Best Rides for First-Timers

The Black Hills has more world-class riding than you can cover in a week. If it's your first rally, this is the order to attack it.

Start easy, then step up

Every route below is a full ride page on Sturgis GO with a map, stops, fuel notes, and hazards. Tap in for the details. The full catalog lives on Rides.

Warm-up loops — do these first

Easy scenic

Easy · scenic

Spearfish Canyon

Wide sweepers, waterfalls, gentle grades. If you only do one ride, do this one first.

Easy · local favorite

Vanocker Canyon to Nemo

Short, low-traffic, beautiful. Perfect warm-up ride straight out of Sturgis.

Easy · animal traffic

Wildlife Loop

Bison, pronghorn, and the friendly begging burros. Ride slow — the animals set the pace.

Step-up rides — once you're loose

Bigger days

Moderate · long day

Badlands Loop

A full day out east — hot, open, and unforgettable. Fuel up before you leave.

Moderate · long ride

Devils Tower

The Wyoming pilgrimage. Long straight sections with a monument payoff.

Iconic but technical

Bucket list

Advanced · technical

Needles Highway

Tight hairpins, one-lane tunnels, and granite spires. Iconic — but not a beginner's first ride.

Heads up: Needles Highway and Iron Mountain Road are the most famous rides in the Black Hills — and the tightest. Blind hairpins, one-lane rock tunnels, and RV traffic. They're worth every mile, but do a warm-up loop first if you're new to twisty mountain roads.

Before you go

Two things everyone underestimates on their first rally: Black Hills weather and how much extra time downtown eats. Read both before you plan your days.