Itinerary

We have designated the cycling on this itinerary as “ All levels” because it is easy to give extra miles for those who want more, or reduce the mileage (keeping the best parts, of course) for folks who desire a more leisurely ride. The mileage and elevation statics presented below are just for representation.

Day 1: Bicycle through the haunting, beautiful Badlands, where saber-tooth tiger once roamed.

Meet in Rapid City. Shuttle out to Badlands National Park – a stunning 244,000-acre preserve of mixed grass prairie punctuated with enormous needled buttes, pinnacles and spires. Once blanketed by a warm, shallow sea, it boasts one of the world’s richest fossil beds. Rhino, horse, and saber-toothed cat once roamed here. Today it’s home to bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, black-footed ferret and awe-inspiring bison. Bicycle through its haunting beauty and spend tonight at the Red Rock River Resort, which tops the list of ‘5 Best Spa Hotels in South Dakota.’ Take time for a soak before walking to Silk Road for a privately hosted al fresco dinner.
Meals: Lunch, Diner Lodging:Red Rock River Resort,
Distance: 45 miles Elevation +1886 ft / -2274 ft

Day 2: Mammoth, Bison, burros and bluebirds. And a doozie of a cave.

This morning, visit the active dig at Mammoth Hot Springs Site which contains the largest number of mammoth remains in the world.
Keeping to the ‘largest in the world’ theme for the day, we head from there on to one of the longest and most complex caves in the world: Wind Cave National Park. To the Lakota (Sioux) who live in the region, the cave is the sacred location where their ancestors first emerged from the underworld. Pioneers in the region did not discover it until 1881 when brothers Tom and Jesse Bingham heard wind rushing out from a 10-inch hole in the ground. According to the story, when Tom looked into the hole, the “wind” (exiting cave air) blew his hat right off his head!
We ride through the Park – this is the first place we should see bison! – and have a chance to check out the Visitor’s Center and the Bingham’s original cave opening; there is not time to do the cave tour. Wind Cave is the first cave in the world to be designated a National Park.
Continue riding to Custer State Park in the afternoon, where scenic loops wind through its 71,000 acres. Today, bicycle the Wildlife Loop in the southern section of the park. The prairies and ponderosa pine-studded hills here are home to some 1,300 bison, as well as pronghorn antelope, mountain goat, deer, elk, wild turkey and a band of friendly burros. Tomorrow: the northern loop road has some familiar faces in store.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner lodging: State Game lodge
Distance 44 miles elevation +3727 ft / -3088 ft (or less)

Day 3: Pedal Custer State Park and the Needles Highway to Mt. Rushmore National Memorial.

Bicycle Custer State Park’s Northern Loop today. In 1922, South Dakota’s Governor Peter Norbeck marked out the Iron Mountain Road on foot and on horseback. With its wooden ‘pigtail’ bridges and one-lane tunnels, it’s an architectural marvel carving through pine and spruce forests, meadows surrounded by birch and aspen, rugged granite mountains and more needle-like granite formations. Ride through 11 tunnels in all today, right up to stunning Mt. Rushmore National Memorial. Back in 1922, Governor Norbeck advised, “To do the scenery…full justice, you should simply get out and walk.” But we think the bicycle is a great alternative. Lunch is on your own here, so spend as much time as you like. We spend the next two nights at Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Sylvan Lake Lodge – Custer State Park’s ‘Crown Jewel’.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Distance 47 miles elevation +6296 / -4212 ft

Day 4: Hike Black Elk Peak, visit Crazy Horse, ride…or just relax.

Today you have choices to make. In the morning, most folks join us for a hike to Black Elk Peak. At 7,200′ of elevation, it’s the highest point east of the Rockies, and the views are astounding.
In the afternoon, visit Crazy Horse Memorial, the world’s largest sculpture-in-progress. This fascinating memorial has been under construction since 1948 and receives no government funding. It’s so large that if Mt. Rushmore could be moved, it would fit inside Crazy Horse’s shoulder!
Or you can choose to take a ride to Hill City, a picturesque former mining town that is the oldest in Pennington County. Or just relax at the lake. Lunch is on your own.
Hike: 7.5 miles. Elevation +1,383 ft / -1,380 ft. Meals: Breakfast, Dinner. Lodging: Sylvan Lake Lodge

Day 5: Ride the Mickelson Trail to Deadwood and release your inner outlaw.

Deadwood, once a wild-and-wooly gold rush town that hosted the likes of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamite Jane, is the Lawrence County seat and a National Historic Landmark District. Ride here today on the famed Mickelson Trail and unleash your inner-outlaw! Dinner’s on your own tonight, with plenty of restaurants to choose from and plenty to explore before and after. Stay at the Holiday Inn Express Gold Dust in Deadwood tonight and tomorrow.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, lodging: Holiday Inn Express Gold Dust
Distance 58 miles, (mostly hard-packed gravel) Elevation +2642 ft / -4376 ft

Day 6: Ride Spearfish Canyon to Devils Tower National Monument. Spend another night in Deadwood.

Begin the day with a leisurely ride through Spearfish Canyon. Bicycling Magazine named Spearfish Canyon one of the country’s Top 50 Scenic Bike Paths. Older than the Grand Canyon, the spectacular 1000-foot walls and limestone palisades of this creek-carved gorge offer some of the most breathtaking scenery in the Black Hills. Visit the Vore Buffalo Jump before heading to Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming. Visit the iconic landmark held sacred by Native Americans and made famous by the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Ponder the various theories as to how it was formed while we load up bikes. Once you’re sufficiently awed, we will hop in the van to shuttle back to Deadwood.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Lodging: Holiday Inn Express Gold Dust
Distance: 63 miles (or less … or tackle a 100-mile century ride!) Elevation +2,575 ft / -4.428 ft (or +5,963 ft / -6,638 ft for the century)

Day 7: Ride Nemo Road back to Rapid City.

Known as one of the best-kept secrets in South Dakota, Nemo Road wends its way through lovely
scenery with good shoulders and low traffic. Tie your bike to the hitching post outside the Guest Ranch Store in the town of Nemo for an historic photo opportunity. Finish the week on your bike (not in the van) riding the rest of the way back to Rapid City.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch. Lodging: Holiday Inn Express Gold Dust
Distance 43 miles Elevation +2,605 ft / -3,776 ft

* This is a general itinerary. Tour itineraries are subject to change based on the group, available accommodations and other unforeseen circumstances such as the weather, local conditions, government intervention, that may affect the quality of the trip and/or safety of the participants. Please view this itinerary as an outline as to what to expect on this tour.

Lodging

Mt. Rushmore and Badlands

Red Rock River Resort,
State Game Lodge,
Sylvan Lake Lodge,
Holiday Inn Express Gold Dust
The hotels, inns, and B&B’s we use are always among the finest the area has to offer. Our smaller group sizes allow us to stay at some award-winning places that can’t handle groups of 25 or more. We work closely with the innkeepers to make sure they understand your needs and ours, whether that is having a place to store your bike, an early morning breakfast or a convenient place to park the van, they are as committed to your vacation experience as we are.

Lodging is based upon two people to a room with a private bath. If you’re traveling solo on any of our trips, we’ll assign you a roommate of the same gender and often of the same age bracket. There is no extra charge if we can’t find you a roommate, even if you sign up the day before the trip starts. You can guarantee yourself a private room and bath if you pay the Single Room Fee. Occasionally a room with two beds consists of one bed plus a roll away bed or sofa bed.

Included:

• Deluxe lodging
• All meals included, except 2 lunches and 1 dinner. Snacks and beverages between meals
• Park and other entry fees
• Road / hybrid bike
• Helmet and Wahoo GPS device
• Luggage transfer.

Not included:

• Night before and after the tour
• Flights to and from the tour
• Alcoholic beverages at meals
• Gratuities guides

Pricing / Tour dates

Tour price 2025: $ 4140.- pp single fee $ 1118.-
You can avoid a single supplement by sharing a room with another rider.
Extra option rental E-bike $200.-pp
Tour dates 2025:
04 May – 10 May
11 May – 17 May, guaranteed
18 May – 24 May, guaranteed
25 May – 31 May
01 Jun – 07 Jun, guaranteed, limited space left
24 Aug – 30 Aug, guaranteed
31 Aug – 06 Sep, guaranteed
07 Sep – 13 Sep, fully booked
14 Sep – 20 Sep, fully booked

Conditions

Deposit 25%
The deposit payment for a tour must be paid within two weeks after the booking is confirmed.
The remaining payment is due 90 days before the start of the tour.
For tours that are booked within 90 days before the start of the tour you will pay 100% of the tour price

Information

Meals and dining:
We know how important breakfast is to make sure your day starts off right. Most breakfasts are served at the inn where we spend the night and are either a set menu or a continental breakfast buffet. But if there is a local restaurant with a reputation for a great breakfast, we can guarantee we will find it and you will be treated to a nutritious meal to start the day.
Lunch is provided at a state park or similar scenic setting midway during the day’s ride. Guests are always surprised at the variety and quality of lunches we prepare. Besides sandwich fixings and cold drinks, we offer fresh fruits and vegetables and hot lunches such as tortellini with pesto or veggie burritos. If you prefer a certain item of food or drink, just let your tour guide know and we will be sure to prepare just the right lunch to keep your energy up for the rest of the day.
During the day water, fruit juices, soft drinks, energy bars, fruit, and snacks are available from the van. A cold beer from our cooler waits at the end of the day, and you can relive the day’s highlights at our wine and cheese party before dinner.
Dinner is eaten together at the best restaurant in the area. At most restaurants, you order what you want from the menu. Except for alcohol, everything is included, even appetizers, salad, soup, and dessert. If we have to shuttle everyone a short distance to get to that special place, we do it. We like to eat well.

If you have any special dietary requests, please let us know in advance. We regularly accommodate vegetarians and other restricted diets. All of our meals are carefully selected to provide you with the unusually high nutritional and caloric needs of your body on an outdoor adventure.