The Black Hills National Forest has 1.2 million acres of beautiful terrain which has hundreds of miles of trails that can be expienced while riding an ATV/UTV or motorcycle. 72 miles of the trail system can only be accesed by off-road vehicles that are 50 inches or less, so if you have a motorcycle, you have a grouping of trail systems exclusively for you!
For general information about the use of off-road vehicles on the Black Hills Trail system, visit the link below from the US Forest Service. Rules related to riding ATV's in the Black Hills are governed by state motorcycle law - No minimum age for riders and no license required on the off-road trail system, although, if traveling on roadways normal motorcycle laws apply - the link below provides more information.
When planning to travel off road in the Black Hills, it's important to have the most up-to-date maps of the trail systems as they are changing often. The link below titled "OHV Trail Maps" offers you the ability to download the trail maps in black and white, color, maps for your smartphone, and also downloadable maps for your Garmin GPS unit or Google Earth.
- OHV Trail Maps - Links to B & W, Color, Smartphone, Garmin, and Google Earth Maps.
Lastly, before you hop on the trails, it's important to grab a permit to ride the trail systems. With the link below, you'll be able to purchase an OHV riding permit online. Also, you can pick up a permit at any Forest Service Office, or you can also get one at the Black Hills Visitor Information Center at the address below.
- South Dakota Motorized Trail Permit - Call Black Hills National Forest at 605-673-9239 to order
- 7 Day Permit - $20
- Annual Permit - $25
You can also purchased the South Dakota and Wyoming Motorized Trail Permits Online at the below links:
Black Hills Visitor Information Center
1851 Discovery Circle, Rapid City, SD 57701
Don't forget to have fun!