South Dakota Trails

The beauty of the Black Hills National Forest is on display as you travel along China Gulch Road. The road begins in the China Gulch and ends as it proceeds through the more rugged and popular Nugget Gulch. This easy forested road displays an abundance of wildflowers and mature pine trees. Creek crossings are always a favorite feature for an off-pavement adventure and several can be found near the north end of this road.

"The trails are either maintained forest access roads or super challenging offroad trails" may be a sentence you've heard summarizing the Black Hills, but Polo Peak is undoubtedly one of the outliers to that statement. Polo Peak is a rare, scenic getaway from this area's thick, tree-covered trails, as ascending to the very top will provide you with 360-degree views of the entire forest and surrounding towns. With just enough challenge and diversity to make this interesting for any wheeler, Polo Peak should be on your shortlist for trails in this area. If you don't mind camping without a fire, the top provides large groups a gathering spot to talk about the day's adventures and the many more experiences to come while wheeling in the Black Hills.

Williams Draw is an easy drive that takes you from Deerfield Lake to the Four Corners area in the beautiful Black Hills. Four Corners is a central location in the large network of other, less maintained, offroad trails. This makes Williams Draw one of the direct routes to the center of the trail network. If your looking to explore in the central Black Hills then Williams Draw is an excellent place to start

Smith Draw is a combination of several forest service roads that tracks you through the heart of the Black Hills from one main road to another. Located in the heart of the Mystic Ranger District this is one of the dozens of trails to explore showing the different landscapes in the Western Black Hills. As you travel through the forest, grassy valleys, and small gulches you will begin to see the unique nature of the hills making this a great easy trail for someone not familiar with the area.

Smith Draw Cutoff is an optional route to exit Smith Draw in the Black Hills National Forest. This short route takes you directly through a grassy valley where the trail can be difficult to see from the green grass, especially in early summer when the vegetation is new and lush. As you travel through the open grass field, you get a sense of what the rancher experiences as he's going to maintain his well and check on his cattle.