Notch, Door, Window, and Cliff Shelf

This morning was all about getting up at a relatively early hour and hitting the trail before the crowds and the heat set in. All of these pictures are from the Notch Trail which is hands down my favorite hiking trail in Badlands National Park. That being said there's not a great deal of hiking trails in Badlands. However, Badlands is an open hike Park which means you're allowed to hike anywhere: you do not have to stay on trail you just have to be really careful and don't get lost! The last time I was here Jacob and Sam were 9 and 11 years old and absolutely loved the rock scrambling in this park. I was definitely reminiscing throughout our hikes today. One of the cool things about this hike, beyond all the canyons, is the cool ladder you have to climb, and then the payoff views at the end!Read more