Medicine Root Trail
What to Expect
Safety Advisory
There is zero shade on this trail — in summer, surface temperatures on the exposed clay can exceed what the air temperature suggests by a wide margin, so avoid midday from June through August.
The trail markings through the formations can be faint; if the path seems to vanish on bare rock, look for small cairns or posts rather than forging your own route through fragile terrain.
Trail Details
- 1
Start from the Pinnacles Overlook end of the Ben Reifel area — the trailhead parking lot is small but rarely full, and you'll have the loop mostly to yourself if you arrive before 9 AM.
- 2
Wear shoes with decent tread even though it's short — the clay sections get slick as soap after any rain, and the crumbly badlands soil will chew up sandals.
- 3
The most photogenic stretch is the northwest curve of the loop where eroded pillars frame the prairie beyond — golden hour light turns the banded layers from dull gray to deep orange and purple.