Has anyone ridden in BLACKHILLS ,? How are the trails, and where are the trail heads. Thanks.

 

We rode out there the first week of May and it was great. The scenery was unbelievable and the trails were fairly easy. We stayed in Deadwood at the Comfort Inn and trailered out to trailheads along Rte. 85 southwest of Lead, SD. If you can get a snowmobile map of the area they show the trails and trailhead lodging (camping & cabins). We went on a Pro Polaris Adventure Tour so all of the planning was done for us. Illini Rider

 

Thanks for the info, We have been out there snowmobiling about 5 times, so I know the black hills snowmobile trails fairly well, Do the atvs run the same trails,or are there trails just for atvs? Are they fairly challanging,Rocks,Mud, etc. Thanks for any more info. Vmaxer

 

Some of the snowmobile trails are closed to ATV’s and all of the trails that we rode on were snowmobile trails. When we were out in the first of May the challenging parts was the snow. We had a couple of stream crossings but not to difficult and most of the trails were fire roads so not to much rock climbing. We did about 120 miles of trails in the 3 days of riding. Illini Rider

 

ALL snowmobile trails in the Blackhills are closed for ATVs. The only open trails are the jeep roads. Get in touch with the forest service to find where you can legally ride. There is a huge battle going on in the Black Hills right now because the ATVs are running on snowmobile trails. The national forest is full of private land because it was homesteaded/claim staked long before a national forest was established. The private land owners are getting ready to shutodwn the snowmobile system out there because the ATV are runing their land. If you ride in the Black Hills stay on the jeep rodes. Leave the snowmobile trails alone so that both groups ar not left without places to ride. I will say it again. ALL snowmobile trails are closed for ATVs. If the local resorts are telling you you can ride on the snowmobile trails report them to the forest service.

 

Vmaxer I emailed the US Forest Service and got a reply from Galen Roesler of the Northern Hills District. groesler@fs.fed.us and he stated that the Snowmobile trails are closed for use of ATV but he said “There are many miles of old logging roads and two-track trails across the Black Hills that are open to use and ideal for ATV riding.” I am sorry for the misinformation that I sent. Illini Rider

 

IlliniRider Thanks for the info, Vmaxer.