Parking
Use the signed Skyline Vista parking area off the South Unit Scenic Loop, between mile markers 4 and 5. Accessible spaces are beside the paved trailhead.
Overview
About Skyline Vista Trail
Why go
- Flat pavement, accessible parking, and seating at the overlook
- A broad Little Missouri valley view after a very short walk
Heads up
- Too short to fill much of a hiking day
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Theodore Roosevelt map
Full mapElevation2,525–2,528 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Theodore Roosevelt alerts
- ClosureRidgeline Nature Trail inaccessibleDo not plan to use the South Unit’s Ridgeline Nature Trail; it is currently inaccessible because of a road collapse. - The trail is 0.6 mile long.Official details
- InfoChanged access route to Petrified Forest trailheadUse the approved legal route from I-94 Exit 10 to reach the Petrified Forest trailhead; follow the clearly marked posts.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Theodore Roosevelt Tour Guide
Your drive to Skyline Vista Trail, narrated.
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.
Recorded for this trailhead
Skyline Vista: The Valley Between Two Remnants0:00 / 0:33
“You're approaching the parking area for Skyline Vista, where a short paved walk leads to a seated view over the Little Missouri valley.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Theodore Roosevelt Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Johnson's Plateau: Watching Prairie Dogs
- The Winter That Broke the Cattle Boom
- Cottonwood Campground: A Riverside Base
- Maltese Cross Cabin: A Well-Traveled Ranch House
- 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 Skyline Vista Trail
A quick overlook walkSkyline Vista Trail is a short paved out-and-back across flat Johnson’s Plateau to a seated…
Skyline Vista Trail is a short paved out-and-back across flat Johnson’s Plateau to a seated overlook. The mapped path runs about 0.12 mile each way (roughly 0.25 mile round trip) and opens onto the Little Missouri River valley, the western horizon, and surrounding badlands. It’s a handy first stop if you want a wide view without a long walk; allow 5 to 15 minutes. The road crossing the valley gives a photo a useful sense of scale.
The mileage needs a little contextThe published trail figure is 0.
The published trail figure is 0.1 mile round trip, but the mapped centerline from the parking area to the overlook is about 0.12 mile one way; another route listing gives 0.2 mile out and back. The full return walk measures closer to a quarter mile on the mapped line, so plan for that longer estimate. This is still a brief stop, not a destination hike.
Parking, access, and rulesFind the signed Skyline Vista parking area on the South Unit Scenic Loop between mile markers 4…
Find the signed Skyline Vista parking area on the South Unit Scenic Loop between mile markers 4 and 5. Accessible spaces are right beside the trailhead, and the path is fully paved and designated accessible; benches at the overlook make it easy to stay awhile. The park warns that pavement can become slippery in inclement weather. Pets aren’t allowed on park trails; leashed service animals are permitted.
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
45 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.
