Overview

Meet your guides in the lobby of the Holiday Inn 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.

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.

Overview

Fuel up with a hearty breakfast to prepare for today's 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 boost in the van and pedals the final 33 miles of trail to Hill City. Avid riders will ride gravel forest roads over more challenging but equally scenic terrain, connected by a few sections of the trail. All routes pass through our favorite segment of the Mickelson trail including the small town of Rochford, founded in 1878 when gold was discovered in a nearby creek, and the Mystic tunnels. After the tunnels, avid riders will have a chance to diverge on challenging gravel roads, and everyone will end in Hill City where you'll be greeted with another delicious picnic lunch at the trailhead. Afterwards, you'll shuttle to your home for the next two nights, Sylvan Lake Lodge. Dinner is at the Lodge this evening, so you'll have time to relax and recover for another epic ride tomorrow.

Overview

Get excited for your final big ride today! You'll begin with a short descent to Sylvan Lake. One look at the crystal blue water surrounded by rounded granite rock formations reveals why it's known as the "Crown Jewel" of Custer State Park. From here, you’ll climb through striking granite spires on Needles Highway and thread through the Needles Eye tunnel before turning onto gravel and making your way to Custer State Park. You'll pedal the gravel roads of the famous Wildlife Loop, where it is common to encounter some of the 1,500 bison who call the park home. You may also see wildlife such as pronghorn antelopes, burros, prairie dogs, and bighorn sheep. Enjoy the scenery as you ride through beautiful open grasslands and pine speckled hills. Today ride and the short option will end at the Wildlife Loop Visitor Center, while avid riders will tackle an additional 10 miles of gravel, ending at Bluebell Lodge. From here, everyone will shuttle the final 20 minutes to Custer, where you'll have time to explore and enjoy lunch at a cafe of your choosing. Your guides will, of course, provide you with their recommendation. Following lunch, you'll shuttle the short 15 minutes back to the Lodge. This evening, you'll head back to Custer and celebrate in style with a gourmet dinner at Skogen Kitchen.

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 final picnic lunch, you'll shuttle back to Rapid City. Your guides will offer a stop at the Holiday Inn Downtown Convention Center and also at the Rapid City Airport. Please do not book a flight before 3:30 PM to allow for any potential delays.