Need some Black Hills info

[Red1]

The better 1/2 and I decided to take our summer ride in the Black Hills this year during last week in June. We wanted to spend a few days in the Hills, riding around and checking out the countryside. Any info on "must-see" places, (besides the big heads, of course), roads to ride, spots for the best scenic vistas, quiet motels (or motels to avoid), tourist traps to avoid, etc. etc. would be appreciated. We were looking at going to Wind Cave and Jewel Cave - are they worth seeing?

 

On the way back to WI, we are thinking of going thru ND - is there anything in ND...................anywhere................worth seeing? :-) Thanks

[Tom]

There are cabins you can rent at and around Custer State Park..That puts you in the center of about everything. Iron Mtn Road,The Needles Hwy Keystone,Search online and many things about custer park..Have Fun!

[Iowawegian]

We're not much for tourist trap stuff but when we rode out with our son's a couple years ago....we took the train ride at Keystone. It was worth it, if you've never ridden one.

Whatever you do, don't miss Needles highway and Spearfish Canyon. It's breathtaking!!! Got stuck in the middle of a buffalo herd at Custer and one charged our son. Scary to say the least. When your in a cage it's one thing...but on bikes you have no protection. We can laugh about it now, but his hands shook for a couple hours after the incident!

 

If your in the mood for something other than a motel, we stayed at a cabin that was right off the main rode that had a bar and restraunt. The cabins were only 2 years old and for the cost (We had 6 of us total) it was cheaper than renting a couple of motel rooms. The owners were very nice!! Mystic Hills campground is the place. http://www.mystichillscampground.com.

[Moakster]

The wife and I went to see the heads last year at the end of June through the first week in July. The sites around Custer and the roads to Deadwood and Sturgis are awesome. all the previous sites mentioned are great but a word of caution. See Mount Rushmore early in your trip unless you have a love of large crowds. On July 4th the roads are clogged from Keystone all the way up the mountain. All the roads entering from Sylvan lake were backed up for miles and miles. You don't want to be caught on them. Your grip on your clutch wont last. Other than that it is a great trip and beautiful ride. One more thing. Forget about trying to keep your bike clean. Every time you stop for any length of time in the Black Hills it will be covered yellow pine pollen. It is that time of season in South Dakota.

 

[sarges46]

The better 1/2 and I decided to take our summer ride in the Black Hills this year during last week in June. We wanted to spend a few days in the Hills, riding around and checking out the countryside. Any info on "must-see" places, (besides the big heads, of course), roads to ride, spots for the best scenic vistas, quiet motels (or motels to avoid), tourist traps to avoid, etc. etc. would be appreciated. We were looking at going to Wind Cave and Jewel Cave - are they worth seeing?

 

On the way back to WI, we are thinking of going thru ND - is there anything in ND...................anywhere................worth seeing? :-) Thanks

 

You got to run those two highways mentioned...very nice. The caves claim to be good...we can let you know as we are going in April.

 

The east part of ND is nice...around Gary's area is were the roads get a little more fun. Dont come to Manitoba and expect good riding....its as bad as the west part of ND! Besides you dont have any friends here that would love to see ya! Have a good trip Red!

[Eck]

Red1,

Sure wish I could ride along side you and your better half once again. I would really enjoy riding that area, and some day ...(soon)... I hope to..

Tell your better half I said hi and hope you both are enjoying life..!

[Guest BluesLover]

Check some of these out:

 

http://www.so-utah.com/hwy12/homepage.html

 

.hmmessage P { margin:0px; padding:0px } body.hmmessage { font-size: 10pt; font-family:Verdana } [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqJibq2QW2Q&feature=related]YouTube - Red Canyon Ride near Bryce Canyon National Park[/ame]

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kNPFDopOco&NR=1]YouTube - ZION National Park Ride - Part 2[/ame]

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCId1JXu-uo&feature=related]YouTube - Bryce Canyon, Utah[/ame]

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol-8-JbRUuU]YouTube - Monument Valley virtual tour[/ame]

 

 

Cheers,

[Dragonslayer]

The better 1/2 and I decided to take our summer ride in the Black Hills this year during last week in June. We wanted to spend a few days in the Hills, riding around and checking out the countryside. Any info on "must-see" places, (besides the big heads, of course), roads to ride, spots for the best scenic vistas, quiet motels (or motels to avoid), tourist traps to avoid, etc. etc. would be appreciated. We were looking at going to Wind Cave and Jewel Cave - are they worth seeing?

 

On the way back to WI, we are thinking of going thru ND - is there anything in ND...................anywhere................worth seeing? :-) Thanks

Custer State Park, The Badlands, Wind Cave State Park, Spear Fish Canyon There will be plenty of ride info when you get out there.If your camping out try Horse Thief Campground. And don't miss the nightly show at Mt. Rushmore, It's a lot more than big heads if you care anything about our American Heritage and very dramatic.

[dfitzbiz]

We stayed at the KOA just outside of Deadwood. Rented the Kamping Kabins. Nice place, clean. We have been to most of the places mentioned above. One addition I would make is the Devils Tower.

[GunnyButch]

Did anyone mention the Badlands? It's worth seeing since you are in the area. One neat thing about the Iron Mtn road is Mt Rushmore is framed in the tunnels, approaching the tunnels on the way up look in the distance and there is Mt Rushmore. Devils Tower in Wyoming is not a bad diversion either. Have a good time out there, we spent 8 days out there in 2003. The Wall is 99% tourist trap but you might as well stop and get a Tshirt.

[bsinger664]

The Black Hills are awesome, Great Place to stay is The Lantern Inn in Hill City owners very nice people quiet ,grill out , can't say enough. been there 2007 and 2008 must see Wind Cave, CUSTER STATE PARK, Spearfish Canyon , Deadwood (gambling was good), beautiful ride between Hill City and Keystone 20miles by road 6miles by crow alot of fun , Keystone (good shops & eight ft cowboy dudes tall) Mount Rushmore ( at night )

On the way out a nice place is Thunderbird Lodge in Mitchell SD:080402gudl_prv:

[bsinger664]

Want to ride this summer , hook up , From Random Lake Wi can't wait to ride

[Reed]

If you are on the west side of s.d. head north to madora. & see the badlands. it is nice.

1 Idea go on line & find nd & sd tourism. tell them you are planing a trip & they will send you a travel guide free. it has all the places to see & do. Scenic byways, hotels in each town. food. I think it is a good place to start to plan your trip. Get the book, look it over, see what there is to see, plan your rout.

I don't know if all states have this but ND. SD. MN. do.

Call SD 1-800 732 5682

ND.1-800 435 5663

Call & ask for a travel guide. Tell them you are on a bike & they will send info on motorcycle Guide also. With out Knowing a little bit about where you are going. You could be 5 miles from some thing nice & not Know it is there!

Good luck! Have Fun! "Good Riding!"

Edited February 12, 2009 by Reed

[LetHimRide]

we were up there last summer for our first time WOW! the riding is just fantastic! We were on the bike more then off it. Just ride and enjoy!

[Big Dog]

:080402gudl_prv:It is a very touristy are. The roads in the Hills are all very nice with great scenery. When you go on Iron Mtn Road and Needles Higway you want to go counter clockwise from Custer then you will see the Heads framed while going through the many tunnels. The Mt. Rushmore KOA is nice but usually very busy as are most places there over the 4th. You can spend about 3 or 4 full days riding the Hills. Both caves are really cool and I mean the temps in them also so bring a jacket about upper 50's if I remember correctly. The people in the area are very freindly and will give you great advice on things to see. Have fun

[RockinRuss]

Caves:

I've been through most all the caves in SD, and you can't go wrong with any of them. Each has its own unique flair: big room, historic importance, most of one type crystal, most steps, elevator, or something else. Plan for about 2-3 hours and dress warm. Temp inside cave is low 50s no matter what the temp is outside. It is like walking in a refridgerator for more than an hour. Some offer spelunking and Jewel Cave is National Monument that offers a historic tour exactly how it would have been done in the 1920s.

 

Roads: They have named them, but I will add my emphasis to Needles Hwy, Iron Mtn Road, Custer State Park, Spearfish Canyon, Nemo road, and the old highway loop to Devils Tower (north of the Intersate between Sundance and Belle Fouche.) If in Rapid City, ride up Skyline drive for a great view. (Look for Dinosaur Park signs pointing up the hill.) Although they are out of the way, I think both Devils Tower and the Badlands are worth the half-day ride.

 

Carvings: No one mentioned Crazy Horse, just north of Custer. There are several reasons it is more impressive than Mount Rushmore, especially if you appreciate Native American culture and the individual human spirit of one man and his dream. This work-in-progress can be seen from the highway without paying, but since it is privately funded and they have a good museum for Native American culture, you might want to stop in. Rushmore, on the other hand, has very limited views from the highway, so you really need to pay and walk around to enjoy it. I agree, the night time lighting ceremony is nice.

 

Badlands: As mentioned above, ND has their own Badlands and country music touristy center near Medora, but the SD badlands are a must see. Plan at least two hours, maybe 4, if you want to get off the bike and explore. Plan to be at the West side of the Badlands near sunset and take a sack lunch out to a private pinnacle and sit down with your sweetie.

 

Campgrouds: There are hundreds in the Hills, so lots of choices depending on what you like. Personally, Mystery Mountain Campground and resort offers almost everything. It is South of Rapid City on hwy 16, near top of hill. (pool and hot tub with amazing view, cabins, heavily wooded, little store, hot breakfast). If you are camping in the Custer area, check out Beaver Lake Campground a couple miles West of Custer. Super nice staff, no hot tub but pool and water slide, cabins, little store, and lots of rabbits.

 

Attractions: Personal favorites are Bear Country USA, Cosmos, Reptile Gardens. Bear Country offers riding around in a bus for those who came on motorcycle. Aside from the hundreds of bears roaming freely just a couple feet from you, the other wildlife and especially then nursery area are impressive. Cosmos is good if you like mind boggling illusions or naturaly mysteries that bend the rules of physics and gravity. Otherwise, you will think it is a tourist trap/hoax. It only takes 20 minutes to go through and it is 2 miles of gravel road to get to it. Reptile Gardens has a lot more than just reptiles. Plan for at least 3 hours if you want to see the amazing and entertaining animal shows (snakes, birds, and wrestle a gator). Very educational. If in Keystone, the Rushmore slide is fun and has a nice view of Mount Rushmore from the top. Deadwood is cool if you like tourist crowds and casinos, but MUCH more casual and friendly than Vegas.

 

I think that covers it. Call the visitor's beaurau and get a free vacation guide. I go just about every year, usually twice: once for the Sturgis rally and once for the family. I am also a SD native.

Edited February 12, 2009 by RockinRuss

[bryan52577]

Looks like we will just miss you. :bawling:We are heading out the 3rd of July taking our time to get there on the 5th and spend the first week of July till the 11th out there. Then we will take our time coming back.

 

I have some points built up for the La Quinta motels and have enough to take a full 6 days at the motel for free!

 

Have fun on your trip!!!!

 

Bryan

[BradT]

We stopped in that area on our way to Colorado and we stayed in Deadwood. What a cool little town, almost like going back in time.

 

If you get there drive up to the cemetery one of the steepest rodes I was ever on. If interested in the history this is where Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane rest.

 

The whole area was very interesting.

 

Brad

[Moakster]

Just a word of caution if you go to the Boot Hill (cemetary) at Deadwood. The parking lot slopes at a steep angle to the right as you try to park near the top parking lot. Watch that you don't drop it when you come to a stop. Has happened :>)

Edited February 12, 2009 by Moakster
left word out

[Red1]

For all the info everyone. We'll be out there during the middle of the last full week in June - the 22, 23 & 24th probably - so we should miss the 4th of July traffic. I already contacted the SD tourism dept. and the travel guide is in the mail. But there's nothing like some tips and extra info from fellow riders that have been there or lived there. No matter where "there " is. We planned to see the Badlands and check out Devils Tower on the start of return home ride. The Crazy Horse Monument was on the list, too. Someone else told me about the ND badlands - that sounds like something to see on the ride home, too. We never make a lot of specific plans on these trips, generally letting the weather and circumstance determine how far we ride and what we do & see.

 

 

The missus does NOT camp when we're traveling on the bike and, truthfully - that's fine by me. It's less work for me (no setting up, tearing down, making meals and cleaning up after) and we can cover more ground that way. And there is less whining. Much less whining.

 

Eck, if my daughter stays stationed in Gulfport after her tour, maybe we'll ride down that way again and meet up. We really enjoyed the Natchez Trace Parkway - thanks for the info on that!

 

Rick, have fun out there and a safe ride, too. And keep an eye on the weather - they sometimes get snow out there in April. If I'm not mistaken, some of those roads are in the 5-8000' height - summer comes late and the snow stays long that high up. That was the main reason we decided on late June - I don't care to meet any icy roads at that elevation with only 2 wheels under me.

 

Thanks again, everyone. Ya'll have a fun, safe summer.

[Eck]

 

Eck, if my daughter stays stationed in Gulfport after her tour, maybe we'll ride down that way again and meet up.

 

 

Let me know when your coming this way.

If Huntsville is out of your way, I will ride west to meet up with you guys for a meal and maybe even ride southward for a few miles with you.

Look forward to seeing you both again..

You take care...

[tazmocycle]

need to visit wall drug store and the corn palace also while there, you can do them and the badlands in a day's ride. there's a dvd called "a million motorcycles" about the sturgis ralley, but also shows all the differant riding areas in the blackhills. you will see some of the most beautifull riding i've ever seen, but i haven't been to utah yet!!

[sarges46]

Thanks for the warning Red...we will be on 4 wheels for the April trip.

 

Got the whole family...our two kids and our exchange student.

 

Waiting for a reply from Mystic Mountain to see if the cabins will accomadate us.....two teenage boys and 12 year old girl.

 

Enjoy your trip.

[cowpuc]

I wont bother rehashin the normal stuff from the normal folks but will add a few of the things that the kids and I like to do out there on our “normal” Sturgis rides..

Just east of Wall Drug and not far off 90 is a little Cow Town called Draper,, still in SD.. I LOVE to stay off the highway and that is how I bumped into this spot – still has dirt roads even for main street – GREAT bunch of folks live there too!! If you do stop in there look up the Mayor – names Ray – and tell him the Chopper rider from Michigan told you to say hi!! WAYYYYY cool town!!

Yea,, Wall Drug is cool and so are the Badlands BUT if you wanna do a little different go thru the east entrance to the Badlands National and instead of taking the normal persons loop go into Interior (it’s a town) and take the back road across to Rapid City. Lots of real west left out there..

You say you don’t camp,, we don’t do motels and generally just pull off and camp where ever so when I tell you this one I cant tell you exactly where to try cause we did walk a little but,,, just east of the entrance into Custer State Park there is a creek bed that crosses.. You cant miss it cause its covered with piles of fallen stone.. Try your hand a panning on that creek,, we spent the better part of 4 days following that creek and did pretty good.. We used an old hub cap for a pan and it worked great..

There are a number of abandoned Missle Silos that you can get into but you have to ride some dirt roads and they are more conducive to those willing to rough it a little – REALLY fun exploring.. If you decide to try this TAKE A FLASHLIGHT and lots of extra batterys!! The “normal” folks tour the one at Edwards in Rapid City but its pretty touristy and you have to do the background check stuff so it takes time – still fun though..

Years have taught me to ride the Black Hills before 1pm cause later afternoons are rain time.. My daughter and I had a tornado go over our heads (small but it was in rotation) that came up real fast – those mountains may be smaller then the rockies but they do get weather!!

Go into Sturgis and on the main road going back to mainstreet (its also the road that Sturgis Harley Davidson is on) and locate Gypsies... Its a real small shop on the left hand side.. You want to stop there because this spot is where the action all started many years ago.. There will be a bronze plaque on the front of his store that says something like "Sturgis Rally Ground Zero".. Go inside and say hi and LOOK at all his gorgeous old bikes!! Yea,, its not the museum of down town BUT its wayyyyyyyyy cool original unmolested the way it was when we were kids.... Now go in town and ride mainstreet at least once.. Picture the main street of town being SOLID bikes with the center of the road filled nose to nose and you will get a little hint of the biker days.. Now go back west toward the highway entrance and Deadwood and just before leaving Sturgis you will see a small "Chicken House" (cant remember the name of the place but they are on the right hand side before crossing under the highway.. Stop and eat there,, they are the ONLY establishment in town during the rally that doesnt raise their prices during that two week period!! REALLY great people who deserve the business!!!!!!! Their fried chicken dinner is really good - especially after 700 miles of riding!!!

Go into Deadwood on mainstreet and at the end of town you will notice mainstreet goes uphill big time after going thru town.. Climb the hill and turn around. Put her in neutral and let her coast – our record (done during Sturgis Rally so timing was crucial) was a coast all the way back thru town and into the highway!! Try it!!

Follow the Spearfish Canyon Road back into the Mountains (it is GORGEOUS) and you will come to a Lodge right on a sweeping corner.. Their driveway will be off from a small gravel road.. I cant remember the name of this lodge but you cant miss it.. Anyway, follow the gravel road beyond the lodge and you will eventually come to a really pretty waterfall – very nice place.. Now continue on the gravel road if you don’t mind getting your bike a little dirty.. About two hours in and you will see a small sign on a tree announcing Wyoming State Line! Couple more hours and you will come out about ½ hour from Devils Tower! GREAT RIDE!!!!

You really should try at least one night up in the mountains.. You will swear you are in outer space its that clear!!

Oh yea, watch the animal life out there.. ride the center line to give yourself space for those Mulies coming out of no where!!!

Edited February 13, 2009 by cowpuc

[Red1]

Cowpuc,

Thanks for all that info & good ideas - we both prefer the road less traveled - and that has made all the difference. Getting the bike dirty doesn't bother me any - I wash it at the end of every riding season, whether she needs it or not. I am a little cautious about riding 2 up & fully loaded on gravel roads, however. I used to live in MT and ID back in the day and I spent plenty of nights under the stars out there - you're right, it is very beautiful. But I'm not as young as I was back then - and after a day of riding, a warm meal prepared by someone other than me & a shower & good nights sleep in comfortable bed is joy unto itself.

 

Eck - we still want to ride down to Key West and thru the southeast (SC, GA, AL) one of these days. If you can't be the tour guide for that little trip, maybe you can join me on my ride to Alaska in about 5 years? We can stop in and mooch off Rick & Marilynn for a couple days.

 

Thanks again to one and all. We're looking forward to the trip - but then we look forward to any & every trip. No such thing as a bad vacation.