Bicycling the Badlands | Black Hills & Badlands - South Dakota

Bicycling the Badlands

  • Bicycling the Badlands

The amazing crooks, crannies, buttes and spires of Badlands National Park provide an amazing ride for cyclists excited by the challenge (and rewards) this stark, weathered landscape presents. While bicycles are allowed only on designated paved, gravel, and dirt roads within the park, there are seven loops suggested by the park service. Beyond suggested loops, the park is also quite bicycle friendly with racks provided at the park visitor centers, key overlooks, and the Cedar Pass Lodge (note they are not allowed on hiking trails, closed roads, off-road, off-trail, or in the backcountry).

Take the Badlands Loop State Scenic Byway (SD HWY 240) to hit most of the major passes and amazing overlooks like Cedar Pass or Pinnacles Pass; or for those bikes suitable for gravel, take Sage Creek Rim Road to reach some of the oldest park areas and an area with more abundant wildlife like buffalo. Remember to ride with the flow of traffic and be highly visible. One million visitors enjoy like the scenic Badlands Loop every year and during the peak of the summer season, traffic can be steady. 

 

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