saddle pass trail

Dutch1638

We saw - and watched - four of these fantastic animals jump and walk along the sides of the formations. Exciting!

ScottyG777

This is a great hike and has quite a climb so make sure you're not wearing your converse (cool) shoes!

Yourluckyday

The trail is flat, hot and mostly uninteresting. You should take a lot of water with you and the most interesting part is the end, or beginning depending on where you start. There are some steep parts that you have to be careful on. I have the best hike in the park if you are interested

PackAttack

Our family of four (2 adults, 2 teenagers) had a great time in the Badlands in late July. The Saddle Pass Trail was a major highlite. Yes, it's a steep climb and at times a little slippery but the work and effort was well worth it when you reach the summit. I'm not a fan of heights either, but I wanted to add this to the list of great photo ops for our trip. Pack some water, get some good hiking shoes and bring your camera- it's a great time for all.

b-burg_girl

This was very strenuous because it was steep and had very loose gravel. We had hiking poles in the car but did not realize we would need them. Wish we had! It is a hard climb up but the end is beautiful and it is well worth the effort. Coming down was tricky because of the loose gravel and how steep the trail is in parts. Sturdy shoes are important for this one and if you have hiking poles bring them! Watch for the marker poles so that you know where to walk. Very dusty.

tworahrah

This was my favorite hike in the Badlands. It is strenuous but enjoyable if you like to hike. Small children may have a hard time. You need good shoes.

davec173

Did this hike the morning of 6/25, after watching sunrise on the door trail then grabbing a couple of extra hours of sleep. It's not long but it's steep and slippery with drop off's. Worth it at the top as you come out onto a kind of prairie with amazing views. The best part was that everything was green and blooming - even the cactus. Absolutely amazing with giant green carpets of green alfalfa type plants blooming with yellow flowers. A rare sight and by now all brown. This hike is a test for most of us and it was very rewarding to complete it.

PaulR229

Saddle Pass Trail is located just off the Loop Road about 2 miles west of the visitors center. This is not a trail for everyone. It is one of the shortest but most strenuous hikes in the park. From the trailhead, you will be spending the majority of your time hiking up or down a relatively steep hill... basically, you are hiking up the face of the Badlands Wall. I agree with previous reviewers that wearing the proper footwear for this hike is mandatory. During our hike, my wife and I saw flip flops that had been abandoned since they just aren't going to do the job on this hike…too much lose rock/soil. Once you make it to the top, you are rewarded with a great view of the White River Valley to the south. You can continue to the end of the trail by hiking through the flat prairie you will find at the top. Within a few minutes, the trail will terminate at the Castle and Medicine Loop Trails. The rocks found along this trail are prime rattlesnake territory. These snakes will leave you alone as long as you don't surprise or harass them…just be careful where you place your hands and feet! Plan on taking at least on hour to climb up and down this trail.

richardf600

This is a very strenuous walk and the first part is uphill. Then it levels out and much easier. Make sure you wear good comfortable shoes that have a grip sole as some of the footing is slippery in the loose soil. There are great views and good picture opportunities. You can also branch off to take other trails depending on how far you want to travel. Don't pass this one up if you visit here.

AdventurousAngieH

This is a climbing trail. It is steep but the view at the top is spectacular. Recommend good broken in shoes and pants/shorts you don't mind getting a little dirty. There weren't too many people hiking up/ down so that made more enjoyable. Overall great photo opportunities.

lindamG4978YN

We loved this trail. In the beginning, there is a steep climb which we found to be fun. Then the trail levels out into a nice pleasant meadow. You can go as far as you like or do the loop trail. Be aware of the weather as a storm started rolling in on us and we made the wise decision to turn around. I do not recommend this trail for small children if you are hiking from the Saddle Pass trailhead.

Trishmary37

My daughter and I started this hike at about 6 p.m. The hike up the Saddle Trail is quite steep, but it is short. Once at the top, we took the Medicine Root Trail, which took us through a large grassy area, with many buttes, and beautiful views. We returned via the Castle Trail, which took us through an area that looked like what I imagine the moon would look like. One warning: as the sun was setting, it was difficult to see the trail markers. The bonus for hiking at this time was that we ran into a group of big horned sheep as we ended our hike. The hike took 2 1/2 hours.

MstqMI

My husband & I were driving through Badlands National Park- we were hoping to do some hiking but it was a drizzly and very windy day. We stopped at some scenic viewing spots and then decided that we would hike the saddle pass trail as it was short. Well, it might've been short but it was all uphill!! I'm sure it was more strenuous because of the drizzly rain and the wind- also, it made the clay trail very sticky and slippery. But we did it and are glad we did. The scenery through the park is beautiful.

ScottyG777

There are so many great memories related to the Saddle Pass Trail. The hike is amazing, as they all are here. Prepare for a steep climb and a great view.

cma0651

This was a wonderful hike up the hill side for an awesome view. This requires climbing on rocks and can be a bit slippery.My 2 young girls and I did this in about 1 hour round trip.