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.

Black Hills BackBone Grande Page - 2025 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, two 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 five 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, 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 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)

In general, the BackBone Grande is about 420 miles long and almost 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 and/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 Bike-packing 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.

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 and DoubleBackBone Page - 2025 Bump

Ten 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 10 years of exploring thousands of miles of gravel and dirt backcountry roads 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 links a series of 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 - Let's Go!

It's a New Year! I'm dreaming up a ride or two. Hope you are, too!

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

Those Pages describe each route in detail and link to series of 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 those Pages anytime.

For 2025, I'm going back for Year 5 of the Black Hills Bounty. Other than that, I'm not sure.

But I'll be out there somewhere, drawing on that big white sheet of paper.