Backcountry camping requires a free permit if you turn the hike into an overnight.
Between Jones and Paddock creeksThe route follows the Jones Creek drainage on its northern side and Paddock Creek on the south,…
The route follows the Jones Creek drainage on its northern side and Paddock Creek on the south, with rolling badlands between. A route account describes sandstone, siltstone, mudstone, and clay exposed along the gradual climb. Bison use these creek corridors. Published climbing estimates vary from roughly 500 to 800 feet, so treat gain as approximate rather than planning around one precise number.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Theodore Roosevelt
1,082 sightingsBisonMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
346 sightingsWild HorseMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
27 sightingsWapitiMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
46 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
87 sightingsPronghornMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
162 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Theodore Roosevelt. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
