2010 Rallies & Events
Riding in the Black Hills, Sturgis Coverage Part 8
Story and photos by Cindy Blake
Sturgis! 70th Anniversary! Wow! Just say it and it’s just an awesome event to hear about! You always hear stories of all the bikes that were out there: the custom choppers, the classic Harley-Davidsons and the decked-out cruisers. You hear about the entertainment with the concerts and contests everywhere. That is all fun, but did you know about the great riding out there as well and the breathtaking scenery? Well, that’s what I went up there for. I wanted to explore the Black Hills of South Dakota and the scenic areas of Wyoming. And exploring is what I did.
We began our first day of riding by heading east onto Interstate 90 from Sturgis. The interstate was full of bikers all enjoying the open road. Through Rapid City, we got onto Highway 16, where we rode up and entered the Black Hills Forest. This is where the fun and the stunning views began. The highway was full of trees, turns and steep grades. After 21 miles, we came across a small town called Keystone. It looked like a mini Sturgis with all the bikes parked along the sides of the highway.
After Keystone, we continued on and just over three miles further into the mountain we came along this sharp right turn and there was the famous Mount Rushmore National Monument. It was a magnificent sight to see. We pulled over and took pictures overlooking the Black Hills Forest as well as of the four former presidents before us. Once you’re done visiting this monument, just hop on your bike and the ride continues. Heading west on Highway 244 this road had even more turns but the steep grades went down instead of up into the mountains. We headed out to visit the Crazy Horse Memorial. This certainly was a sight to see. Hundreds of bikers were there viewing this memorial “in the works.”
After visiting these sites, we were ready for a challenging ride, so we headed east to Needles Highway, which was the entrance to Custer State Park. This highway is full of sharp 10-15 mph turns and u-turns. It includes a 270˚ degree turn that will certainly have you respecting the road you’re riding on. Single lane tunnels were blasted through the granite in the mountains so you are literally riding through a mountain. We rode up steep grades and rode along the edges of high cliffs and saw some of the most picturesque places to stop and take photos. But, there’s another highway just as adventurous and with even more turns called Iron Mountain Road; it is famous for its pigtail bridges (road bridges where the road passes over itself). This gorgeous road is full of snaking curves and even more tunnels. It is a single lane, one-way highway so as your making a 10 mph turn you don’t have to worry about anyone coming at you from the opposite direction.
We decided to take the scenic route back to Sturgis. Cruising on Highway 385, which is a two lane highway with not as many turns but still has awesome scenery. We stopped along the way at Pactola Lake for a view of the sunset and added on layers of clothing as the temperature was dropping. It was 90˚F that day but as it got dark out, the temperature came down a quick 75˚F.
Next morning we geared up with more bottled water in our saddlebags as it was going to be over 100˚F where we were headed. This time riding northwest and back onto Interstate 90, we passed through Springfire and on into Wyoming. We headed west on Hwy 24 where there were some 180˚ u-turns which made it a fun road to be on. There were lots of hills to circle around and as we came across a huge clearing, we could see the famous mountain of movie fame, Devil’s Tower. It is a miraculous looking mountain with its shape and form. It was certainly loaded with bikers there as well. The journey back from here led us back onto Hwy 24 and we rode towards Sundance, Wyoming. This scenic road was actually on the top of the hills where you have a view of the Wyoming countryside down below.
The Black Hills have many scenic routes to explore and if you’re ever up in Sturgis, check them out. I know I left there with wonderful memories that I hope to repeat through the years and hope you do, too.