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Updated October 2026

Black Hills National Forest Mountain Bike Trails

Mountain bike

255mi

designated on 92 segments

19% of mapped trail

E-bike

545miClass 1

designated on 317 segments

41% of mapped trail

Mountain bike

255mi

designated on 92 segments

19% of mapped trail

Season on record
Apr–Nov
Bike Access Grade
C34% of rideable miles open to bikes. How we grade

E-bike

545miClass 1

designated on 317 segments

  • Class 1545 mi
  • Class 2545 mi
  • Class 3545 mi

Treated as a motor vehicle: ridden only where designated.

Ridable trails
325
Mapped trail
1,334 mi on 663 segments

Both lanes share one scale: the 1,334 mi of National Forest System trail mapped in Black Hills National Forest, South Dakota. From USFS National Forest System Trails records, updated October 2026.

Black Hills National Forest earns a Bike Access Grade of C: 34% of its rideable trail miles are open to mountain bikes, with Class-1 e-bike access on part of the network. Mixed — bikes are open on a meaningful share of rideable trails, but many are e-bike-only or discouraged.

Black Hills National Forest carries 1,334 mi of mapped National Forest System trail, of which 255 mi across 92 segments is designated for mountain bikes, typically open Apr–Nov. Class 1 e-bikes are designated on 317 segments (545 mi).

Reviewed by CanIBikeHere Editorial Team · Updated
Where to stay near Black Hills National Forest →

What the USFS data shows for Black Hills National Forest

Of the 1,334 mi of mapped trail in Black Hills National Forest, 19% — 255 mi across 92 bike-designated segments — is open to mountain bikes in USFS travel-management data.

Tread is overwhelmingly native dirt: USFS lists native material on 580 of 663 surfaced segments (87%).

On the USFS difficulty rating, easy is the most common designation here — 318 of 663 rated segments (48%) — across all uses, not bikes alone.

The headline bike season runs Apr–Nov; individual segments vary, with 3 distinct season windows recorded across the sampled bike trails.

The longest single named bike segment in the data is Centennial On Northern Hills at 37.51 mi on native dirt, rated advanced by USFS and open Year-round.

Class 1 e-bikes are designated on 317 segments (545 mi), and 6 segments carry an ADA-accessibility flag in the same dataset.

Trail surface

  • Native Material580
  • Snow67
  • Imported Compacted Material8
  • Concrete4
  • Imported Loose Material3

USFS trail class (1 = primitive · 5 = developed)

  • Class 3475
  • Class 2134
  • Class 142
  • Class 410
  • Class 52

19% of this forest's mapped trail is bike-designated. Note: USFS records trail grade (steepness), not technical MTB difficulty — we surface grade where present but do not infer a black/blue/green rating from it.

Largest bike-designated trails

TrailMiles
Centennial On Northern HillsNative MaterialYear-round37.51
Centennial On MysticNative MaterialYear-round31.02
DeerfieldNative MaterialYear-round22.56
Hawkwright LoopNative Material13.57
Newton 36Native Material12.17
Deerfield Lake LoopNative MaterialYear-round11.08
Victoria 13Native Material8.12
Hershey 1042Native Material7.76
Dugout Gulch BotanicalNative MaterialYear-round6.75
Lightning StrikeNative Material6.32
Stots RidgeNative Material5.82
Sundance SheepnoseNative MaterialApr–Nov5.61
Devils Head 60Native Material5.6
Blacktail 1104Native Material5.58
Sundance Richardson FireNative MaterialApr–Nov5.54
Ditch Creek 58Native Material5.49
Ditch Creek 39Native Material5.36
Smith 1681Native Material5.35
Hell CanyonNative MaterialYear-round5.34
BluebirdNative Material5.07
Ditch Creek 30Native Material4.98
Piedmont Fire Trail 144Native Material4.95
Stageyard 150Native Material4.89
RimrockNative MaterialYear-round4.84
RudenvaleNative Material4.76

Every trail in Black Hills National Forest

All 325 ridable trails in this forest — every trail where USFS data designates mountain-bike or Class 1 e-bike use, grouped by grade-based steepness. Grade reflects slope, not technical difficulty. Each trail links to its full data profile.

Easy grade (138)

Gentle grade band (shallow average slope).

Intermediate grade (113)

Moderate grade band.

Advanced grade (73)

Steep grade band.

Expert grade (1)

Steepest grade band.

  • Merritt 360.9 mi
    Native Material, class 2Class 1 e-bike
CSV

Black Hills National Forest bike-legal trail list (CSV)

Download all 325 bike- and Class 1 e-bike-designated trails in Black Hills National Forest — name, miles, surface, grade, season, and e-bike class per trail, straight from USFS data.

E-bikes in Black Hills National Forest

Class 1 on 317 segments · Class 2 on 317 · Class 3 on 317. See full e-bike rules for Black Hills National Forest →

Where it is

Approximate center of Black Hills National Forest. USFS trail geometry isn't mapped here — use the ranger district for trailheads.

Frequently asked questions

What is the bike access grade for Black Hills National Forest?
Black Hills National Forest earns a Bike Access Grade of C: 34% of its rideable trail miles are open to mountain bikes, with Class-1 e-bike access on part of the network. Mixed — bikes are open on a meaningful share of rideable trails, but many are e-bike-only or discouraged.
How many miles of mountain bike trail are in Black Hills National Forest?
Black Hills National Forest has about 255 mi of bike-designated trail across 92 segments, out of 1,334 mi of total National Forest System trail.
What is the riding season in Black Hills National Forest?
Most bike-designated trails in Black Hills National Forest carry a Apr–Nov season in USFS data; higher-elevation trails clear later.
Are e-bikes allowed in Black Hills National Forest?
Only where designated. Class 1 e-bikes are recorded on 317 segments. See the e-bike rules page for the class-by-class breakdown.

Where to stay near Black Hills National Forest

Cabins, lodges, and campgrounds near Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota — compare places to stay for a mountain-bike trip.

Top-rated places to stay near Black Hills National Forest

Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

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Where to stay near Black Hills National Forest →