Boicourt Trail: A First-Hand Guide to the South Unit's Best Quick Stop

Later the same day I hiked out to Halliday Well, I made a second, much shorter stop in the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park: Boicourt Trail. If you’re doing the loop road and want a badlands view without committing to a real hike, this is the one to pull over for.

Plan your visit: Check the official Theodore Roosevelt National Park NPS page for current conditions and alerts in the South Unit before you go. See our full Halliday Well Trailhead report from the same trip.

The Quick Stats

• Distance: Short — a quick out-and-back, well under a mile
• Difficulty: Easy
• When I went: July, same day as Halliday Well
• Where: South Unit, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

The Hike

This is a leg-stretcher, not an expedition — and that’s exactly its appeal. The trail follows a narrow ridge out to an overlook, with badlands dropping away on both sides as you walk. It’s short enough that you don’t need to plan around it, but the view at the end is genuinely one of the better panoramas I saw in the South Unit: rolling, eroded badlands stretching out in every direction, with almost no effort required to earn it.

I only saw one bison this stop — a single animal out in the open, a long way off from the overlook. A nice, easy, low-stress wildlife sighting after being surprised at closer range earlier the same day at Halliday Well.

Why It’s Worth the Stop

If you’re driving the South Unit loop road and trying to decide which pullouts are worth the time, put this one on the list. It delivers a real, sweeping badlands view for almost no walking — a good way to stretch your legs between longer stops without eating up much of your day. I’d genuinely recommend it as a quick add-on stop for anyone doing the loop, even if you’re not planning to hike much else that day.

Tips for Hiking Boicourt Trail

• It’s an easy add-on, not a destination hike on its own — pair it with a longer hike elsewhere in the South Unit the same day.
• Bring your camera — the overlook view is the entire point of the short walk out.
• Still watch your footing on the ridge — it narrows in spots with drop-offs on either side.
• Same general badlands rules apply as anywhere in the park: watch for rattlesnakes, and if you spot bison (even far off, like I did), keep your distance and enjoy the view rather than approaching.

Bottom Line

• Short, easy, and genuinely worth it. One of the best view-for-effort stops I found in the South Unit.
• Great pairing with a longer hike. I did it the same day as the much longer Halliday Well hike — it’s a low-effort way to round out a loop-road day.
• A solid recommendation for any visit, whether you’re hiking a lot that day or just passing through.

More from Theodore Roosevelt National Park: 📚 Full Park Guide · Halliday Well Trailhead · Caprock Coulee Trail (North Unit) · Bison Safety · How Much Water to Carry Backpacking.

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