Black Hills Back Roads - The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

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 the backcountry, even just here in the Black Hills National Forest. 

Well, it's a start. Here's a USFS graphic introducing each category of roads in our National Forests.

As an introduction to understanding these categories of roads in the Black Hills, 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 road, 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 roads 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 roads is my Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross bike with 40 mm Schwalbe G-One tires. Even when loaded for multi-day bikepacking, the Black Mountain provides plenty of support and control to comfortably ride all day. Relatively speaking, these gravel roads are fast.

On USFS maps and signage, a Primary road is designated by brown sign with a 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 roads in the Black Hills.

The Bad (USFS Secondary Route)

The next level of developed, non-paved roads in the USFS system is the Secondary road, which is maintained for high clearance vehicles. In the Black Hills, Secondary USFS roads typically are similar in composition to Primary roads, 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 roads are more susceptible to mud when wet and ruts when dry.

Due to less maintenance, Secondary roads 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 roads 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 roads in the Black Hills are passable in dry weather in passenger cars, if attentive to occasional obstacles and clearance issues. For example, I confirmed my cue sheets for the entire Black Hills BackBone route driving my 2006 Chevrolet HHR, hardly a high clearance vehicle. Over the 310 mile route, with many miles of Secondary roads, I maneuvered around a few high-center issues and only had to skirt one fallen tree blocking the road. These roads can be fast, but stay alert.

My ride of choice for most Black Hills Secondary roads is still my Black Mountain MonsterCross 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 that "gravel" bike. On the other hand, if loaded for a multi-day ride with significant miles of Secondary roads, I may well opt for my Jones 29+ with bigger tires.

On USFS maps and signage, a Secondary road 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 roads 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 road, 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 prudence and experience.

Design, construction, and maintenance of Low Standard roads 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 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 road 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 road 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 Road.

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

The following photographs show a sampling of USFS Low Standard roads in the Black Hills. I captured all of these images while 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 roads because of their great variety.

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)

Your Go-To Route

Once committed to commuting by bike (see prior post Commit), the next step is to find a go-to route. One route to go to work. One route to go home. They may be the same, but not necessarily.

You may have many, many options. You may have only a few. But seek that go-to route. And find it now before the weather turns cold. By then you'll be ready to take on the Icy Bike Winter Commuting Challenge. Icy Bike Challenge.

Riding to work on a quiet fall morning along the Rapid City bike path.
That's the southwest side of M-Hill in the background.

Start with safety. Part of the magic of bike commuting for me is the relaxing ride into work in the early morning, my favorite time of the day, and the decompressing ride from work, to leave work at work. This magic has a chance to happen when the route is safe.

So, I look for a go-to route that carries little to no traffic. That probably won't be the most direct route and almost certainly won't be the one you drive. Absent a bike path or lane, look for wide shoulders, good sight lines, lower speeds, lower volume, well controlled intersections, and minimal driveways to parking lots and houses. If there's any traffic on your route, you want to be able to see it and hear it, especially at intersections. Assume no driver sees you.

Avoid routes that lead directly into low sun, which blinds everyone. If needed, change routes with the seasons, or change your time of day on that route. Do what it takes to avoid riding into that low sun.

My path home. Memorial Park looking west toward M-Hill.
Yes, that's a white concrete "M" on that hill, representing South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.

My most direct, car-driving route to work is less than 4 miles, mostly on a busy 4 lane road with 50+ mph traffic and a narrow shoulder. The rare occasion I bike commute on that road is not all that relaxing or safe. Over the years, drivers have buzzed me, swerved toward me, honked at me just as they're passing, screamed at me, and even hit me between the shoulder blades with a thrown soda. Most drivers are fine, but all it takes is one. I don't ride that road very often.       

However, if I'm running late, riding in before traffic, or facing particularly nasty weather, I may ride that road, or a portion of it anyhow. Typically, after about 1.5 miles, I jump onto a bike path for most of the remaining 2.5 miles. That takes the edge off a bit.

My go-to route is longer, more like 6 miles, but much more relaxing. And that's some bonus time on the bike. Here in Rapid City, a bike path follows Rapid Creek through a continuous ribbon of parks spanning the width of most of the city. From home, I meander through quiet neighborhoods for over a mile in the wrong direction before eventually hopping on the bike path. Then I ride the well-maintained bike path winding all the way to downtown.

My go-to route is embarrassingly easy and safe: mostly bike path, separate from traffic, relatively short, flat, protected from the worst of the wind, and scenic. The city even plows the bike path promptly after our frequent snow storms. I really don't have a reason not to ride every day.

Detour on some skinny dirt roads on Skyline Park right by downtown.
I took this picture one day taking "The Long Way Home."

Of course, I don't ride the same route every day. I've found many alternatives, including some stretches of gravel alleys and limestone paths. Also, with M-Hill and Skyline Park right by downtown, I can catch some amazing single track on my ride home. And there's always Skyline Drive for some fast, curvy pave, if you're willing to climb a bit. (see prior post The Long Way Home).

In any event, all those alternatives come with time. The starting point is finding a go-to route to get to work, ready to work, and a go-to route to get home, dropping work along the way.

First, commit. Then, find your way.

Getting ready to roll some ridge line pave on Skyline Drive on a "Long Way Home."

Addendum for those with a "too long" commute:  It doesn't have to be all or nothing. That is, if your commute is too far to ride your bike, create an alternative. One way is to drive some and ride some. For many years in Denver, I enjoyed a 27 mile one-way commute that I would ride on occasion. Typically, however, I drove 10 miles of busy roads to a public transportation park-n-ride, where hundreds of train commuters parked their cars all day. From there, I rode on a bike path winding 16 miles along the South Platte River, leaving but a mile in traffic across downtown Denver. Find your way.

A Final Commute

Today is my last day riding my bike to work. That's because it's my last day of work, at least in this career. Today I officially retire from the Pennington County Sheriff's Office.

Riding downstream on the bike path along Rapid Creek past M-Hill and then toward the sun to downtown Rapid City.

For the past 12 years, I have ridden a bicycle to work practically every day. Not absolutely every day, but practically every day.

With shifting work responsibilities and a maturing family, one constant throughout the years was cycling. Every day, I hopped on my bike and rolled through our neighborhood, grinning in disbelief that I got to ride my bike that day. As if dipped in magic waters, I'm 12 years old riding to the park to play baseball with my friends.

After a shift, or a shift and a half, working in a demanding environment, I hopped on my bike and rolled home. Two rides in one day! Somewhere along the way, work troubles always seemed to drop off the back. They just couldn't hang with the pace of the good vibes pulling me along.

"It'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick, 

they'll have to brush them away from their faces." Terrance Mann, Field of Dreams (1989).

Cycling travels at a human level. I loved seeing and greeting all kinds of folks along the bike path that formed a large portion of my commute. Even in the depths of a western South Dakota winter, folks are out, throughout the day and night, enjoying the bike path for recreation and transportation.

The most regular of the regulars, however, was cyclist Bill Marquadt. A retired 70-something year old, Bill rides almost 50 miles every day, year round, totaling somewhere around 16,000+ miles per year. When I rode in at about 6:00 am, I often saw him riding home. We regularly stopped to chat for a moment, so I may need an early ride now and then to catch up with Bill.

A fun, little side trail along the other side of Rapid Creek on the base of M-Hill.

The newest regular along my commute was Lucas Haan, an enterprising young School of Mines engineer with a passion for all things cycling and beer. Last winter, Lucas successfully completed the Icy Bike Winter Cycling Challenge by commuting 81 days during our 6 month winter. He even arranged his schedule to share with me part of his ride home. I may need to arrange my retirement schedule to occasionally ride in with Lucas.

Riding my bike to work simply started as a way to get to work. It became an integral part of my lifestyle. I will miss it.

Entering downtown Rapid City as the city awakens.