Upper Paddock Creek Trail

Upper Paddock Creek Trail is the 7.7-mile, one-way eastern segment of Paddock Creek Trail, from the Scenic Loop Drive crossing where Upper and Lower Paddock divide to the Rim Trail junction on the South Unit’s prairie edge. It follows creek-side badlands, climbs and drops over steep hills, then tops out on a grassy plateau. The mapped line measures 7.74 miles; older route figures are 6.8–6.9, so plan to the longer mapped distance. Allow about four and a half hours for this leg alone. It is part of the National Park Service’s 15.4-mile Upper Paddock/Talkington Loop, not a loop itself; access from Painted Canyon adds 4 miles round trip. Use it as a segment of that longer outing unless you have a confirmed way to manage the through-route’s endpoints.

From the road crossing, the path follows the Paddock Creek drainage through brushy draws. Low ground can hold standing water, and creek crossings have been reported muddy. The route reaches the Painted Canyon Trail junction before the ground rises into steeper hills.

After that junction, the trail climbs steep hills, drops again, then climbs out of the badlands onto grassland near I-94. Near the base of the final rise, several paths can split and make the intended line hard to pick out. Keep the mapped route available and confirm the Rim Trail junction before continuing east.

The route ends where Rim Trail begins on the plateau edge. Flat grassland stretches east; the ground falls about 200 feet west into the badlands. That sudden change from prairie to broken terrain is the walk’s clearest payoff. Looking west from the rim puts the grassland edge and the drop into the same view.

No food, restroom, or reliable drinking-water source was verified on this backcountry segment, so carry what you need. Pets, bicycles, and motorized equipment are prohibited on park trails and in the backcountry. The free backcountry permit applies to overnight camping.