ATV usage in the Black HIlls of South Dakota

This road in the Badlands is one of many places in and around the Black Hills that can't be reached by an ordinary car. Off-Road Vehicle users and ATV riders have hundreds of miles of back-roads to choose from. (Note: Off-road riding is prohibited in the Badlands National Park. These ATVs are actually on a road, however .)

News Updates:
1. A proposal to turn the above pictured area of the Badlands into a wilderness area has been made by a coalition who would limit access to hikers only. South Dakota's US Senator Tim Johnson has announced his support for the wilderness designation. This picture was taken about 13 miles from the nearest paved road thus the effect of such a designation would be to end virtually all public access since hiking to this area would require a roundtrip hike of more than 25 miles.
2. A proposal in the South Dakota Legislature that would have imposed new fees and limit ATV and UTV riding areas in the Black Hills has died. It is not likely to be reintroduced anytime soon because of overwhelming public opposition.

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ATV & UTV Riding

Much of the Black Hills National Forest and other nearby areas are open to most forms of ATV and Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) travel. ATVs and UTVs are also welcome in South Dakota state parks if registered and licensed. It is also legal for licensed ATVs and UTVs to travel on most South Dakota Roads. In short, the Black Hills is a friendly place for ATV and UTV riders.
Moreover, the Black Hills has something for virtually every type of ATV user. Many US Forest Service roads are open to ATV travel

and a significant portion of the hills is open for off-road use. So if your thing is climbing boulders and trees in some remote location, you'll find that too. In all, there are about 5,000 miles of trails and roads open to ATVs and OHVs in the Black Hills and surrounding areas.
There are some caveats, however:

Not all areas are open to wheeled and/or motorized travel. The large Black Elk Wilderness is closed to all but hikers -- not even a baby stroller is permitted. Closed areas and roads are usually signed or gated.
Some wildlife or other forest management areas are closed seasonally. A few are closed all year. In some areas ATV and UTV travel is restricted to marked roads only.
National parks are closed to off-road use: You may, however, ride on the highway through Mt. Rushmore and the Badlands if your ATV is licensed.
As with all public lands, motorized vehicles must be equipped with spark arrestors.
Finally there is a great deal of private land interspersed throughout the Black Hills National Forest. Private land is often posted with "NO TRESPASSING" signs. Private land owners generally guard their rights.

The good news is that even with these restrictions, there's about a million acres where you can ride. Here's the rest of the good news:

ATV's may be used on most roads and highways as long as the ATV is registered and licensed. This mostly applies to South Dakota residents. If you live in a state where ATV's cannot be licensed for road use, your ATV may not be used on roads in South Dakota. (ATV's may not be used on Interstate Highways or other marked high-speed roadways.) Certain optional equipment and a minimum size of 200cc is required for ATVs and UTVs licensed in South Dakota.
A driver's license is not required to operate an ATV unless the ATV is operated on a public roadway, then a standard driver's license is required. The rider need not have a motorcycle endorsement to ride four-wheeled ATVs.
Visitors at most South Dakota State Parks must have licenses on both South Dakota and out-of-state vehicles. A valid park entrance license is also required. If an ATV is not licensed and/or does not have a valid park entrance license, then the vehicle must remain in the truck or on the trailer.
ATVs operated in state parks must be equipped with a horn, mirror, headlight, brake light, brakes and a license plate and operators must be 14 years of age or older and possess a valid driver's license.
Park visitors can only operate vehicles on designated park roads in South Dakota state parks and recreation areas or in the state ORV area. Park visitors are not allowed to operate vehicles on trails, shorelines or beaches.
Drivers must obey all traffic regulations.
Eye protection is required of all users on public/park roads unless a windshield is in place.
Helmets are required of all users under 18 years of age.
ATV riders may legally ride "two-up" on a single seat vehicle, however the practice is discouraged by ATV manufacturers unless the ATV is specifically designed for two-up riders.
Some ATV trails are limited to vehicles less than 50-inches wide. This means that UTVs wider than 50 inches cannot be used on some ATV trails.
Although AVTs may be used "off-trail" trail blazing in the Black Hills National Forest is prohibited. In practice this is a rather fine line. Obviously one ATV going off-trail is not trail-blazing, but a group on the same path might be.

Black Hills National Forest Travel Management Plan:

For several years now, the National Forest Service has been working on a travel management plan for the Black Hills that would drastically change the way ATVs, UTVs and OHVs can be used. Unless it is challenged, the new travel plan will be in effect toward the end of this summer. As of this writing, April 2010, ATVs, UTVs, dirt bikes and other OHVs can be used everywhere in the Black Hills were they are not specifically prohibited -- about 800,000 acres. Under the proposed change, such vehicles could only be used in areas where they are specifically permitted. Zero acres.
The net effect would be to limit ATVs and other OHVs to designated trails only -- cross country or off-trail riding would be prohibited.
The most recently printed Forest Service map of open forest service roads expired in December, 2007. An on-line version of the map is available at:

http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/blackhills/recreation/travel_management/travel_management_maps.shtml

This map is in .pdf format is is difficult to read, making it less than useful in the field. The on-line map shows forest roads. It also shows proposals for ATV trails, rock crawling routes and dirt-bike trails. As of this writing there are no officially sanctioned ATV, ORV or dirt-bike trails in the Black Hills, but there are, however, numerous ad hoc trails. But, these can be difficult to find since they are not mapped and soon the legality of riding on them will be open to question.
Part of the proposed travel management plan deals with user fees, which probably will be implemented at some point. At present, neither the State of South Dakota or the Forest Service collects user fees, however the State of Wyoming does.

Tours and rentals

To our knowledge there is no currently operating ATV tour provider in the Black Hills Hills National Forest. Over the years, several have come and gone.
Guided fishing, hunting, and trail ride activities can be legally provided only by Forest Service "partners" who operate under special use permits. Commercial guides (called "outfitters") are required to pay fees, meet stringent criteria. They are also are restricted to specific routes and must provide detailed information about their operations, such as the size of each group and the date and times of each tour.
The 2009 "outfitters" list for the Black Hills National Forest contained no ATV trail guides or tour operators. This is not surprising since these rules and conditions are so complex, restrictive and expensive.
For these reasons, if you want to ride in the Black Hills you will probably have to guide yourself. You can often receive help in planning a self-guided tour from various ATV rental operators who can provide you with maps, directions and advice. They may even know a trail-wise local who may want to ride with you just for the fun of it.
If you have your own ATV or UTV you might be able to get some advice at your hotel or campground. We help our guests at the Roosevelt Inn, and other places may do so as well.

Here is a partial list of ATV rental outfits:

Trout Haven Resort, 22485 Highway 385, Deadwood, SD 57754 605-341-4440
Mad Mountain Adventures, 21443 Highway, 385, Deadwood, SD 57754 605-578-1878
Deerfield Lake Resort, 11321 Gillette Prarie Road, Hill City, SD 57745 605-574-2636
Custer Crossing Campground & Last Stand Bar, HCR 73, Box 1525 Deadwood, SD 57732 605-584-1008
Black Hills RV Rentals, 24992 Sylvan Lake Road, Custer, SD 57730 605-673-3600

For additional information you may contact the following:
Information about most of the Black Hills Forest:

    Black Hills National Forest Service Office
    25041 N. Highway 16, Custer, SD 57730
    Phone: (605) 673-9200
    Web: http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/blackhills

    The Forest Service map of the entire Black Hills with various roads and restricted areas marked is now out of print. The only official map currently available is the on-line map listed above.

Information about South Dakota state lands:

    South Dakota Game Fish and Parks
    523 East Capitol Avenue
    Pierre, SD 57501
    Parks and Recreation information 605) 773-3391
    Wildlife Division -- Wildinfo@state.sd.us
    Parks and Recreation -- ParkInfo@state.sd.us
    Custer State Park-- CusterStatePark@state.sd.us
    http://www.sdgfp.info/Publications/Parks/ORVbrochure.pdf

Other Contacts:
    Buffalo Gap National Grassland
    Phone: (605) 745-4107
    http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/nebraska/units/frrd/bgng.html

    Custer National Forest
    Phone: (605) 797-4432
    http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/custer

    Off-Road Riders Association
3931 Wingate Court
Rapid City, SD 57701
http://www.offroadriders.org/index.htm

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