The story
Cliff Shelf Nature Trail climbs boardwalks and stairs through a juniper grove on a slumped block of the Wall. It is rated moderate, and it offers something rare in the Badlands: shade. A small pond sometimes forms and draws deer or bighorn. No restroom at the lot.
The lot on the cliff side of this bend is the way up to Cliff Shelf. That green is no accident. A block of the Wall slumped here, and the broken ground traps water. It holds a juniper forest and sometimes a small pond. The loop is half a mile of boardwalk and stairs, about two hundred feet of climb.
Photo: NPS / Brad Barker, public domain · Public domain