The Good, The Bad & The Ugly - 2025 Bump

The way back to town is only 70 miles. If you save your breath, I feel a man like you can manage it.

Blondie encouraging Tuco, The Good, The Bad & The Ugly (1966). 

The United States Forest Service (USFS) categorizes the roads within its boundaries as "Primary Routes," "Secondary Routes," or "Low Standard Routes." That's it. Just three categories for the staggering variety of roads in our national forests.

Well, it's a start. Here's a USFS graphic introducing each category of Forest Service roads.

As an introduction to understanding these categories of roads in the Black Hills National Forest, here are some of my general observations, with representative photographs. Whatever the USFS calls them and however I describe them, every road in the Black Hills will deliver a variety of riding conditions and challenges that change over time. Your eyes on the road and tires on the ground are the best way to know these roads.

Note that the USFS manages extensive logging operations in selected parts of the Black Hills. In large part, that's why most of these roads exist. Yield to all traffic out there, but especially the big logging trucks. And be thankful to be able to ride on the seemingly unlimited roads resulting from their work.

The Good (USFS Primary Route)

The most developed non-paved road in the USFS system is the Primary Route, which is designed, built, and maintained for year around, regular travel by standard passenger cars. In the Black Hills, the surface of these roads typically is moderately graveled, hard packed local dirt and limestone that drains water well, and generally does not instantly clog, at least not like Iowa top soil, Nebraska talc, or Oklahoma clay. Some roads are treated with Magnesium Chloride, which hardens and stabilizes the surface.

Primary Routes generally are wide enough for opposing motorized traffic to pass easily. If enough gravel exists to form tracks, there would be three or even four. Often a small shoulder will accumulate a bit more gravel that has been pushed off to the side. Relatively high speed vehicle traffic may create washboards and pockets of loose gravel in spots, especially around curves and corners.

My ride of choice for Primary Routes is my Alchemy Ronin Titanium gravel bike or my Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross bike, set up with 40 mm Schwalbe G-One tires. Even when loaded for multi-day bikepacking, these gravel bikes provide plenty of support and control to comfortably ride all day on these roads. Relatively speaking, Primary Routes are fast.

On USFS maps and signage, a Primary Route is designated by brown sign with a two or three digit number enclosed in a rounded corner, isosceles trapezoid having the longer parallel side on top, as shown below for Boles Canyon Road (117). 

The following photographs are representative of USFS Primary Routes in the Black Hills.

The Bad (USFS Secondary Route)

The next level of developed, non-paved roads in the USFS system is the Secondary Route, which is maintained for high clearance vehicles. In the Black Hills, USFS Secondary Routes typically are similar in composition to Primary Routes, that is, hard packed dirt and limestone that handles water well and does not overly clog. However, the surface may be even less graveled, or just occasionally graveled, or not graveled at all. Almost certainly, it will not be treated with Magnesium Chloride. Foremost, that means Secondary Routes are more susceptible to mud when wet and ruts when dry.

Due to less maintenance, Secondary Routes also sport occasional loose dirt, exposed surface rock, pot holes, standing water, and fallen timber, while presenting sharper turns, steeper gradients, and shorter sight lines. Also, Secondary Routes typically are two tracks wide, often with little to no shoulder. If a motorized vehicle approaches, I typically pull off the road to allow it to pass. For logging trucks, I definitely leave the road.

All that being said, many Secondary Routes in the Black Hills are passable in dry conditions in passenger cars, if attentive to occasional obstacles and clearance issues. For example, In 2017, I confirmed new cue sheets for the slightly modified Black Hills BackBone route driving my 2006 Chevrolet HHR, hardly a high clearance vehicle. Over the 310 mile route, with many miles of Secondary Routes, I maneuvered around a few high-center issues and only had to skirt one fallen tree blocking the road. These roads can be fast, so stay alert.

My ride of choice for most Black Hills Secondary Routes is still one of my gravel bikes with 40 mm tires. These roads may be rougher and mountain bike type gearing may be helpful in spots, but most of these roads are developed enough for me on a gravel bike. On the other hand, if loaded for a multi-day ride with significant miles of Secondary Routes, I may well opt for my Jones 29+ mountain bike with bigger tires.

On USFS maps and signage, a Secondary Route is designated by a three or four digit number enclosed in a brown, rounded corner rectangular sign, as shown below for Williams Draw Road (691).

The following photographs show three USFS Secondary Routes in the Black Hills.

The Ugly (USFS Low Standard Route)

The third level of developed, non-paved road in the USFS system is the Low Standard Route, which is unimproved and not maintained for automobiles. The Forest Service recommends travel by vehicles with both high clearance and four wheel drive. I would add driver experience and prudence.

Design, construction, and maintenance of Low Standard Routes are all over the map, even along a single numbered road. Some sections may be soft dirt, while others are rock gardens. If wet, standing water and mud can be a real issue, leaving deep ruts when dry. Maybe a load of chunky rock was dumped to stabilize a low spot, or maybe not and there's a stream to ford. They are rough, sometimes little more than a bull dozed logging trail. For me, this is mountain bike territory, for tires and gears, even unloaded, for anything more than a short connector.

Many, many, many Low Standard Routes are dead-end spurs that were built to get to a spot for logging. Maybe some spurs later connect to something else and haven't made it on a map, or maybe not. I often refer to the USFS Motorized Vehicle Use Maps, which are updated every year and prove to be pretty accurate. However you navigate, count on no cell coverage and no passing traffic of any kind. You are on your own.

If you like this kind of riding, the Black Hills offer a lifetime of miles to explore.

On USFS signage, a Low Standard Route is designated with a three-digit number vertically imprinted on short, 4 inch wide, brown carbonite post. On USFS maps, it's just a plain three-digit number. The designation of any road emanating from that Low Standard Route adds a decimal and another number. For example, in the Black Hills, USFS 278.1 runs off of USFS 278. Then, any roads running off of USFS 278.1 get letters, the first being USFS 278.1A, then 278.1B, and so on. It can be confusing in the field and USFS map navigation is an entirely separate subject. Just know that any carbonite USFS road sign with a three-digit number, or with decimal numbers, or with letters, identifies a Low Standard Route.

Shown below is a sign for Low Standard Route 242, and then one for Low Standard Route 325.1D.

The following photographs show a sampling of USFS Low Standard Routes in the Black Hills. I captured all of these images while out riding, with the sole exception of the last photograph, which Lucas Haan provided as an example of a deposit of chunky gravel. I included more photographs of Low Standard Routes because of their great variety.

To wrap this up, here's a fun rendition of Ennio Morricone's 1966 composition of music for the movie "The Good, The Bad And The Ugly," performed by the Danish National Symphony Orchestra in 2018.

The Good, The Bad And The Ugly, Danish National Symphony Orchestra (2018)

What's The Difference - BackBone, DoubleBackBone & BackBone Grande

Folks regularly ask about the differences between my Black Hills BackBone, DoubleBackBone, and BackBone Grande routes. Here's an overview that describes the genesis, formation, and development of these three routes and how they differ. 

My introduction of the Black Hills BackBone Grande route in 2023 prompted many questions about the differences from my older Black Hills BackBone and DoubleBackBone routes. Fair enough. 

BackBone & DoubleBackBone = designed for long gravel rides, but can bikepack it. 

The BackBone Grande = designed for multi-day bikepacking, but can continuous ride it.

Of course, there's much more to that story. The BackBone Grande draws from a deeper data base built from 10 additional years of back roads exploration in the Black Hills and the unforgettable experiences of multi-day and multi-week bikepacking rides across the Mountain West. It takes cyclists to more memorable places, both well-known and obscure, on a wider variety of challenging roads. It's a different beast.

If you're looking for USFS Low Standard Roads, the Black Hills are full of them.

The Black Hills are beautiful. Most any combination of roads winding through the Black Hills will be a beautiful ride. But there is a difference between better and best. The BackBone Grande covers what I consider to be the very best of our Black Hills and surrounding prairie in a cross-state bikepacking ride.

USFS Secondary Road 189 southbound down Flag Mountain.
The signature image of the Black Hills BackBone.

Back in 2014, I created the BackBone as a solo, self-supported, light and fast gravel ride. At 310 miles and 19,700 feet of elevation gain, it certainly pushes the limits of a long, continuous ride for most cyclists. But with straight forward navigation, 200 miles of Primary Roads, and 35 miles of pavement, the BackBone rides relatively fast. Low Standard Roads, the rough ones that really take it out of you and take you further out there, account for just 7 miles, or about 2%, of the BackBone.

In 2017, I then created the DoubleBackBone as an opportunity to ride the BackBone southbound and then return to North Dakota on mostly different roads. The DoubleBackBone runs generally to the West of the BackBone, so it's even more remote, with less re-supply opportunities and less cell coverage.

The overall road makeup of the DoubleBackBone is much the same as the BackBone. At 330 miles and 17,900 feet of elevation gain, it similarly rides relatively fast, with straight forward navigation, 238 miles of Primary Roads, and 38 miles of pavement. Low Standard Roads are less than 16 miles, or about 6%, of the DoubleBackBone.

Mostly on well developed gravel roads, the BackBone and DoubleBackBone are certainly suitable for loaded touring, if that's your jam. That's just not why they were created. 

USFS Low Standard Road 383 northbound to Gillette Canyon.
The signature image of the Black Hills DoubleBackBone.

After bikepacking throughout the Black Hills and across the Mountain West the past several years, I decided to design a new route specifically for a Great Divide type of bikepacking experience. For me, that means 50-100 mile days on a loaded mountain bike over back roads with significant climbing, more navigational challenges, more miles of rougher roads, more little known and even abandoned roads, a mix of re-supply and sleeping options, more natural and human-made sightseeing, both well known and obscure, and a few fun Zero Day opportunities. A much different experience.

The BackBone Grande is my take on that type of bikepacking route, featuring many miles of rougher roads with popular sights and little known gems along the way. This route will take you to many places the BackBone and DoubleBackBone do not. Those that have ridden the Great Divide or my Black Hills Bounty routes will catch a similar vibe on the BackBone Grande.

Like the Great Divide, it's not all back country. For a short break during this relatively remote bikepacking ride, I added some pavement across the college town of Spearfish to pass both bike shops, an assortment of restaurant and re-supply options, and lodging, including the popular city campground. Likewise, I skirted Custer to provide easy access to that popular tourist town with similar amenities. From Custer and from Hill City, I also added optional, off-route, mostly paved loops to Mount Rushmore, Sylvan Lake, Needles Highway, and Iron Mountain Road for a scenic, more conventional tourist day. No sense rushing a vacation. In 2024, I added the Mount Rushmore Alternative route from Custer to Hill City for those not wanting a Zero Day. I also added a short bypass of the notorious Trail #1 in Custer State Park. All of these maps are available as RideWithGPS files at my BackBone Grande Collection.

Lame Johnny Road westbound into the Black Hills.
The signature image of the Black Hills BackBone Grande.
(image by Kevin Fox)

At a touring pace of 60-70 miles per day, a bikepacker will ride 6-7 days to complete the 421 mile BackBone Grande, plus another day for an optional Mount Rushmore loop. Some will certainly ride it faster. Others may even attempt to through-ride it, although I don't recommend it. This is one to soak in. Besides, who wants to T-bone a large mammal at night while settled in aerobars and staring bleary-eyed at a power meter.

The BackBone Grande is a remote, rough road route for self-sufficient, experienced bikepackers capable of successfully riding through sparsely populated backcountry with spotty, if any, cell coverage. You're on your own out there. Enjoy it.

USFS Low Standard Road 530.1A.
A piece of the 58 miles of Low Standard Roads on the BackBone Grande.

Here is an approximate breakdown of the roads on the BackBone, DoubleBackBone, and BackBone Grande. Perhaps the most simple comparison of these routes is the total miles of Low Standard roads. BackBone = 7 miles. DoubleBackBone = 16 miles. BackBone Grande = 87 miles. Another comparison adds the Low Standard and Secondary roads. Backbone = 75 miles. DoubleBackBone = 44 miles. BackBone Grande = 167 miles. The Grande is a different beast.

For a description of Primary, Secondary, and Low Standard roads in the Black Hills, go to my post. The Good, The Bad & The Ugly.

BackBone - 310 miles/19,700 feet gain (BackBone Map)

65% - Primary (200 miles)

22% - Secondary (68 miles)

11% - Paved (35 miles)

2% - Low Standard (7 miles)

0% - Single Track (0 miles)

DoubleBackBone - 330 miles/17,900 feet gain (DoubleBackBone Map)

72% - Primary (238 miles)

11% - Secondary (38 miles)

11% - Paved (38 miles)

6% - Low Standard (16 miles)

0% - Single Track (0 miles)

BackBone Grande - 421 miles/23,800 feet gain (BackBone Grande Map)

49% - Primary (205 miles)

19% - Secondary (80 miles) 

11% - Paved (48 miles)

21% - Low Standard (87 miles)

< 1% - Single Track (1 mile)

For more information on each route and links to posts with images, ride reports, and stories, go to the Black Hills BackBone and DoubleBackBone Page and the BackBone Grande Page. Happy trails.

BackBone Grande - Mt. Rushmore Alternative (New)

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 roads 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 route, like its inspiration, the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route.

Needles Highway.
(image by Paul Brasby)

Needle's Eye Tunnel, on Needles Highway.

Cathedral Spires view 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, taking 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 reveal 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 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.