Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Custer, South Dakota

This is a scenic trail winding through ponderosa pines and quaking aspens. There are gates to get through, so be sure to close them behind you. This trail skirts the edges of Custer State Park.
Learn more about Custer Mountain Cutoff

Forestry Road 336-11, also known as Hines BR1i, is rocky with small to medium rock embedded in the soil. There are a few mud holes with very thick sticky mud after rains, but none are…
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This is a fantastic trail leading up to the summit of Cicero Peak. The route is only 1.7 miles long but climbs 485 feet to a peak elevation of 6,165 feet. Despite its relatively short…
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Bowman Road Loop is a 7.4-mile trail near Pringle, South Dakota, that flows in and out of the pine forest around Bowman Ridge. The trail is primarily composed of rock and sand, with loose sections…
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This scenic gravel route offers incredible views of the Black Hills and is easily traversed by most vehicles. Stretching between Lower French Creek Road on the northeast end and Flynn Creek Road on the southwest…
Learn more about Herbert Draw Road

Spring Creek Road (FS 305) is a scenic gravel forest route with smooth driving and light elevation changes, suitable for most vehicles. The road winds through dense pine forest and unique granite formations, offering a…
Learn more about Spring Creek Road - FS 305

Mount Coolidge Road winds its way up the fire lookout mountain just off Highway 87, offering easy access to one of the best panoramic views in the central Black Hills. The road is gravel, maintained,…
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This two-track dirt road leads to a dead end at a kelly hump/tank trap. There are some great camping spots along this road.
Learn more about FS 2A

This trail has some great views of the southern Black Hills. It is mainly a dirt two-track trail. It may be impassable when wet.
Learn more about White House Gulch FS RD 477

This is a road that starts out two-vehicles wide and narrows as it goes. Along the way there is a old corral and a one-lane bridge. Once you reach the intersection with FS301, it widens…
Learn more about Medicine Mountain Road

Cowboy Gulch is a short, sweet stretch of gravel that rolls gently through classic pine country. It's fairly chill -- wide enough for comfort, well-packed, and rarely rutted. Not much in the way of challenge,…
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From Bear Mountain Lookout to Pactola Reservoir, this gravel road will show you the best the Black Hills National Forest offers. Take your time along the expansive alpine meadows & while driving along Lightening Creek,…
Learn more about Bear Mountain Lookout to Pactola Reservoir

Reno Gulch Road winds up from the south end of Hill City and climbs deep into the forested hills, offering a scenic mix of rock cuts, tight curves, and creekside cruising. It's well-maintained for the…
Learn more about Reno Gulch 2

Battle Axe Road is a smooth, scenic ride that winds gently through the high country and delivers some of the best aspen stands in the Black Hills. Especially in early fall, this route lights up…
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This single-lane gravel trail has some great views of Bobcat Ridge. It takes you from Medicine Mountain Road to Six Mile Road.
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Reno Gulch Road is a beautiful forest connector with tall pines, gentle grades, and a smooth gravel surface. This short route links key areas near Custer and Hill City, making it a useful and scenic…
Learn more about Reno Gulch - FS 303

Champaign Hill Road is one of those mellow ridge cruisers that feels like it was made for a slow roll with the windows down. It winds up and over the broad spine of Champaign Hill,…
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Newton Fork Road (FS 304) is a well-maintained gravel route nestled in the Black Hills National Forest, just west of Hill City. Serving as a primary access point to the Newton Trail System, this road…
Learn more about Newton Fork Road - FS 304

Newton 27 takes you through and along a beautiful rim of the Newton Hills and into the Reno Gulch. This trail is mostly a well-traveled gravel trail that includes some sections of rocks coming to…
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The summit of Bear Mountain Lookout is the attraction, at 7,166 feet in elevation with great views. While this elevation may not impress some, Black Elk Peak, formerly known as Harney Peak, is the highest…
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Battle Axe Branch 1B is one of those sleeper trails that ends up being way more fun than it looks on the map. It's an out-and-back with just enough rock, ruts, and tight tree squeezes…
Learn more about Battle Axe Branch - FS 386.1B

Travel from Windmill Draw - (FSR 681) to Hell Canyon - (FSR 284.2L) to Alkali Ridge (FSR 284.2C). This 7.7-mile route, from Custer Limestone Road in the north to US Highway 16 in the south,…
Learn more about Windmill Draw to Hell Canyon to Alkali Ridge

China Gulch takes you on a range of road types, from a two-vehicle wide gravel road near Hill City to a single vehicle road that travels adjacent to rock walls. The road at the north…
Learn more about China Gulch - FSR #249

Starting from the south end of the trail on Argyle Rd, the trail begins in a lightly treed pine forest and follows a natural dirt and limestone path that is mostly packed and single-car width…
Learn more about Song Dog Road

Branch 1A of the Twin Springs Cutoff is a short but scenic spur that leads to the back side of the Granite Ridge Lodge. It's an easy drive, just a bit rocky in spots, and…
Learn more about Twin Springs Cutoff (Branch 1A)

This road is a good way to run North or South from Ditch Creek to Custer Limestone. This road runs along some private land and there is a cattle gate at the South end about…
Learn more about Alkali Spring

While many people make Bear Mountain Lookout a destination, the overlook at the end of FS 291.3K is spectacular any time of the year and is definitely one not to miss. This route off Ditch…
Learn more about Ditch Creek

You will access the mine site from Forest Service Road 389, also known as Burnt Fork Road, off of Deerfield Road. Continue up this gravel road for 1.8 miles, where you will park and hike…
Learn more about Gold Mountain Mine

This route runs from Six Mile (north end) along Odakota Mountain, through Long Draw, and down to Ditch Creek (south end). On the east side of the Ditch Creek trailhead lies one of the scenic…
Learn more about Ditch Creek Br & Long Canyon

Six Mile Road is a scenic gravel route traversing the Black Hills National Forest, providing access to various forest service roads and trailheads. The road meanders through dense pine forests and open meadows, offering opportunities…
Learn more about Six Mile Section 1