Wind Canyon Trail

Wind Canyon Trail is a roughly half-mile loop along the rim above the Little Missouri River, with a short climb to a broad lookout. It is one of the South Unit’s biggest payoffs for very little walking: river bend, cottonwood bottomland, and wind-shaped badlands spread out below. Give it about 20 to 30 minutes if you want time at the top. Published distances differ: one trail listing says 0.3 mile, another says 0.4, while tracing the complete path and its trailhead connectors comes out close to 0.5 mile. The short mileage makes this an easy stop to fit into a South Unit drive, though the steps still deserve your attention.

Start just west of the parking area and follow the unpaved path beside the eroded rim. The trail first skirts the canyon edge, then climbs to its upper lookout before returning to the lot. It stays high above the Little Missouri rather than dropping to the riverbank. A small seating area sits about halfway around, but most of the walk is exposed to the open badlands.

The distance is easy to underestimate. There are steep stretches with log steps spaced far apart, and loose gravel or uneven ground underfoot. Much of the route is close to steep cliffs, where the ground can be unstable. Stay well back from the edge, especially where the trail bends around the rim. The route is not a straightforward accessible walk even though the parking lot has accessible spaces.

The canyon funnels wind toward the river, then opens out over the valley; that gusty channel is what gave Wind Canyon its name. The smooth contours, spire-like hoodoos, and hollows in the walls are still being shaped by erosion. Great Horned Owls and other birds use those wall hollows as nest sites. Visitors sometimes spot bison on the river flats, too, but treat that as a bonus rather than part of the plan.