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Trip Itinerary
Cycle the Black Hills' scenic gravel roads, where every mile on unpaved paths reveals awe-inspiring vistas and an unforgettable adventure.
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Where to Arrive
Airport:
Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP)
Pick-up location:
DoubleTree by Hilton Rapid City Downtown Convention Center, Rapid City
Pick-up time:
9:00 AM
Where to Depart
Airport:
Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP)
Drop-off location:
DoubleTree by Hilton Rapid City Downtown Convention Center or Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP)
Drop-off time:
2:00 PM
Additional Arrival Information
We suggest that you arrive at least one day prior to the start of your Black Hills Gravel bike tour, which will enable you to adjust to the time zone and minimize the risk of missing the trip start due to flight-related delays. We recommend that you fly into the Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP).
From the airport, if you are staying at the DoubleTree by Hilton Rapid City Downtown Convention Center (our meeting hotel), they offer a shuttle for $12 per person. Just call the front desk (605-348-4000) for a pick-up when you land. The drive takes about 20 minutes. If you are driving to the trip, you can park at the meeting hotel for the duration of the trip if you book a pre- or post-night here. Ask the front desk for a parking pass. If staying elsewhere, you may book a shuttle to any Rapid City hotel by calling Rapid Shuttle (605-399-9999) or booking online at www.rapidshuttle.com.
Your Trek Travel guides will meet you in the lobby of the DoubleTree by Hilton Rapid City Downtown Convention Center (505 N 5th St, Rapid City, SD 57701) at 9:00 AM on the first day of the trip. Your trip begins with a 45-minute shuttle to Spearfish, where you'll enjoy a bike fitting session followed by your first ride. Please come dressed in your riding clothes and pack your riding gear as well as a change of clothes and swimsuit in a separate, readily accessible bag. Your main luggage will be stored until you reach the first hotel.
If you will be late for the meeting or are going to miss it altogether, please inform your guides. If you cannot reach them, please call the Best Western Black Hills Lodge (605-642-7795), and leave a message with your expected arrival time and contact details.
Additional Departure Information
At the end of the trip, your guides will offer a shuttle to the DoubleTree by Hilton Rapid City Downtown Convention Center and also the Rapid City Airport. You will say farewell to your guides at your preferred stop, between 1:30-2:00 PM. Please do not book a flight before 4:00 PM to allow for any potential delays.
Enjoy a warm-up gravel ride around Spearfish
Overview
Meet your guides in the lobby of the DoubleTree by Hilton Rapid City Downtown Convention Center in Rapid City at 9:00 AM for a shuttle to Spearfish, where you'll start off with a signature Trek Travel picnic lunch, followed by a bike fitting session. After your guides share some safety tips and route highlights, you'll head out on your first ride. Following a couple of short miles of pavement, you'll reach the unpaved roads that wind through the rolling ranch land north of town. Stretch your legs and settle into the gentle climbs as you get ready for a big week of riding! The ride ends at the Best Western. Once you are checked into your room, you'll have some time to unwind before gathering for a stroll to dinner. Your guides will fill you in on the adventures to come as you enjoy social hour and dinner at our favorite local restaurant.
Hotel
Black Hills Best Western
Meals included
Lunch | Social Hour | Dinner
Highlight of the Day
Welcome to Spearfish
Ease into the week with a scenic ride on smooth gravel roads
Ride Options
Ride Option 1
TODAY'S RIDE:
Spearfish to Creekside Loop | Approximately 30 mi | 48 km and 1,750 ft | 533 m
Ride Option 2
SHORT OPTION:
Spearfish to Chicken Creek Loop | Approximately 26 mi | 42 km and 1,600 ft | 488 m
Experience Spearfish Canyon and the wild western town of Deadwood
Overview
Enjoy a hearty breakfast before meeting at the bikes for your first full day of adventure. Today’s ride begins with a paved climb up Spearfish Canyon. Wind your way through the ponderosa pines and towering limestone walls as you climb alongside Spearfish Creek. Keep an eye out for mountain goats and osprey and be sure to pause for photos along the way, perhaps stopping at the overlooks for Bridal Veil and Roughlock Falls. The avid option is an out and back on an exquisite gravel road that is an extension of Spearfish Canyon. Enjoy a picnic-style lunch creekside before the final climb to Hanna and the long, rewarding descent on the Mickelson rail trail that delivers you into Deadwood. After getting settled into your hotel room, the evening is yours to explore. Enjoy dinner on your own in this Wild West town, best known for its most famous gunslinger, Wild Bill Hickok, and the colorful Calamity Jane.
Hotel
Deadwood Mountain Grand
Meals included
Breakfast | Lunch
Highlight of the Day
Spearfish Canyon
Savor the scenery and enjoy the gravel side of Spearfish Canyon
Ride Options
Ride Option 1
TODAY'S RIDE:
Spearfish to Deadwood | Approximately 40 mi | 64 km and 3,050 ft | 930 m
Ride Option 2
SHORT OPTION:
Spearfish to Cheyenne Crossing with Shuttle | Approximately 21 mi | 34 km and 2,000 ft | 610 m
Ride Option 3
AVID OPTION:
Spearfish to Deadwood with Roughlock Falls Road | Approximately 51 mi | 82 km and 3,800 ft | 1,158 m
Ride through the undiscovered heart of Black Hills National Forest
Overview
Fuel up with a hearty breakfast before an incredible ride through the heart of the Black Hills. Today’s ride follows the Mickelson Trail all the way to Hill City, while the short option starts with a van boost and covers 39 miles (63 km) of trail to reach town. Avid riders will enjoy a point-to-point route from Deadwood to our next accommodation. All routes pass through our favorite section of the Mickelson Trail, including the small town of Rochford—founded in 1878 after gold was discovered nearby—and the Mystic tunnels. Everyone stops in Hill City for a delicious picnic-style lunch at the trailhead. After lunch, avid riders can tackle challenging gravel roads to extend the day, while the rest shuttle to Sylvan Lake Lodge, our home for the next two nights. Dinner is served at the Lodge, giving you time to relax and recover for another epic ride tomorrow.
Hotel
Sylvan Lake Lodge
Meals included
Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
Highlight of the Day
Mickelson Trail
Enjoy scenic views and smooth pedaling as you wind through the Black Hills National Forest on South Dakota's original rail trail
Ride Options
Ride Option 1
TODAY'S RIDE:
Deadwood to Hill City via Mickelson Trail with Shuttle | Approximately 50 mi | 80 km and 3,200 ft | 975 m
Ride Option 2
SHORT OPTION:
Englewood to Hill City via Mickelson Trail with Shuttles | Approximately 39 mi | 63 km and 1,800 ft | 549 m
Ride Option 3
AVID OPTION:
Deadwood to Sylvan Lake Lodge | Approximately 61 mi | 98 km and 5,050 ft | 1,539 m
Pedal Needles Highway and the gravel roads of Custer State Park
Overview
Get ready for your final big ride! Start with a short descent to Sylvan Lake, whose crystal-blue waters and rounded granite formations earn it the nickname “Crown Jewel” of Custer State Park. You'll climb past striking granite spires on Needles Highway and thread through the Needles Eye tunnel before turning onto gravel toward Custer State Park. Pedal the Wildlife Loop, where you may encounter some of the 1,500 bison that roam the park, along with pronghorn, burros, prairie dogs, and bighorn sheep, all set against open grasslands and pine-speckled hills. The short ride ends at the Wildlife Loop Visitor Center, while Today’s ride continues on 10 miles (16 km) of gravel to Bluebell Lodge. Everyone then shuttles 20 minutes to Custer where you can explore and enjoy lunch at a local café (your guides will share their top picks). After lunch, shuttle 15 minutes to the Lodge. Avid riders can challenge themselves by riding all the way back to the Sylvan Lake Lodge from Bluebell Lodge and have lunch back at the resort. Tonight, celebrate in style with a gourmet dinner at Skogen Kitchen in Custer.
Hotel
Sylvan Lake Lodge
Meals included
Breakfast | Dinner
Highlight of the Day
Featured Meal | Skogen Kitchen
This chef-driven concept offers innovative, worldly dinners. Owners Eliza and Chef Joseph Raney craft an exquisite experience tonight.
Ride Options
Ride Option 1
TODAY'S RIDE:
Sylvan Lake to Blue Bell Shuttle Return | Approximately 42 mi | 68 km and 3,000 ft | 914 m
Ride Option 2
SHORT OPTION:
Sylvan Lake to Visitor Center Shuttle Return | Approximately 33 mi | 53 km and 1,775 ft | 541 m
Ride Option 3
AVID OPTION:
Sylvan Lake Loop | Approximately 60 mi | 97 km and 5,150 ft | 1,570 m
Enjoy a final scenic ride or hike and visit Mt Rushmore
Overview
Rise and shine to enjoy your final morning at the Lodge with incredible views in every direction. You have several options this morning including an out and back ride to Palmer Creek trailhead. It begins with a big descent and then you turn around and climb your way back, admiring the views along the way. There are also scenic hiking options from the Lodge including a mellow two-mile loop around Sylvan Lake with an option to add on half a mile of steep, strenuous terrain on the Sunday Gulch trail. Of course, you can also simply relax and enjoy a leisurely morning. After checking out, your guides will drive you to Mt Rushmore where you'll get a closeup view of the iconic memorial. The 60-foot sculptures of four U.S. Presidents took 14 years to complete using jackhammers and munitions to carve into sheer granite. You can walk the short path to the sculptor’s studio to learn more about the history and process. After enjoying a lunch stop at our favorite cafe, you'll shuttle back to Rapid City. Your guides will offer a stop at the DoubleTree by Hilton Rapid City Downtown Convention Center and also at the Rapid City Airport.
Meals included
Breakfast | Lunch
Highlight of the Day
Mt Rushmore
Cap off the week with a visit to the iconic Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
Ride Options
Ride Option 1
TODAY'S RIDE:
Sylvan Lake to Palmer Creek & Return | Approximately 13 mi | 21 km and 1,500 ft | 457 m
Ride Option 2
TODAY'S HIKE:
Sylvan Lake Loop with Sunday Gulch | Approximately 2.3 mi | 3.7 km and 360 ft | 110 m
If a date is marked as Private, it is reserved for a private group.
Don’t see exactly what you are looking for or looking for a custom date?
Call our trip consultants at 866-464-8735
Trek Travel offers three hotel levels to match your style. Luxury hotels provide elegant, thoughtful touches with exceptional hospitality. Explorer hotels blend modern amenities with local charm in unique settings. Comfort hotels are casual and conveniently located near Trek Travel activities.
Road: 1-3 hours of riding. Up to 25 mi (40 km). Up to 1,000 ft (300 m).
Gravel: 1-3 hours of riding. Up to 20 mi (35 km). Up to 1,000 ft (300 m).
Hiking: 1-3 hours of hiking. Up to 5 mi (8 km). Up to 1,000 ft (300 m).
Road: 2-4 hours of riding. 20-35 mi (35-60 km). Up to 2,500 ft (750 m).
Gravel: 2-4 hours of riding. 15-30 mi (25-45 km). Up to 2,000 ft (300 m).
Hiking: 2-4 hours of hiking. 4-8 mi (6-12 km). Up to 1,500 ft (450 m).
Road: 3-5 hours of riding. 25-55 mi (40-85 km). Up to 4,500 ft (1,500 m).
Gravel: 3-5 hours of riding. 20-40 mi (35-60 km). Up to 3,000 ft (900 m).
Hiking: 3-5 hours of hiking. 6-10 mi (9-16 km). Up to 2,000 ft (600 m).
Road: 4+ hours of riding. 40-70 mi (60-110 km). Up to 8,000 ft (2,400 m).
Gravel: 4+ hours of riding. 30-50 mi (45-80 km). Up to 4,000 ft (1,200 m).
Hiking: 4+ hours of hiking. 7-15 mi (11-24 km). Up to 4,000 ft (1,200 m).
Explore beautiful destinations with a curated blend of guided activities, local cuisine, handpicked accommodations, and itineraries to suit every traveler, from laid-back adventures to luxurious escapes.
Venture off the beaten path to unforgettable places, with fully-supported routes that combine gravel and paved roads in classic Trek Travel style.
Tackle an epic adventure that takes you point-to-point across mountains, countryside, and more.
See the pros in action at the biggest cycling events of the year.
Step into adventure with carefully designed routes, unparalleled hospitality, and deep-routed local connections.
Train like the pros in some of their favorite riding destinations.
Enjoy a bike tour on your schedule with just your chosen travel companions.
Sometimes it’s more convenient and comfortable to have your own room while on vacation. We understand and that’s why we offer a Single Occupancy option. The additional price guarantees a private room all to yourself