cimmer
07-01-2010, 01:25 AM
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.
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.