| ABILITY RATING AND TERRAIN TYPE: Easy - Dirt and Paved Roads
From the Northern Black Hills, it's a 2 hour drive to the East to get there, but if you are already traveling to South Dakota from the East on I-90, I would definitely say that it's worth taking an extra couple of days to visit, as my son and I did a few years ago. Though off-road wheeled riding (including mountain biking) has been banned on the area's trails in order to prevent erosion, cyclists are still welcome to explore the dirt and paved roads in the area. Exploring the area at sunrise and sunset can leave you with a feeling of awe as the colors of this unusual area shine through. The roads are fairly easy, with winding curves and a few climbs that weren't too bad even for my then 9 year old child. We spent several hours playing, and finished off our day with a great meal from the Cedar Pass Lodge, however the area is mostly seasonal, so many of the buildings will be closed for the winter. Wildlife sightings can be plentiful there year round. In addition to buffalo, coyote, mule deer you may see anytime throughout the year (as shown here) and even black-footed ferrets and prairie dogs, the area also has rattlesnakes that you'll need to watch out for in the warmer months. Though there are less snakes here than in the rest of the state, encountering one in the summer can be more frequent, so use caution when riding in the grasses of the area. To avoid the snakes, this is a great place for riding in the milder fall, winter and spring. |
Spearfish Canyon
Deer Creek to Silver City
Crow Peak
The Centennial Trail
The Big Hill Trail System
Bear Mountain
The Badlands
Alkalai Creek
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