Hiking the Fossil Exhibit Trail in Badlands National Park
Distance: 0.25 miles / 0.4 km
The Fossil Exhibit Trail, also called the Fossil Exhibit National Recreation Trail, in Badlands National Park is a short and easy loop trail along a series of boardwalks where visitors get to learn about the Badlands, why the park and the greater area is so special on the subject of paleontological discovery, and the prehistoric life preserved in the region!
That said, the Fossil Exhibit Trail is one of the easiest adventures in Badlands National Park, comparable only to the Window Trail a few miles away, as the two are not only some of the shortest trails in the park but have effectively no elevation change.
This is all to say that the easy, kid-friendly Fossil Trail was officially recognized by the federal government on October, 21 1980 as part of the National Trails System, because it provides an educational and recreational experience that highlights the paleontological significance of the Badlands. With that in mind, visitors should expect to walk the short loop at a fairly slow pace, reading and learning from the various signs scattered throughout the trail.
Fossil Exhibit Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Fossil Exhibit Trail is located in a joint parking area that serves both the Fossil Exhibit Loop, as well as the Castle Trail at its western terminus.
Google Maps Directions: Fossil Exhibit Trailhead
Hiking Checklist - Badlands
Here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in Badlands National Park.
Hiking the Fossil Exhibit Trail
North Fossil Exhibit Trailhead
The Fossil Exhibit Trail can begin at one of two side-by-side trailheads, allowing visitors to hike the loop in either direction.
That said, I don’t think it makes much of a difference which trailhead you choose hike, but this post is written from the northern (right) trailhead in the counterclockwise direction.
The entirety of the Fossil Exhibit Trail follows one long boardwalk around the 0.25-mile (0.4 km) loop, which is why the trail is truly one of the easiest adventures in Badlands National Park.
This is where the Fossil Exhibit Trail begins to curve back toward the beginning.
A bit of a fun fact is that "Badlands National Park is considered to be the birthplace of vertebrate paleontology in the American West," and some of the first specimens are now located on the east coast in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.
South Fossil Exhibit Trailhead
While the Fossil Exhibit Trail is very short in distance, it’s not unreasonable to expect to spend 10–15 minutes walking the loop and reading all there is to understand about this federally recognized trail.
