|
13 Photos
Map of featured photo opportunities
30 pages of tips on locations, equipment and exposures that will
enhance your photo taking experience
The Badlands National Park
and the Black Hills Photographic Guide includes details to photographing
Window Trail, Notch Trail, and Castle Trail, just to name a few. We provide you with directions, routes, best time
of day, hiking times, etc. to make your photographic trip time productive and enjoyable. You can order today by
clicking the order form button below.
This is an example of the detailed directions our Badlands
National Park and the Black Hills Photographic Guide provides.
Window Trail
The center trail (from the parking lot) is called the Window Trail. This short trail leads to a natural window
in the Badlands Wall. It provides a good later afternoon
view of the eroded canyon.
The most southern trail (from the parking lot) is called the Notch
Trail. This is a moderately difficult trail but worth exploring. The Notch Trail is good mid-morning
and late-afternoon. The trail is only about ¾ of a mile long. Upon leaving the parking lot the trail meanders
through a canyon to a cable ladder. The ladder
climbs to a flat ledge where a narrow trail leads you to the Notch. The Notch is about another ½ mile
beyond the ladder and overlooks the White River. I do not recommend this trail for anyone with a fear of heights
and do not attempt after a heavy rain. There are many good tripod locations along this trail which you can easily
spend two hours exploring.
Across the Loop Road from the Door Window parking lot is the eastern
trailhead for the Castle Trail. The Castle Trail is a total of 5 miles long. This trail is moderately level and
passes through some great Badlands formations.
Along the northern ridge is the Medicine Root Trail. This trail
remains along the upper grassland and is excellent for prairie wildflowers and mixed prairie
grasses. Plan about three to four hours for this trail when the wildflowers are in bloom. It is a two mile trail
that connects with the Castle Trail near the Old Northeast Road on the east and at the intersection of the Castle
Trail Saddle Pass Trail on the west.
The Castle Trail can be easily divided into three sections. The
eastern section, a 1.4 mile stretch, is located between the Door Window parking lot and the Old Northeastern Road.
The middle section, 1.8 miles, runs between the Old Northeastern Road and the Saddle Pass Trail. The western section,
1.8 miles in length, is located between the Fossil Exhibit parking lot and the Saddle Pass Trail. Plan to hike
these sections at sunrise to mid-morning and mid-afternoon to sunset. Photograph to the west at sunrise and east
at sunset. Each section takes about one hour to walk at a brisk pace. This trail is very easy to walk. I generally
walk the eastern section of the trail from the Door Window parking lot directly to the Old Northeastern Road before
sunset and photograph on the way back to my
vehicle or reverse at sunrise. Note the small creek area just beyond the flat west of the Door Window parking lot,
especially after a rain, for some very nice photographic opportunities.
The middle section of the Castle Trail, where you can leave your
vehicle at the pull out on the Old Northeastern Road by the boardwalks, can be photographed in the same way. The
western section starts at the Fossil Exhibit parking lot and proceeds easterly; just follow the steps down on the
east side of the road. The Castle Trail is very well marked with fiberglass poles topped with reflector tape.
|