I toured the Black Hills last year. There is actually some nice dirt riding out there, even if you take the Mickelson Trail out of the mix. Frankly, I wish I had done more dirt. The paved roads can be busy and noisy.


Don't miss Needles Highway. It's easier if you climb up SD 89 from Custer and then make the right on SD 87. The ride up from Rapid City to Nemo is also very pretty and pretty quiet assuming you don't go on something like a Friday afternoon. The first day I did Rapid City to Deadwood via Nemo and then to Spearfish. Spearfish is a nice and prosperous area without the tacky tourism and crowds that you will find in Keystone (just awful, but pretty much a necessary evil if you want to see Mt. Rushmore), Deadwood, Custer, Hill City and, to a lesser extent, Hot Springs. From Spearfish, the ride up through the canyon of the same name is gorgeous.


Here is the needles loop I did while staying in Custer for a few days:


https://ridewithgps.com/routes/8771954


Wind Cave N.P. and Custer S.P. are also nice. Watch out for severe thunderstorms. The night I stayed in Hill City there was hail up to the size of golf balls. That was in mid-June. With those storms, temps can drop 20 degrees or more very quickly.


Here are some photos from my trip:


https://www.flickr.com/photos/105349...57655263744881