Badlands: The Fossil Trail

Badlands Fossil Trail

If you are like me, you love not just the hike but the history of the area you are hiking. Especially if it is a place like the Badlands. The Badlands terrain is so unique that it seems like there definitely must be a story behind it. That story is laid out on the Badlands Fossil Trail. The trail dubs itself as the 75 million year walk and it proves those claims. The trail is wooden walkway making it perfect for all type of adventurers in all skill and mobility levels. Plus, every few feet tells the story of the history of the lands, and seas, that have been her for 75 million years!

A 75 Million Year Walk

The 75 Million Year Walk that is the Fossil Trail, actually only takes between five and thirty minutes. But along the way you will be taken back in history. There are several fossils with informational graphics explaining each step back into the past.

The story takes you from the gigantic jaw bones of huge land mammals, to shellfish that roamed the seas that covered this area millions of years ago.

It even includes some animals that used to call this area home, that are recognizable but feel very out of place in South Dakota. Such as the aligator!

As someone who loves to learn about the area’s this was just fascinating to me. I had been to places in Utah that showed evidence that a lot of the area was under oceans in the past. Honestly, I had no idea that they had stretched this far into the great plains. The fossil walk was short, but said so much about the history of the Badlands!

Accessible Adventures

One of the best parts about the Badlands Fossil Trail is that is very accessible to all ages and skill levels. The path is a wooded boardwalk that circles around the informational graphics and fossils. I think most people will be able to enjoy this trail.

Also, to keep it exciting for the folks who may not love the history, the backside of the trail is full of really cool rock formations. I kept finding myself going back and forth between the fossils and the cool rocks behind me and just had a really great time on this short informative trail.

Video of the Badlands Fossil Trail

I have put this time-lapse video together of the Badlands Fossil Trail hike so other hikers can get a feel of what the hike is like. If you enjoy this video make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. It is free to subscribe and you will get the latest outdoor content.

Distance and Elevation

If you don’t have the AllTrails app you might want to check it out, I really love mine. It records your progress and is a great way to search for hikes that are nearby and gives you difficulty measurements. According to AllTrails today’s hike was around 0.2 miles and had a total elevation gain of about 3 feet including undulations. That put the high point at around 2679 feet. I was also moving for a total 5 minutes.

I am a Pro member of AllTrails and love it. If you are interested in the platform, please consider using my affiliate link for AllTrails. It gives me a small commission with no extra cost to you.

Effort

There really isn’t much to the Badlands Fossil Trail. It is more of an educational walk on a boardwalk. This should be good for all skill levels and skill levels. It also is mostly accessible for those with mobility issues. The Badlands Fossil Trail gets an Easy Ranking from me.

Terrain

This walk is actually a wooded boardwalk that allows for the most amount of people to access it. It is still fully exposed with no shade so you will want to make sure to have sun and weather protection for this short hike.

Access to the Badlands Fossil Trail

The Window Trail is found within Badlands National Park. It is the first designed trail after the welcome center coming in from the Interior side of the park. There is an entrance fee for the park or you can use an annual parks pass. Check here for more information on park fees.

Wrapping up the Badlands Fossil Trail

What a wonderful little hike to get a feeling for the history of the Badlands! I really had a great time and it was a great hike to do before jumping across the street to the Castle Trail. Most skill and ability levels should also be able to enjoy this wooded boardwalk. If you have kids or just want to know more about this history of the Badlands, this is a great, short hike for you!

I have added this hike and all of my hikes to the interactive map page you can find here. If you have any suggestions for hikes or comments feel free to email me at fatmanlittletrails@gmail.com or you can follow me on any of the below social media platforms. Happy Hiking!

Gallery of the Badlands Fossil Trail