RetiredJake
Junior Member
Thursday 7/02
Headed out this morning to ride the Black Hills. If you have never been here to ride, put it on your bucket list. They are beautiful, the riding is great, just do it!
Started riding up Vanocker Canyon from Sturgis. This is a very nice ride, not demanding except for Rainbow Corner. Watch out for this one, pay attention and you will be fine. This is mountain riding at its best. Ride, sightsee, just don’t do them together. This is typical of the canyon.
Took a left on Nemo Road at the end of Vanocker Canyon, through Nemo and right onto 173 (signs say Norris peak Road), then a right on 44 which will take you back to 385, the main north-south road through the Black Hills. Heading south on 385 takes you past Pactola Reservoir and Sheridan Lake. This is Pactola.
A left turn on 16 and a right on 16A will have you heading for Iron Mountain Road. After you pass through Keystone, a Mt Rushmore tourist trap, 16A turns to the left. Going straight will take you to Mt Rushmore. In a short time on 16A you will encounter the pigtails. These are 360 degree corkscrew turns that take you over or under your path, but slowly, they are tight. In this photo, I am standing at the top end of the 3rd pigtail. You can clearly see the road bending and climbing to the left after exiting directly underneath where I am standing.
After the 2nd pigtail, you will shortly be at the entrance to the first tunnel. These are narrow tunnels, blow your horn and look closely prior to proceeding, you will not be able to pass anything in them. There are a total of 3 tunnels on this road, and everyone of them points at Mt Rushmore, giving you a wonderful view. Stop and admire the view, then think of the engineering feat that drilled these tunnels so exact.
Here’s a close-up of Mt Rushmore.
Coming down off the mountain, you will pass the Wolf People. I have never stopped here for some reason. Maybe next trip.
As you continue to follow 16A, you will enter Custer State Park. It will cost you $6 for a motorcycle pass, good for a week. If you are staying in the area, devote a day for the park. Frequent visitors to the park roads are the burros that roam free, looking for handouts. I have so many pictures of them that I usually don’t stop anymore, but this foal (?) caught my attention.
Make a right turn onto hwy 87, the Needles Highway. This starts out as a nice easy ride, getting more technical with each mile. At the top, you will pass through a long narrow tunnel with parking at the exit. Stop and look around. Locate the ‘Eye of the Needle’ and you will be rewarded with a great photo. These are some of the views you will see on the way up.
This is the tunnel you will have just passed through. It is 8’4” wide. I watched a guy take a dually pickup through here last year, tore up one of his fenders. Cars & small trucks only!
As luck would have it, the clouds that had been piling up all day caught me. I followed 87 back to 385, and was heading north to Lead, SD. Got about half way there and had to take shelter at Kactus Kims. Enjoyed lunch while I waited out the flood. This was a heavy rainstorm.
Once the worst of the storm cleared (about an hour), I put on my raingear and continued into Lead to get another ABC point, then south on 85/14A to Cheyenne Crossing. Take a right where 14A splits and you will be in Spearfish Canyon, heading downstream. Another several miles of great riding And scenery. Stop for the waterfalls.
That's about it for today. Heading into WY tomorrow and on down to CO to visit my sister and get that new tire. Enjoy your riding and keep the rubber side down.
Headed out this morning to ride the Black Hills. If you have never been here to ride, put it on your bucket list. They are beautiful, the riding is great, just do it!
Started riding up Vanocker Canyon from Sturgis. This is a very nice ride, not demanding except for Rainbow Corner. Watch out for this one, pay attention and you will be fine. This is mountain riding at its best. Ride, sightsee, just don’t do them together. This is typical of the canyon.
Took a left on Nemo Road at the end of Vanocker Canyon, through Nemo and right onto 173 (signs say Norris peak Road), then a right on 44 which will take you back to 385, the main north-south road through the Black Hills. Heading south on 385 takes you past Pactola Reservoir and Sheridan Lake. This is Pactola.
A left turn on 16 and a right on 16A will have you heading for Iron Mountain Road. After you pass through Keystone, a Mt Rushmore tourist trap, 16A turns to the left. Going straight will take you to Mt Rushmore. In a short time on 16A you will encounter the pigtails. These are 360 degree corkscrew turns that take you over or under your path, but slowly, they are tight. In this photo, I am standing at the top end of the 3rd pigtail. You can clearly see the road bending and climbing to the left after exiting directly underneath where I am standing.
After the 2nd pigtail, you will shortly be at the entrance to the first tunnel. These are narrow tunnels, blow your horn and look closely prior to proceeding, you will not be able to pass anything in them. There are a total of 3 tunnels on this road, and everyone of them points at Mt Rushmore, giving you a wonderful view. Stop and admire the view, then think of the engineering feat that drilled these tunnels so exact.
Here’s a close-up of Mt Rushmore.
Coming down off the mountain, you will pass the Wolf People. I have never stopped here for some reason. Maybe next trip.
As you continue to follow 16A, you will enter Custer State Park. It will cost you $6 for a motorcycle pass, good for a week. If you are staying in the area, devote a day for the park. Frequent visitors to the park roads are the burros that roam free, looking for handouts. I have so many pictures of them that I usually don’t stop anymore, but this foal (?) caught my attention.
Make a right turn onto hwy 87, the Needles Highway. This starts out as a nice easy ride, getting more technical with each mile. At the top, you will pass through a long narrow tunnel with parking at the exit. Stop and look around. Locate the ‘Eye of the Needle’ and you will be rewarded with a great photo. These are some of the views you will see on the way up.
This is the tunnel you will have just passed through. It is 8’4” wide. I watched a guy take a dually pickup through here last year, tore up one of his fenders. Cars & small trucks only!
As luck would have it, the clouds that had been piling up all day caught me. I followed 87 back to 385, and was heading north to Lead, SD. Got about half way there and had to take shelter at Kactus Kims. Enjoyed lunch while I waited out the flood. This was a heavy rainstorm.
Once the worst of the storm cleared (about an hour), I put on my raingear and continued into Lead to get another ABC point, then south on 85/14A to Cheyenne Crossing. Take a right where 14A splits and you will be in Spearfish Canyon, heading downstream. Another several miles of great riding And scenery. Stop for the waterfalls.
That's about it for today. Heading into WY tomorrow and on down to CO to visit my sister and get that new tire. Enjoy your riding and keep the rubber side down.
