Lucinda B. put over 15,000 pleasure miles on her motorcycle in one year. Over ten percent of those miles were captivating memories from South Dakota (with a sidecar). How can you squeeze in all the roads begging for you and your bike, plus the sights? With the 2023 Sturgis South Dakota motorcycle rally around the corner in August and possible schedule limitations, it's time to start planning. Read on for part one of her six-part series.

RIDING THE STURGIS SOUTH DAKOTA AREA IN ONE WEEK

I condensed 14 of the most popular rides around the Sturgis area into a one-week period. I do not have FOMO (fear of missing out). When I arrive in a new area, I just want to see as much as possible without a lot of, ‘where should we ride now’ syndrome. I wanted to share this riding plan because it worked out so well. I was even able to go back and do some highlight rides with time to spare. Today I will cover my ride starting from Spearfish Canyon round to Sundance Road and ending up at Devil’s Tower.

Your ride does not have to be done in this order. Stay tuned for the following five blogs too and, once you have them all, choose what you can ride based on the number of days you have in the Sturgis area. Make it your own!

Spearfish Canyon - Sundance Road – Devils Tower Map

Approximately 3 hours, 129 miles, one way

This is my initial road map. You can adjust coordinates so they work with your starting point. All the rides listed in this blog and over the next five months are approximately three hours one way. This does not include your sightseeing or necessary stop times. You can expect each ride to be an all-day experience with dining, sights, photography and simply because you must ogle a little while you ride – I know I did!

BRIDAL VEIL FALLS

Starting in Sturgis, you can jump just on I-90 and speed up to Spearfish to shave off ride time. But if this is your first trip this way, you can make your way along some backroads for a little more pizzazz. When you get to Spearfish, take ALT-14 south into the canyon and ride to Bridal Veil Falls.

All the stops are popular around Sturgis, so I tried to plot the rides during less-traffic times. You should arrive in the morning for less congestion and easier selfies and poses. After a kick-ass photo op, make your way back up ALT-14. I know there is more south to explore but save it for another ride. Do not worry about retracing steps here. What you see on the way back is not what you saw on the way there.

GEOGRAPHIC CENTER OF THE NATION

This leg will take you up to the Geographic Center of the Nation Monument at the Belle Fourche Welcome Center. Stand in the center of the national monument (or your favorite state) and then head inside to the little museum. Although the welcome center looks small on the outside, it has a very intensive museum inside with a good cross-section of items from dinosaur bones to cowboy wear from the area, as well as a large collection of military memorabilia. Expect to spend at least half an hour here, but it could easily be more.

BISON BURGERS AT THE PONDEROSA

I bet you are getting hungry now. If you're like me, there are no fast food or chain restaurants on my roadmaps. I am looking for local recommendations, holes-in-the-wall, and isolated experiences. You know the place where everything may not be on the menu and there is a cryptic message on the bar wall? I like walking uneasily into unreviewed locations and being consumed by the environment. So, hang on to your hunger until you reach the Ponderosa in Hulett, WY. Hopefully, the bison burgers are on the menu. (If not, ask the transplanted New Jersey owner and chef if he can still cook some up.)

You are not giving yourself the full motorcycle ride experience if you miss the local fare and these burgers are on the locals’ lips. I ate bison burgers a lot of different places throughout the Black Hills, but these were freshly made, cooked to perfection, and came with several homemade sides. I am still thinking about that burger and salivating.

DEVILS TOWER

Mmmm. A nice full belly and it feels like nap time. But there is something on the horizon that will keep your eyes in open mode. Hop back on Hwy 24 and head toward Devils Tower. Do not wait until you get right up on the tower to let your mouth hang open. There are several bonus stops along the way. As soon as Devils Tower becomes your visual center point, start looking for a safe, off-road spot to pull over for non-rushed snapshots. Staying on the road and not entering the crowded park will get you awesome views without getting you stuck in traffic. There's even a little quick-mart you can pull into and get unobstructed photos of your bike with Devils tower.

SUNDANCE

On the last leg of your ride on Hwy 14, you can mull facts around in your brain about "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" while you enjoy the scenery. This is a peaceful time to not rush back to your campsite or hotel – make more road stops and just enjoy the landscape. If you like unusual and unique attractions like me, then you can also check out the Vore Buffalo Jump outside of Sundance, which is a cliff with a shallow pit formerly used to conquer buffalo. And with that, this leg of the Sturgis area ride comes to an end.

You can roll back into Sturgis for a night to remember or head off to your overnight destination. But join me next month when we'll continue our South Dakota motorcycle journey through Rochford Road to Nemo and through Vanocker Canyon.