Notch Trail is not for those afraid of heights. It doesn’t help that the rope ladder to the butte shelf is easier to climb up than down. But for those with the constitution to scramble the 1.5 mile loop along a butte outcropping, there are magnificent and exclusive vistas to be experienced
Badlands lists this trail as “moderate” to “strenuous” but the first adjective is far more appropriate. After all, the trail is only 1.5 miles long and only involves one notable climb. The greatest challenge is maintaining a footing under the loose pebbles. So, proper hiking boots is definitely advised.
The trail follows an elevated gully flanked by two sandstone walls. It is easy to see how years of rain has shaped this area with winding side passages where small rivulets of rainwater would join into larger streams during a rainstorm and how the main trail could become a river. A few of these little passages make for some fun climbing and the occasional vista.
