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USFS National Forest System Trails · South Dakota · Updated June 2026

Black Hills National Forest Mountain Bike Trails

CBike Access Grade C — 34% of rideable miles open to bikes. How we grade

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
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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.

C
Bike Access Grade
34% of rideable miles bike-open
325
Ridable trails
with their own page
255 mi
Bike-designated
92 segments
1,334 mi
Total NFS trail
663 segments
545 mi
Class 1 e-bike
317 segments

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

TrailMilesSurfaceTrail classBike season
Centennial On Northern Hills37.51Native Material—Year-round
Centennial On Mystic31.02Native Material—Year-round
Deerfield22.56Native Material—Year-round
Hawkwright Loop13.57Native Material——
Newton 3612.17Native Material——
Deerfield Lake Loop11.08Native Material—Year-round
Victoria 138.12Native Material——
Hershey 10427.76Native Material——
Dugout Gulch Botanical6.75Native Material—Year-round
Lightning Strike6.32Native Material——
Stots Ridge5.82Native Material——
Sundance Sheepnose5.61Native Material—Apr–Nov
Devils Head 605.6Native Material——
Blacktail 11045.58Native Material——
Sundance Richardson Fire5.54Native Material—Apr–Nov
Ditch Creek 585.49Native Material——
Ditch Creek 395.36Native Material——
Smith 16815.35Native Material——
Hell Canyon5.34Native Material—Year-round
Bluebird5.07Native Material——
Ditch Creek 304.98Native Material——
Piedmont Fire Trail 1444.95Native Material——
Stageyard 1504.89Native Material——
Rimrock4.84Native Material—Year-round
Rudenvale4.76Native Material——

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.

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

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