If you’re heading to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, you already know the rally itself is only part of the experience.
For me, the real magic of Sturgis happens when you leave town, point the front wheel toward the Black Hills and start chasing curves.
You can spend all day walking Main Street, checking out bikes and listening to live music — and you should. But some of my favorite memories come from getting away from the crowds and riding some of the best roads and destinations in South Dakota.
If you’re making the trip to Sturgis, here are my top 10 places to ride.
1. Needles Highway
South Dakota Highway 87
If you only have time for one truly spectacular ride, make it Needles Highway.
This is the kind of road that makes you slow down just so you can take everything in. Granite formations tower over the road, and you’ll squeeze through narrow rock tunnels that seem like they were designed specifically for motorcycles.
The famous Needles Eye is one of the landmarks you’ll want to stop and see.
And don’t be in a hurry. This isn’t a road you ride to get somewhere. This is the destination.
2. Iron Mountain Road
U.S. Highway 16A
Iron Mountain Road is one of those roads that seems to have been engineered with motorcycles in mind.
You’ve got sweeping curves, incredible views and the famous pigtail bridges that let you gain or lose elevation without simply pointing the bike downhill.
And then there are the tunnels.
Some of the tunnels actually frame Mount Rushmore, giving you a pretty incredible view as you ride through.
It’s one of those roads where you’ll find yourself thinking, “There’s no way the next mile can be better than this.”
Then it is.
3. Spearfish Canyon
U.S. Highway 14A
Spearfish Canyon is a completely different kind of ride.
Instead of wide-open vistas, you’re surrounded by towering limestone cliffs, trees, waterfalls and a winding road that follows Spearfish Creek.
It’s beautiful, relaxing and fun without feeling like you’re fighting the road every second.
And if it’s hot in Sturgis, the canyon can be a welcome break from the heat.
Take your time, pull over at the overlooks and enjoy it.
4. Vanocker Canyon
If you want a great motorcycle road that’s close to Sturgis, don’t overlook Vanocker Canyon.
South Dakota Highway 385 winds through the Black Hills between Sturgis and Deadwood, giving you a great combination of curves, elevation changes and scenery.
It’s also a great option when you don’t want to spend the entire day on the road.
You can leave Sturgis, make the loop and be back in town without turning it into an all-day expedition.
Sometimes that’s exactly what you need during rally week.
5. Needles Eye Tunnel
Yes, I know I already mentioned Needles Highway.
But the Needles Eye deserves its own spot.
This isn’t just another tunnel. It’s one of the most recognizable landmarks in the Black Hills, and riding a motorcycle through a narrow opening carved through enormous granite formations is one of those experiences you’ll remember long after you’ve left South Dakota.
Just remember that rally traffic can make this area extremely busy.
Take it slow and enjoy the experience.
6. Mount Rushmore
Let’s get the obvious one out of the way.
You can’t ride to Sturgis and not ride to Mount Rushmore.
You don’t necessarily have to spend hours inside the monument complex. The ride itself is what makes it worthwhile.
The roads around Mount Rushmore connect you to several of the Black Hills’ best motorcycle routes, so you can easily make it part of a larger loop.
And there’s something pretty cool about pulling up on a motorcycle after riding through the Black Hills and seeing those four faces carved into the mountain.
It’s a landmark for a reason.
7. Custer State Park
Custer State Park is one of those places where you should put the camera away for a few minutes and just ride.
The roads through the park offer everything from sweeping curves to incredible rock formations and wildlife.
And yes, you may encounter some of the park’s famous residents.
Bison have absolutely no interest in your motorcycle, your schedule or your desire to get somewhere on time.
If you encounter wildlife, give it plenty of room.
The Wildlife Loop Road is particularly worth putting on your list if you have the time.
8. Badlands National Park
This one takes you a little farther from Sturgis, but it’s worth the trip.
The Badlands look like another planet compared with the Black Hills.
You’ll trade the forests and granite formations for massive rock formations, deep canyons and wide-open landscapes.
It’s a completely different riding experience, and that’s exactly why I like it.
If you’re planning a full-day ride during rally week, I’d seriously consider making the Badlands part of the plan.
And don’t forget Wall Drug while you’re out that way.
Yes, it’s touristy.
Yes, you should stop anyway.
9. Deadwood
Deadwood isn’t necessarily about finding the most technical road.
It’s about the experience.
The ride into Deadwood puts you right in the middle of one of the most iconic towns associated with the Black Hills and the Sturgis rally.
During rally week, motorcycles are everywhere.
Park the bike, walk around, grab something to eat or drink and take in the atmosphere.
Deadwood is one of those places where the destination is just as important as the ride getting there.
And if you’re looking for a good excuse to keep riding after dinner, there are plenty of roads leading back into the hills.
10. The Sturgis-to-Lead-Spearfish Loop
Sometimes the best ride isn’t one specific attraction.
It’s the entire loop.
Start in Sturgis and head toward Deadwood and Lead before working your way toward Spearfish Canyon. From there, enjoy the canyon road before making your way back toward Sturgis.
This is the kind of ride that gives you a little bit of everything — mountain scenery, curves, historic towns and some of the best motorcycle roads in the country.
And the best part?
You don’t have to spend the entire day trying to figure out where you’re going.
Just ride.
The Best Part of Sturgis Isn’t Always Sturgis
That’s probably the biggest thing I’d tell anyone making their first trip to the rally.
Don’t spend the entire week parked on Main Street.
The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is one of the biggest motorcycle gatherings in the world, but the reason so many riders keep coming back isn’t just the concerts, vendors and thousands of motorcycles.
It’s the roads.
It’s riding through the Black Hills with a group of friends.
It’s stopping at an overlook and realizing you haven’t said a word for the last 20 minutes because everybody is too busy looking at the scenery.
It’s finding a little road you didn’t have on the map.
And it’s coming back into Sturgis at the end of the day with bugs on your windshield, dust on your bike and a ridiculous grin on your face.
That’s Sturgis to me.
The rally may be the reason you go to South Dakota. The riding is the reason you’ll want to go back.
So fill the tank, check the weather, grab your helmet and go find some curves.
I’ll see you in the Black Hills.
— TVBikerDad