Black Hills of SD some of the scenic roads

[cimmer]

I know there are a lot of scenic rides in the Black Hills but here are some of that don't get a lot of traffic usually.

One of the better ride is just south of Sturgis, SD, just south of I-94 exit 32. It is Vanocher Canyon Road. There is alot of curves and elevation changes on it and very little traffic other the other motorcyclist. It is a nice paved road and run to Nemo Road on the south end. From here I take Nemo road east towards Rapid City but turned south onto Norris Peak road. This was a twisty, sometimes little narrow paved 2 lane road the goes to Johnson Siding on SD 44. From here you can either go east to Rapid City or west to US 385. I enjoyed this ride so much I did it twice, once from the north and then from the south.. I also went into Sturgis and had lunch at One eyed Jacks on Main St. They have excellent hamburgers there.

 

Another fun ride was the Old Hill City Road. This run alongs the Hill City Railroad tracks to Keystone. It is lightly traveled and has alot of curves on it. You will cross the tracks over a dozen times also. This is a nice ride from Hill City to Keystone.

 

Of course I did the major riding roads too.. US 16A and Needles Highway. The one thing to watch out for on Needles highway are the tour buses and I mean the full size kind. So be prepared for meeting a few of these. I ended up meeting 4 of them on one trip and it took one of them about 20 mins to get thru the eye. He sure had traffic backed up both ways.

 

Also road in Spearfish Canyon Road, US 14. We started in Spearfish and rode to US 85 where we headed south to New Castle, Wy. This is a nice road with lots of twisties in SD and then flattens out in Wy but still is a nice ride. We returned to the Hills via US 16 east to Custer. This route has more traffic but does have some scenic spots that make it a nice change.

 

Another circle I did was south out of Hill City on US 385, thru Custer and south to SD 87 north. SD 87 is a twisty narrow road that runs up to US 16 and has all kinds of different terrain. I didnt have alot of traffic on this road either, compared to US 16A and Needles Hwy. There is a pigtail bridge on this section also that adds some interest to it but alot of wide open areas that give stunning views of the valleys.

 

These were the roads I traveled this time and there are alot more you can do. If you dont mind gravel roads, there is always the forest roads to explore but I dont recommend it on a Venture Royale.

 

Hope this helps in your travels of the Black Hills. I know I sure enjoys my travels out there on the motorcycle.

 

Rick F.

[Phoneman1981]

Hello Rick: I live in Nebraska about 3-4 hours south of the SD Hills. We have been making annual run to the hills the week before the rally each year for the past 4 or 5 years. Leaving again for this annual ride on Aug. 2nd. I have riden some of the same routes that you mention. But intend to print off your info and take it with us. Thanks for the info. If anyone is needing info or would be in the Hills the week of Aug. 2nd besure to let me know....Mark

 

I know there are a lot of scenic rides in the Black Hills but here are some of that don't get a lot of traffic usually.

One of the better ride is just south of Sturgis, SD, just south of I-94 exit 32. It is Vanocher Canyon Road. There is alot of curves and elevation changes on it and very little traffic other the other motorcyclist. It is a nice paved road and run to Nemo Road on the south end. From here I take Nemo road east towards Rapid City but turned south onto Norris Peak road. This was a twisty, sometimes little narrow paved 2 lane road the goes to Johnson Siding on SD 44. From here you can either go east to Rapid City or west to US 385. I enjoyed this ride so much I did it twice, once from the north and then from the south.. I also went into Sturgis and had lunch at One eyed Jacks on Main St. They have excellent hamburgers there.

 

Another fun ride was the Old Hill City Road. This run alongs the Hill City Railroad tracks to Keystone. It is lightly traveled and has alot of curves on it. You will cross the tracks over a dozen times also. This is a nice ride from Hill City to Keystone.

 

Of course I did the major riding roads too.. US 16A and Needles Highway. The one thing to watch out for on Needles highway are the tour buses and I mean the full size kind. So be prepared for meeting a few of these. I ended up meeting 4 of them on one trip and it took one of them about 20 mins to get thru the eye. He sure had traffic backed up both ways.

 

Also road in Spearfish Canyon Road, US 14. We started in Spearfish and rode to US 85 where we headed south to New Castle, Wy. This is a nice road with lots of twisties in SD and then flattens out in Wy but still is a nice ride. We returned to the Hills via US 16 east to Custer. This route has more traffic but does have some scenic spots that make it a nice change.

 

Another circle I did was south out of Hill City on US 385, thru Custer and south to SD 87 north. SD 87 is a twisty narrow road that runs up to US 16 and has all kinds of different terrain. I didnt have alot of traffic on this road either, compared to US 16A and Needles Hwy. There is a pigtail bridge on this section also that adds some interest to it but alot of wide open areas that give stunning views of the valleys.

 

These were the roads I traveled this time and there are alot more you can do. If you dont mind gravel roads, there is always the forest roads to explore but I dont recommend it on a Venture Royale.

 

Hope this helps in your travels of the Black Hills. I know I sure enjoys my travels out there on the motorcycle.

 

Rick F.

[hunts4beer]

Was out there for the rally last week and did the Vanocker Canyon Road ride. It is a nice little ride. We also enjoyed the Iron Mountain Road ride.

It was our first time out there during the rally and probably our last. Too many bikes and too many kooks. We heard 800,000 people in the area with 9 reported deaths. We were reminded on more then one occasion just how vulnerable we are on the bike when we were directed around recent wrecks just as the lifeflight helo's took away the victim while his buddies were sitting in disbelief on the shoulder.

[geep]

I will never go back to the Hills during bike week.....tooo much of a gong show with WAY too many bikes. After Labor Day weekend is my favorite time, still lots of bikes out, but the sensibility factor is much higher IMO...unfortunately we are going there durin Labor Day weekend this year...might just hole up in Deadwood with a hot tub and a card table for a few days then carry on riding

[geep]

Nice places to stay, eat in Hot Springs? Is there any actual hot springs to go in? close to any hotels? bike friendly would be nice (friends have an HD and are convinced some one will steal it ' cause they are so rare..wink)

[bendtdj]

Yes, there is an actual hot springs. It is called Evans Plunge. It has been a while since I was there, but it was neat. You should consider checking out the Mammoth Site. It is an ongoing archeological dig. They have discovered many mammoths there.

 

Enjoy the Hills. If anyone gets to the East Side of South Dakota and wants Ice Cream, here in Madison we have the BESTEST DQ I have found!! :cool10:

 

My number is in my profile.

 

Stay safe and keep the shiny side up!

 

Dave

[cimmer]

I picked this up and while back and thought I would share it with everyone. It is the Motorcycle Skill Rated Map of the Black Hills. Shows all the roads and the difficulty levels of them.

Rick F.

[geep]

Ya it nice to see the tourist maps of the hills now have color coded routes on them....finally.

Some thoughts on our recent trip

Best Western in Hill City is bike friendly

Old Hill City road to Keystone is nice especially if you are a train spotter...great photo ops at each of the many crossings

Needles Highway was so busy during Labor Day (gorgeous weather) that they had cops directing traffic at the Sylvan Lake end

Sylvan Lake Lodge is it's usual gong show with reservations

Deadwood Social Club above Saloon #10 is a great meal especially if the weather is nice and you can sit outside

[hog]

Was out there for the rally last week and did the Vanocker Canyon Road ride. It is a nice little ride. We also enjoyed the Iron Mountain Road ride.

It was our first time out there during the rally and probably our last. Too many bikes and too many kooks. We heard 800,000 people in the area with 9 reported deaths. We were reminded on more then one occasion just how vulnerable we are on the bike when we were directed around recent wrecks just as the lifeflight helo's took away the victim while his buddies were sitting in disbelief on the shoulder.

MY WIFE,SON,AND HIS GIRLFRIEND WENT IN 2006 DURING BIKE WEEK AND WON'T GO BACK DURING BIKE WEEK.tOO MANY PEOPLE AND TRAFFIC WAS TOO MUCH.PLUS A LOT OF BONEHEADS SHOWING OFF ON THE ROADS.PLUS THE PROBLEMS WITH RIVAL BIKE GANGS THERE.

[fgrimes636]

We are planning on going in the summer of 2013. Going to pull the trailer up and camp somewhere around Rapid City. Then do day tours from there for a couple of days.

Really looking forward to the trip. We live in Denver so maybe one day to get there.

[CaptainJoe]

Nice places to stay, eat in Hot Springs? Is there any actual hot springs to go in? close to any hotels? bike friendly would be nice (friends have an HD and are convinced some one will steal it ' cause they are so rare..wink)

 

 

Hey,

 

Whenever I'm traveling and can't get a discount my last play is "do you give a Harley discount"? You'd be surprised at how many of them do...

 

Before you ask, no I don't ride Hareys, but I never said i did... I simply ask a question, and sometimes that saves me cash....

So... I like Harleys:whistling:

[CaptainJoe]

Rick,

Will print this out, for the trip to Whidbey Island, WA. Going the second week of June for a three week ride. Will stop at Sturgis for a tshirt, but always avoid the place around bike week, as we don't like crowds.

[Jactana]

Was out there for the rally last week and did the Vanocker Canyon Road ride. It is a nice little ride. We also enjoyed the Iron Mountain Road ride.

It was our first time out there during the rally and probably our last. Too many bikes and too many kooks. We heard 800,000 people in the area with 9 reported deaths. We were reminded on more then one occasion just how vulnerable we are on the bike when we were directed around recent wrecks just as the lifeflight helo's took away the victim while his buddies were sitting in disbelief on the shoulder.

 

We went there last year, about a month before the rally started just to avoid the crowds, we camped at the eastern entrance to the park, and rode all the local roads every day from there. I can't imagine trying to ride the area effectively during the rally, there was enough traffic at the end of June.