Badlands National Park: Cliff Shelf Trail (Blog Hike #78)

Trail: Cliff Shelf Trail

Hike Location: Badlands National Park

Geographic Location: northeast of Interior, SD (43.75042, -101.93105)

Length: 0.5 miles

Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)

Date Hiked: September 2000

Overview: An easy walk through a unique, green Badlands habitat.

Park Information: http://www.nps.gov/badl/index.htm

Hike Route Map: http://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=446859
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: Take I-90 to SR 240 (exit 131).  Exit and go south on SR 240, entering Badlands National Park.  The signed parking area for the Cliff Shelf Trail is located 9.5 miles south of I-90 and 0.5 miles before past the Ben Reifel Visitor Center.

The hike: For my general observations on Badlands National Park, see the Door Trail description.  As the name implies, this trail takes the hiker through a flat area on the side of a mountain.  In this case, the mountain is the famous Badlands Wall.  The shelf contains a rare oasis of green in the dry Badlands.  Water that drains from the mountain is held back, allowing some hardy plants to grow.  The trailhead for this special area is located in Cedar Pass just 1 mile from the Visitor Center at a black-topped parking area on the east side of the road.

Ascend slightly from the trailhead to arrive at a fork in the trail and a trail guide dispenser.  The loop trail is self-guided with 19 green numbered posts described in the guide.  The posts go clockwise, so I suggest turning left at this intersection to hike the trail in that direction.  Post #1 describes the formation of the cliff shelf.  Water erosion caused a large piece of rock from the cliff seen to the right and straight ahead to fall.  After lodging half-way down the cliff, the rock began to cause water to back up, creating the pond and greenery we see today. 

View of Badlands wall beyond the cliff shelf

            Continue on a gravel trail to post #2, which describes the cottonwoods, cattails, and juniper (an evergreen shrub).  The cottonwood is one of the few deciduous trees which can survive the harsh weather of the Great Plains, and then only near water.  After a slight climb, the trail turns right and enters a dense juniper grove.  On my hike, I observed several deer grazing along the trail.  My approach scared them away, and they soon disappeared in the lush vegetation of the shelf. 

Post #10 points out some lichens living on a sandstone boulder along the trail.  This unusual species consists of an algae and a fungus living in a "symbiotic" (mutually beneficial) relationship.  The algae carry on photosynthesis, which turns C0₂ into Oxygen, while the fungus performs respiration, the process of turning oxygen into carbon dioxide.  This relationship gives both organisms the ingredients of life and allows the entity to survive in harsh conditions such as the Badlands. 

Post #11 talks about wormhole sandstone.  The pencil-sized holes in the rocks are actually fossil traces of prehistoric plant roots.  The trail soon reaches a staircase that ascends to the highest point on the trail.  This point provides a great view of the White River valley to the south and a good view of the Badlands wall on the left.

View of White River valley

Small natural bridge

            From here the trail descends on some more staircases.  Just past post #18, notice a small natural bridge to the left of the trail made of the soft white ash rock that caps the Badlands.  Reach a trail intersection some 75 yards past the natural bridge that marks the closure of the loop.  A short downhill walk remains to complete the hike.