Welcome To The Jungle, Axl Rose, Slash, Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan, Steven Adler (1987).
Up into the Black Hills. (image by Paul Brasby)
The BackBone Grande is my 420+ mile backroad bikepacking route across the State of South Dakota along the spine of the Black Hills and through the surrounding prairie. Inspired by my experience riding the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, I designed it to create that type of experience here in my back yard. Tracking rough roads that showcase the best of our scenery, history, culture, and wildlife, the BackBone Grande is a great ride on its own and as a shakedown for the GDMBR. For a collection of my stories all about it, go the BackBone Grande Page.
For those more visual learners, I've selected images along the route from various scouting trips, the first through-ride, and other rides. Here is my second installment of the BackBone Grande Visual Tour, from the town of Buffalo Gap to the town of Custer (miles 95-135). For the first post of this series, go to Nebraska Border to Buffalo Gap (miles 0-95).
Although but 40 miles, this stretch of the BackBone Grande is stuffed with striking visuals, as the route meanders on ancient migratory paths out of vast grasslands to wintering grounds nestled in the protective terrain and vegetation of the Black Hills.
Gradually climbing through Buffalo Gap, the route enters Wind Cave National Park and then Custer State Park, where herds of buffalo roam free, along with deer, antelope, wild burro, and constantly chattering prairie dogs. The forest thickens, but does not fully develop until after topping infamous Trail #1, the signature rocky, loose, steep, brutal climb of the BackBone Grande.
Awaiting ahead lies the splendor of French Creek Horse Camp, a delightful creekside single track connector, a ridge line spin overseeing the Cathedral Spires, and a final drop into the town of Custer.
The BackBone Grande is my 420+ mile backroad bikepacking route across the State of South Dakota along the spine of the Black Hills and through the surrounding prairie. Inspired by my experience riding the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, I designed it to create that type of experience here in my back yard. Tracking rough roads that showcase the best of our scenery, history, culture, and wildlife, the BackBone Grande is a great ride on its own and as a shakedown for the GDMBR. For a collection of my stories all about it, go the BackBone Grande Page.
For those more visual learners, I've selected images along the route from various scouting trips, the first through-ride, and other rides. Here is my first installment of the BackBone Grande Visual Tour, from the Nebraska border start to the town of Buffalo Gap (miles 0-95).
In the first 35 miles, the BackBone Grande pokes into the dust bin of a near ghost town and flies on county gravel roads into wide open, grass-covered rolling ranch land dotted with cattle, pronghorn, deer, and elk.
It then dives deeply into Buffalo Gap National Grassland on barely built and practically unmarked dirt two track. Over the next 45 miles, waves of grass cascade to the horizon in all directions as the "roads" wind through the exposed vastness of the open prairie. It's like nothing else on this or any other route around.
You feel like you're really out there. Because you are.
State Highway 71 at the South Dakota/Nebraska border.
Less than 2 miles from the start lies the Ardmore Volunteer Fire Department rest area. (image by Paul Brasby)
Riding east on County Road 5 out of the near ghost town of Ardmore. (image by Paul Brasby)
Looking east on County Road 5 rolling through southern Fall River County. If it's green out there, it's Spring. (image by Paul Brasby)
Relatively small pockets of Buffalo Gap National Grassland dot the prairie along County Road 5.
Entering Buffalo Gap National Grassland on BLM Road 7026 from Wilcox Road.
Riding east on BLM Road 7026 in Buffalo Gap National Grassland. Spring 2023. (image by Paul Brasby)
Opening (and then closing) another cattle gate on BLM Road 7026.
BLM Road 7026 is actually visible in fall after a summer of heat and cattle grazing.
Still riding east on BLM Road 7026, but about to turn due north. Don't miss it. (image by Paul Brasby)
Pushing north on BLM Road 7026. No, this prairie is not flat and is not smooth. (image by Paul Brasby)
"Riding" north on BLM Road 7026. It's much steeper and rougher here than it looks. (image by Paul Brasby)
That's a lot of prairie. BLM Road 7026. (image by Paul Brasby)
Finding some tracks on BLM Road 7026, with the Black Hills in the distant haze. (image by Paul Brasby)
Riding north on BLM Road 7026, a glimpse of what eventually may be gravel. (image by Paul Brasby)
More and more dirt two track further north on BLM Road 7026. (image by Paul Brasby)
Water and dispersed camping at Limestone Butte Reservoir along BLM Road 7026. (image by Paul Brasby)
After Limestone Butte Reservoir, BLM Road 7026 actually sports some gravel. (image by Paul Brasby)
Back to driven-in two track over grass on BLM Road 7043.
About 15 miles of rough two track across otherwise trackless prairie on BLM Road 7045. By the early fall, the spring green is long gone and the tracks are easier to follow.
The occasional cattle water tank may or may not contain water.
Looking back to the south when leaving Buffalo Gap National Grassland on BLM Road 7045.
Fall River County Road 6291 crossing the Cheyenne River en route to Buffalo Gap.
Buffalo Gap Trading Post welcomes the weary traveler. (image by Paul Brasby)
Buffalo Gap Trading Post music venue. (image by Paul Brasby)
Designing an appropriately challenging backcountry bicycle route is like any other creative effort.
One can create alone, but results sharpen with insight from the right other. Besides, back-and-forth brainstorming can be great fun.
This Calvin & Hobbes cartoon reminds me of many such sessions with cycling compatriot Lucas Haan, as one of us proffered a possible remote gravel road ride or a dirt bikepacking route.
Regardless of where we started or ended, somewhere along the way bugs would be getting dizzy and barfing! And liking it!
Will you leave me in peace while I get the job done
Can't you see I'm working
Oh, oh, I'm working on it
Oh, oh, I'm working on it
Working On It, Chris Rea (1989)
The BackBone Grande (blue line above) is complete. The BackBone DoubleGrande (red line above) is deep in beta testing, but will look something like this.
I created my BackBone Grande route specifically for bikepacking the best rough roads across the State of South Dakota along the spine of the Black Hills and across the surrounding prairie. See, Introducing the BackBone Grande. By its very nature, it was a point-to-point route, like its inspiration, the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. See, Yes, Point-to-Point.
Almost immediately after publishing the BackBone Grande in January 2023, however, I began receiving requests for a return route, i.e., to create a loop from the finish at the North Dakota border to the start at the Nebraska border. But I just wanted to ride the route, not in bits and pieces over years, but as a through-ride accumulating miles, challenges, thoughts, and emotions as continuously presented. I needed a single, long through-ride to fully experience the BackBone Grande.
So, in June 2023, I rode the first through-ride of the BackBone Grande with bikepacking buddy Paul Brasby. See, BackBone Grande - The First Through-Ride. I loved it. Afterward, I tweaked a couple of stretches and later added more amazing tracks through Buffalo Gap National Grasslands. See, e.g., The Challenge of Buffalo Gap National Grasslands. Eventually, I created a Page compiling all my BackBone Grande posts to help others intrigued by the possibility of such an experience. BackBone Grande Page.
Everybody loves bikepacking through Devil's Tower National Monument!
With the BackBone Grande completed in every way, I finally started to visualize a return route, what I decided to call the "BackBone DoubleGrande." Unlike the BackBone Grande, this return route would not be limited to the State of South Dakota, so I looked westward into a sliver of Montana and chunks of Wyoming. And I decided to amp up the logistical challenges by venturing more remote than the BackBone Grande. This would not be "more of the same," but a markedly different experience, not for the uninitiated.
Into the Fall of 2023 and continuing still, I have been researching possible routes by scouring digital and paper maps, reviewing reports and images of prior rides by myself and others, and, most importantly, physically scouting possibilities by Jeep and by Jones. The bikepacking options out here are an outright embarrassment of riches.
Great spot for lunch in the Bear Lodge Mountains of Wyoming. (image by Kevin Fox)
All that takes time. For example, just to drive highways to the North Dakota border is about 3 hours one-way from Rapid City. The Nebraska border start of the BackBone Grande is a solid 2 hours one-way. Areas further west and more remote take even longer.
But the real time sink is scouting as many roads and near-roads as possible to select and connect the very best for the intended route. In Black Hills National Forest, that may be a never-ending task, with virtually unlimited mapped and unmapped tracks spider-webbing the public lands of the Black Hills. Out in the prairie, with a high percentage of land privately owned, the options of public roads and paths shrink dramatically. But it all still takes time.
Back in the Northern Black Hills of South Dakota.
So, from the Fall of 2023, throughout 2024, and now into 2025, I have continued to piece together a BackBone DoubleGrande route. Sometimes, seemingly all roads that I follow lead to nothing particularly unique or even to dead-ends. Sometimes, scouting for other routes, like the new BackBone Buffet or the next Black Hills Bounty, leads me to roads and trails that I am compelled to include on the DoubleGrande. See, e.g., Red Bird Canyon.
As shown in the map above, the BackBone DoubleGrande generally will wind from the North Dakota border at the end of the BackBone Grande to Camp Crook, cut across the southeastern corner of Montana, and climb into northeastern Wyoming at Devil's Tower National Monument. It then climbs further into the Bear Lodge Mountains, drops into Sundance, re-enters the Black Hills zig-zagging the Wyoming/South Dakota border, traverses the western reaches of the Black Hills, and descends into grasslands leading to the Nebraska border, connecting to the start of the BackBone Grande.
Red Bird Canyon in the Southern Black Hills.
As of now, the BackBone DoubleGrande totals 446.5 miles/27,373' elevation gain. For reference, the BackBone Grande totals 421.3 miles/23,875' elevation gain. Ride those two routes as one, big, bad loop of 867.8 miles/51,248' elevation gain.
Once completed, that will be one Grande way to experience the greater Black Hills area.
But there's still work to be done. ETA of published route - January 2026.
