BackBone Grande Mt. Rushmore Alternative - 2026 Bump

During 2021 and 2022, I created the Black Hills BackBone Grande to be a local bikepacking route that is great on its own and great as a shake-out ride for the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route.

It's all that, and much more. See, BackBone Grande Page.

Iron Mountain Road tunnel frames Mt. Rushmore.
(image by Paul Brasby)

The Main Route of the BackBone Grande follows rough back roads across South Dakota along the spine of the Black Hills, showcasing the best of our scenery, history, culture, and wildlife. It generally follows dirt/lightly graveled USFS roads in Black Hills National Forest, barely discernible BLM two tracks in Buffalo Gap National Grasslands, and county gravel roads out on the surrounding prairie. The Main Route occasionally uses pavement as a connector, where necessary, and even passes through a few small towns. 

At its core, however, the BackBone Grande is a back country rough road route, like its inspiration, the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route.

Entering the Needles on Needles Highway.
(image by Paul Brasby)

Needle's Eye Tunnel, on Needles Highway.

View of the Cathedral Spires from Needles Highway.
(image by Paul Brasby)

All that being said, people from all over the world flock to the Black Hills for more conventional tourist experiences. Many follow paved highways that wind through the forested hills that are spiked with granite spires and sprinkled with crystal clear streams. A few of those paved roads around Mount Rushmore were actually purpose-built for tourism, including Needles Highway and Iron Mountain Road, aka Pigtail Highway.

I did not include those well-traveled paved roads in the BackBone Grande, notwithstanding requests from out-of-state cyclists. In short, that area right around Mount Rushmore is too busy, too developed, and overall too civilized for that route. It's too big a step away from backcountry bikepacking.

But those iconic roads are on the bucket list for many cyclists. So, rather than venturing off mission by changing the Main Route of the BackBone Grande, I added an optional, off-route loop day ride from Custer and a second off-route loop from Hill City. That is, a Zero Day on the BackBone Grande, in either Custer or Hill City, opens up the option of riding a mostly paved loop through the Needles, past the Cathedral Spires, up and down Iron Mountain Road, and into Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Of course, I had to throw in a few short connectors of lesser known gravel, dirt, and single track. See, Off-Route Mt. Rushmore Loops.

Climbing Iron Mountain Road with Mt. Rushmore framed by the forest.
(image by Paul Brasby)

Iron Mountain Road, aka Pigtail Highway.
270 degree curve, over a wooden bridge, and into a tunnel.

Feedback from BackBone Grande riders and those considering riding it revealed a strong demand for riding the roads on the Mt. Rushmore loops, but an unfortunate reluctance to take a Zero Day to do so.

Recognizing that the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route offers a handful of short Alternative Routes along the way, I finally, reluctantly added this one to the BackBone Grande. Know that it's clearly my third choice.

So, one now has three Mt. Rushmore options when riding or planning to ride the BackBone Grande.

1. (My Recommendation). Ride the Main Route of the BackBone Bounty. Save the Mt. Rushmore loop for another time. Maybe shuttle down for a victory lap at the end. It is great fun on an unloaded gravel bike and worthy of a destination vacation.

2. (If a return trip to the Black Hills is unlikely). Plan an extra day. Take a Zero Day at either Custer or Hill City. Unload the bike. Play tourist for a day by riding one of the off-route Mt. Rushmore loops. Then continue on the Main Route of the BackBone Grande.

3. (If a Zero Day is out of the question, but you must ride to Mt. Rushmore). Bypass the Main Route from Custer to Hill City, ride this new Alternative Route from Custer, and return to the Main Route at Hill City. Then continue on the Main Route of the BackBone Grande from Hill City. (You will miss the Main Route of the BackBone Grande from Custer to Hill City).

Lunch at Mt. Rushmore National Memorial.
(image by unnamed volunteer)

 Leaving Mt. Rushmore for Hill City.
(image by Paul Brasby)

For RideWithGPS maps of the BackBone Grande, the Mt. Rushmore Alternative, the Custer Mt. Rushmore Loop, the Hill City Mt. Rushmore Loop, and the Trail #1 Bypass, go to BackBone Grande + Alternatives Collection.

For a Page describing and linking every blog post on the BackBone Grande, go to BackBone Grande Page.

RideWithGPS file for the Mt. Rushmore Alternative.

Black Hills BackBone Grande Page - 2026 Bump

My January 2023 post "Introducing A Bikepacking Route" generated more page views on this blog than any other, including my Great Divide Mountain Bike Route posts. Now, three years later, it still does. And folks from all over continue to discover this route and imagine riding it.

So, here's my annual post linking to the BackBone Grande Page, which describes the route in detail and links to posts sharing maps, images, logistics, and ride reports, including a series on the first through-ride by Paul Brasby and me in June 2023. Give that imagination a stir.

Streaming into the Black Hills from Custer State Park.
(image by Kevin Fox)

In 2014, I created a bicycle route that I called the Black Hills BackBone, which is a North-South cross-state ride of the State of the South Dakota on primarily gravel and dirt roads along the spine of the Black Hills. The Black Hills BackBone blog first published in 2015 to document the route and attempts to ride it. In 2017, I created the DoubleBackBone route as an opportunity to ride the BackBone route south and then turn north to return to the North Dakota border on mostly different roads. I designed these routes as solo, self-supported, continuous rides across the state, in the spirit of the original TransIowa, the Gut Check 212, and similar continuous cross-state races. See, Black Hills BackBone & DoubleBackBone Page.

Over the years since, I have ridden all those miles, and many more, in the Black Hills and surrounding prairie. I love exploring back roads unknown to me, creating interesting routes, and seeing routes created by others. If not riding, scouting, researching, or routing, I'm probably talking with someone about back country roads around here.

Traffic jam on Lame Johnny Road in Custer State Park.
(image by Paul Brasby)

I started bikepacking in earnest in 2019, rode the Cloud Peak 500 in the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming in 2020, and then rode the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route across the country in 2021. Those longer bikepacking rides are extensively covered on my blog throughout 2020-2022. See, Cloud Peak 500 Page; Great Divide Mountain Bike Route Page. Inspired by those rides, I created many multi-day bikepacking routes in the Black Hills, including six different one week trips for out-of-state friends, several 2-3 day trips, and many overnighters.

After completing the Great Divide in 2021 and learning of the current development of the Western Wildlands Route and the Great Plains Gravel Route, I took another look at my BackBone and DoubleBackBone. I still love those routes for their intended purpose, but they were not created for bikepacking. The Black Hills deserve such a route.

Here's my take on it. The Black Hills BackBone Grande.

Mickelson Trail tunnel in the Central Black Hills.
(image by Paul Brasby)

As a starting point, I consider bikepacking to be much more than simply blasting across the countryside to see how fast one can possibly cover a distance. Rather, for me, it's backpacking on a bike, taking the time and effort to absorb the local scenery, history, culture, and wildlife. See, e.g., How I Would Bikepack The GDMBR (2019). As such, to create the BackBone Grande, I first identified what I consider the very best of our Black Hills and surrounding prairie and then connected things with a mix of unique, remote back roads. Here are some highlights:

• Buffalo Gap National Grasslands, barely two-track across endless prairie with dispersed camping (miles 3-11; miles 32-77);
• Wind Cave National Park and Custer State Park with buffalo and wild burros (miles 102-124);
• Cathedral Spires views (miles 126-128);
• Mickelson Trail rails-to-trails path out of Custer, with views of Crazy Horse Memorial (miles 134-144);
• historic Gold Mountain Mine (mile 167);
• back on the Mickelson Trail for trestles and two hard rock tunnels (miles 174-178); 
• creek side Castle Peak Road (miles 180-191), passing USFS Castle Peak Campground (mile 187);
• Black Fox Road (miles 202-207), passing USFS Black Fox Campground (mile 202);
• northern portion of Spearfish Canyon and Roughlock Falls (mile 234);
• Belle Fouche National Wildlife Refuge (miles 293-295);
• the Geographic Center of the United States (mile 323);
• the historic stage coach stop of Harding (mile 355);
• Custer Gallatin National Forest near the North Dakota border (miles 396-411), especially Fuller Pass Road passing USFS Picnic Springs Campground (mile 402).

Abandoned road through Lost Canyon in the Northern Black Hills.
(image by Paul Brasby)

The BackBone Grande is about 420 miles long and 24,000 feet of gain, with 90% on county gravel or Forest Service gravel/dirt roads. It's a fun mix of remote roads, similar to those on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, all suitable for experienced bikepackers on loaded bicycles having tires 2" wide or more. A bike designed for the Great Divide, such as the Salsa CutThroat or Fargo, would work well for many. Of course, I rode the route in 2023 on my Jones 29+ rigid mountain bike with 2.35 inch tires.

Full service towns with bike shops are Custer (mile 135) and Spearfish (mile 262). C-store/restaurant type re-supply opportunities are at Oelrichs (mile 46), Buffalo Gap (mile 95), Blue Bell (mile 124), Hill City (mile 162), Rochford (mile 195), Cheyenne Crossing (mile 227), Savoy (mile 233), St. Onge (mile 281), and Buffalo (mile 382).

For a Great Divide type Zero Day, I recommend Custer or Hill City for an off-day, off-route ride of a mostly paved loop featuring Mount Rushmore, Sylvan Lake, Needles Highway, and Iron Mountain Road (aka Pig Tail Highway). For a relaxing Zero Day in a college/mountain bike town, enjoy a day in Spearfish.

Fuller Pass Road through Custer Gallatin National Forest.
(image by Paul Brasby)

Fuller Pass Road through Custer Gallatin National Forest, just a few miles from North Dakota.

To create this route, I received valuable input from Lucas Haan of Black Hills Gravel and Paul Brasby of the Pony Express Bikepacking Adventure. To make this the very best it can be, Paul and I then rode the entire route in June of 2023, capturing images, taking notes, and making a few minor changes. In 2024, I also found an additional 30 miles of rugged two track through Buffalo Gap National Grasslands, bringing that section up to 45 memorable miles. That stretch feels every bit as remote as the Great Basin in Wyoming, but with roads much less developed.

Driven in, barely marked roads in Buffalo Gap National Grasslands.

Immersed in the barely tracked Buffalo Gap National Grasslands.
(image by Paul Brasby)

Here's the link to the BackBone Grande route on RideWithGPS. BackBone Grande. Here's the link to the Mount Rushmore loop from Custer. BackBone Grande - Mt. Rushmore (Custer). Here's the link to the Mount Rushmore loop from Hill City. BackBone Grande - Mt. Rushmore (Hill City).

Note that the "Paved" surfaces data provided by RideWithGPS is wildly inaccurate, as it always is out here. The main route is about 90% county gravel or U.S. Forest Service gravel/dirt roads.

The Black Hills BackBone Grande.

Optional off-route Mount Rushmore loop from Custer.
(46 miles/5,350 feet of gain)

Optional off-route Mount Rushmore loop from Hill City.
(44 miles/4,900 feet of gain)

The Black Hills BackBone Grande. 

A great ride on its own, and a great shake out ride for something bigger, like the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route.

Black Hills BackBone & DoubleBackBone Page - 2026 Bump

Eleven years ago, I published the first post on this blog by introducing the Black Hills BackBone.

It was not a race, or public event, or "Grand Depart," or anything like that. It was just a route that I created to ride myself. Then I created this blog to document my journey, in part as a digital scrapbook and in part to share my experience with others. Three years later, I added the DoubleBackBone because, sometimes, more is more.

That all started another 11 years of exploring thousands of miles of gravel and dirt backcountry roads, abandoned roads, near-roads, and trails throughout the Black Hills and out into the surrounding prairie. And beyond. It's been a ride. 

Here's a link to the Black Hills BackBone & DoubleBackBone Page, which describes the routes in detail and includes links to posts sharing maps, images, logistics, and ride reports.

The broad shoulders of Flag Mountain reveal the granite peaks of the Central Black Hills.

Inspired by the cross-country routes of the TransAmerican Trail and the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route of the Adventure Cycling Association, and by the cross-state races of the original TransIowa, Gut Check 212, and similar races, I wondered whether I could create a remote road route on primarily gravel and dirt roads that spanned the height of the State of South Dakota along the spine of the Black Hills.

 

That whimsical daydream led to many hours of scouring maps, scouting back roads, and pedaling all over Western South Dakota. There seemed to be no end of options.

I struggled with this route, primarily because the Black Hills National Forest offers a staggering number of amazing roads to ride. Scouting a promising road invariably leads to more. At some point, I simply had to stop, prioritize, and choose. The Black Hills BackBone is the result. 

Here are the cue sheets, from the route first published in January 2015 and updated in 2017. Black Hills BackBone Cue Sheets. Here's a link to a RideWithGPS file that I created in 2021 from those cue sheets. Black Hills BackBone - 2021 Digital Map. And here's a Page with links to posts, photos and maps. Black Hills BackBone Page.

Riding into the sunset at the finish of our 2017 Black Hills BackBone.
Rob Sorge, Dave Litzen, Shaun Arritola & Craig Groseth
(photo by Corinne Sorge)

Conceived as a continuous, self-supported, solo ride, the Black Hills BackBone readily lends itself to a multi-day bikepacking trip or even a multi-day supported tour. In 2017, a small group of friends rode the entire route over three days in the heat and wind of a Fourth of July weekend. For my multi-post report on that ride go to An Idea Takes Shape; Gathering; Crossing The Northern Prairie; Up And Into The Black Hills; Focus On The Finish; A Weekend To Remember; Friends.

Over the years, many cyclists have asked about the BackBone and I know of several other attempts. For example, on a cold, rainy Memorial Day weekend in 2019, an intrepid group of eight cycling enthusiasts from Colorado made a run at it. On that particular weekend of difficult conditions, they rode about as much of the route as one reasonably could. They said they had a great time, particularly their Day 3 from O'Neil Pass to Custer, and have returned to ride Black Hills back roads every year since. New Friends On The BackBone.

The Black Hills BackBone is one memorable ride across the State of South Dakota.

But wait, there's more.

Miles and miles of remote back roads on the Black Hills DoubleBackBone.
Self-sufficiency required.

Say you've ridden the Black Hills BackBone all the way to the STOP sign finish at the Nebraska border. A celebration is certainly in order, along with the photo or two. But then imagine turning pedals westerly on Dakota Line Road to access the Wild, Wild Western reaches of the Black Hills. Back there, a serpentine network of barely used gravel and dirt roads await for you to wind generally north for a return trip back to the North Dakota border.

Now, that's one big, bad loop. 330 miles to add to the BackBone, making over 640 miles, all told.

It's the Black Hills DoubleBackBone. DoubleBackBone Digital. DoubleBackBone Cue Sheets.

Sometimes, more is more. More rolling prairie patrolled by herds of cattle, buffalo, pronghorn, and elk. More obscure canyons scoured by flash floods. More twisty ridge lines climbing to soaring views. More hills stuffed with pine and aspen. More dirt near-roads connecting with Secondary Forest Service gravel. And even more remote than the easterly side of the loop, which is a bit hard to believe until you're out there.

The Black Hills DoubleBackBone, like the original BackBone, is just a route that I think is fun and challenging, however one chooses to experience it. Solo or group. One continuous ride, a series of days, or in sections over time. Self-supported, shuttled, or fully supported. Maybe some combination or even all of the above. 

The Black Hills BackBone. Go big.

The Black Hills DoubleBackBone. Go bigger.

The Black Hills. Just go.

New Year - Make A Path

Don't see a path?

Make one.

To spark imaginations and help with some planning, every January I publish a series of posts that highlight my gravel and bikepacking routes on this blog:  the original Black Hills BackBone & Double BackBone gravel routes, the relatively new, more rugged BackBone Grande bikepacking route, the surprisingly resilient Cloud Peak 500 bikepacking race, and the always popular Great Divide Mountain Bike Route experience.

Those Pages describe each route in detail and link to posts sharing maps, images, logistics, and ride reports. Just the thing to help you get started, and maybe even get out there. Posts bumping individual Pages start next week, although you can go to them anytime.

In addition to highlighting those Pages, this year I will be introducing a new bikepacking route that I call the BackBone Double Grande. It starts at the end of the BackBone Grande route at the North Dakota border and meanders over 480 miles across Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota on rough, remote roads down to the BackBone Grande start at the Nebraska border. Combining the BackBone Grande and Double Grande will make one, big, bad, 900 mile bikepacking loop through the very best of this backcountry. Stay tuned for details.

For riding in 2026, I'm heading back to 24 Hours In The Old Pueblo in February. Also, I'm intrigued with a BackBone Grande/Double Grande loop, but that's a big commitment. So, maybe. More likely is the 200 mile BackBone Buffett loop. And I'm definitely going back for Year 6 of the Black Hills Bounty. And maybe a fresh challenge out-of-state.

I'll be riding somewhere, making a path. 

Hope to see you out there.