Thoughts on South Dakota/NW Nebraska Route
05-21-15, 05:38 AM
#1
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Thoughts on South Dakota/NW Nebraska Route
This what I have planned for next month:
RAPID CITY-RAPID CITY - A bike ride in Rapid City, SD
Camping (except for two motel stays in Rapid City) but no cooking this time. The route includes a clockwise loop from Custer on a no-move day. Up SD 49 then part of Needles (SD 47) down to U.S. 16 back to camp at Custer. Overnights at Spearfish, Hill City, Edgemont, Fort Robinson S.P. (x2), Hot Srpngs and Custer (x2).
Anyone have any suggestions re: must see/eat at places (other than the obvious) or must avoid places? How is the municipal campground in Edgemont at the end of Mickelson Trail?
I am also interested if anyone has ridden Toadstool Road in NB recently? I know it's unpaved, and I have read that it can be rough in places. Hoping there is someone out there with practical experience.
RAPID CITY-RAPID CITY - A bike ride in Rapid City, SD
Camping (except for two motel stays in Rapid City) but no cooking this time. The route includes a clockwise loop from Custer on a no-move day. Up SD 49 then part of Needles (SD 47) down to U.S. 16 back to camp at Custer. Overnights at Spearfish, Hill City, Edgemont, Fort Robinson S.P. (x2), Hot Srpngs and Custer (x2).
Anyone have any suggestions re: must see/eat at places (other than the obvious) or must avoid places? How is the municipal campground in Edgemont at the end of Mickelson Trail?
I am also interested if anyone has ridden Toadstool Road in NB recently? I know it's unpaved, and I have read that it can be rough in places. Hoping there is someone out there with practical experience.
05-21-15, 07:55 AM
#2
aka: Mike J.
What is a "no-move day" ?
Also, Nebraska is now NE not NB which might mess up some mapping programs and send you to New Brunswick.
Looks like it could be a nice ride.
edit: is this rail/trail portion included in your route? https://www.traillink.com/trail/white-river-trail.aspx
Also, Nebraska is now NE not NB which might mess up some mapping programs and send you to New Brunswick.
Looks like it could be a nice ride.
edit: is this rail/trail portion included in your route? https://www.traillink.com/trail/white-river-trail.aspx
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Last edited by treebound; 05-21-15 at 07:59 AM.
05-21-15, 08:38 AM
#3
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Opps. I meant NE.
A no-move day is one where I don't break camp and move to a new location but also don't take a day off from riding. I've booked a site for two nights at what looks like a nice private campground on SD 89 about a mile north of U.S. 16. I wanted to stay at Stockcade Lake a few miles further east of Custer but I lunched and found last week that both campgrounds there are booked solid. Fortunately, the place I reserved is only $1/night more. After I do the Sylvan Lake Rd./Needles loop I will probably hit up Crazy Horse if I haven't already during the day from Hill City to Edgemont. The Mickelson trail literally passes under the Avenue of the Chiefs, which is the entrance road to Crazy Horse.
It apparently does include that trail. When I was plotting with RWGPS it selected an off-road route from Crawford to Ft. Robinson. Unlike it does with the Mickelson Trail, RWGPS doesn't show a trail name, but sounds like the White River Trail.
A no-move day is one where I don't break camp and move to a new location but also don't take a day off from riding. I've booked a site for two nights at what looks like a nice private campground on SD 89 about a mile north of U.S. 16. I wanted to stay at Stockcade Lake a few miles further east of Custer but I lunched and found last week that both campgrounds there are booked solid. Fortunately, the place I reserved is only $1/night more. After I do the Sylvan Lake Rd./Needles loop I will probably hit up Crazy Horse if I haven't already during the day from Hill City to Edgemont. The Mickelson trail literally passes under the Avenue of the Chiefs, which is the entrance road to Crazy Horse.
It apparently does include that trail. When I was plotting with RWGPS it selected an off-road route from Crawford to Ft. Robinson. Unlike it does with the Mickelson Trail, RWGPS doesn't show a trail name, but sounds like the White River Trail.
05-21-15, 09:21 AM
#4
Hooked on Touring
Monsieur Fabz -
Over the past 20 years I have done quite a lot of riding in the Black Hills and NW Nebraska - plus have driven the rest.
Not too sure about all the details of how you are looping it - but will give some feedback.
Most importantly - when are you planning this - Sturgis Rally in late July/early August has 200,000 Harleys.
A word about the Mickelson - nice but can be crowded with amateurs and kids on weekends near towns.
Nemo Road is nice except at 4 p.m. on Fridays - US 85 north of Lead sux.
The service road to Spearfish is a service road next to an interstate - but you know.
Do you have one of these? https://www.sddot.com/transportation/...ficFlowMap.pdf
Spearfish Canyon is lovely - I refer the downhill run - which is sweet - but uphill can be nice and gradual.
Hill City is a good, albeit touristy, midpoint, supply depot.
Hwy 471 has a short, unpaved stretch that can be a little washboardy.
I've never done Toadstool Rd - Hwy 2 is so totally empty.
I was tempted back ten or so years ago, but it was hot and dry.
Nebraska dirt roads tend to be super dusty - don't think they treat them.
Plus water availability is an issue.
US 20 is O.K. - mostly with shoulders and only moderate traffic until close to Chadron.
There are a couple of paved sections of Old US 20 that are nice.
I've only ridden US 385 once - - which is enough - - not horrible, but tricky.
Traffic moderate+, shoulders iffy - it was all 2-lane then.
I think it's 4-lane in SD - SD generally has shoulders on 4-lane, NE not.
As for US 385, SD 87 - the Needles Highway - it has pretty steep grade -
Plus summer traffic can have quite a few RVs driven by AARP types.
Cut you expected mileage by a third to a half and use caution.
Hwy 244 has moderate traffic and O.K. shoulders -
Hill City-Keystone Rd is a paved, quiet county road option.
IMHO US 16 sux - but you may be needing to get back quickly.
It is 4-lane with shoulders - unless under construction which is frequent -
Plus there are tacky businesses - some find kitschy - the closer you get to Rapid.
And lots of traffic.
Have a great trip! J
Over the past 20 years I have done quite a lot of riding in the Black Hills and NW Nebraska - plus have driven the rest.
Not too sure about all the details of how you are looping it - but will give some feedback.
Most importantly - when are you planning this - Sturgis Rally in late July/early August has 200,000 Harleys.
A word about the Mickelson - nice but can be crowded with amateurs and kids on weekends near towns.
Nemo Road is nice except at 4 p.m. on Fridays - US 85 north of Lead sux.
The service road to Spearfish is a service road next to an interstate - but you know.
Do you have one of these? https://www.sddot.com/transportation/...ficFlowMap.pdf
Spearfish Canyon is lovely - I refer the downhill run - which is sweet - but uphill can be nice and gradual.
Hill City is a good, albeit touristy, midpoint, supply depot.
Hwy 471 has a short, unpaved stretch that can be a little washboardy.
I've never done Toadstool Rd - Hwy 2 is so totally empty.
I was tempted back ten or so years ago, but it was hot and dry.
Nebraska dirt roads tend to be super dusty - don't think they treat them.
Plus water availability is an issue.
US 20 is O.K. - mostly with shoulders and only moderate traffic until close to Chadron.
There are a couple of paved sections of Old US 20 that are nice.
I've only ridden US 385 once - - which is enough - - not horrible, but tricky.
Traffic moderate+, shoulders iffy - it was all 2-lane then.
I think it's 4-lane in SD - SD generally has shoulders on 4-lane, NE not.
As for US 385, SD 87 - the Needles Highway - it has pretty steep grade -
Plus summer traffic can have quite a few RVs driven by AARP types.
Cut you expected mileage by a third to a half and use caution.
Hwy 244 has moderate traffic and O.K. shoulders -
Hill City-Keystone Rd is a paved, quiet county road option.
IMHO US 16 sux - but you may be needing to get back quickly.
It is 4-lane with shoulders - unless under construction which is frequent -
Plus there are tacky businesses - some find kitschy - the closer you get to Rapid.
And lots of traffic.
Have a great trip! J
05-21-15, 12:47 PM
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Thanks, J. I was hoping you might respond.
Left out some info.
I will start riding on Thursday, June 18th, and I am an early riser. That should avoid any problems on Nemo Rd. Also, the Sturgis rally won't be an issue
But that will put me on the Mickelson over the weekend. I will definitely be careful. I rode the GAP from Pittsburgh, PA to Cumberland, MD over the weekend and it was pretty busy in spots. I timed the trip in part to arrive in Edgemont on a Saturday because I was concerned about services being open on Sunday. I know the one full service restaurant is closed on Sunday, but after booking my flight I found that there may be another acceptable food source. I will definitely pack extra water there for the stretch into Nebraska. I have looked at in Street View and there appears to be no services until Crawford and zero shade.
Hot Springs to Custer via U.S. 385, SD 87 and U.S. 16 definitely has it's share of climbing. The individual map I made for that day shows 3,800' in 37.5 miles. I will ride that on a Wednesday. Hoping that will mean less traffic. The loop from/back to Custer via SD 89 and SD 47 and U.S. 16 will be the next day. And since I am not moving camp, I can do it with minimal gear. I am planning to do that loop clockwise because, as you note, Needles has some nasty grades. The climb up on SD 89 looks much easier overall so that will mean I will be descending the hardest grades on Needles.
Yeah. I defaulted to U.S. 16 on the way back to Rapid City after Mt. Rushmore. Unless I can find a computer with Internet access and a printer earlier in the trip, I will need to visit the Rapid City library to print out my return shipping label from Bikeflights.com. The library closes at 5 p.m. as does Cranky Jeff's, which is the shop that will be holding my box and packing my bike. I think I will look into an alternative that I might use if I don't feel pressed for time. I did see those tacky businesses on Google Maps including Bear Country U.S.A. and Putz n Glo Indoor Black Light Miniature Golf. I actually like miniature golf, but that seems a bit over the top.
Left out some info.
I will start riding on Thursday, June 18th, and I am an early riser. That should avoid any problems on Nemo Rd. Also, the Sturgis rally won't be an issue
But that will put me on the Mickelson over the weekend. I will definitely be careful. I rode the GAP from Pittsburgh, PA to Cumberland, MD over the weekend and it was pretty busy in spots. I timed the trip in part to arrive in Edgemont on a Saturday because I was concerned about services being open on Sunday. I know the one full service restaurant is closed on Sunday, but after booking my flight I found that there may be another acceptable food source. I will definitely pack extra water there for the stretch into Nebraska. I have looked at in Street View and there appears to be no services until Crawford and zero shade.
Hot Springs to Custer via U.S. 385, SD 87 and U.S. 16 definitely has it's share of climbing. The individual map I made for that day shows 3,800' in 37.5 miles. I will ride that on a Wednesday. Hoping that will mean less traffic. The loop from/back to Custer via SD 89 and SD 47 and U.S. 16 will be the next day. And since I am not moving camp, I can do it with minimal gear. I am planning to do that loop clockwise because, as you note, Needles has some nasty grades. The climb up on SD 89 looks much easier overall so that will mean I will be descending the hardest grades on Needles.
Yeah. I defaulted to U.S. 16 on the way back to Rapid City after Mt. Rushmore. Unless I can find a computer with Internet access and a printer earlier in the trip, I will need to visit the Rapid City library to print out my return shipping label from Bikeflights.com. The library closes at 5 p.m. as does Cranky Jeff's, which is the shop that will be holding my box and packing my bike. I think I will look into an alternative that I might use if I don't feel pressed for time. I did see those tacky businesses on Google Maps including Bear Country U.S.A. and Putz n Glo Indoor Black Light Miniature Golf. I actually like miniature golf, but that seems a bit over the top.
